Christmas memories

Christmas was wonderful again this year. The whole holiday season seemed a little less like the typical commercialized idea of Christmas with "Snowmen and Santa" and more about just enjoying time together as a family.... and about the birthday of God's son of course. 

We went to look at Christmas lights and "carol" from the back of Grampa's truck a few days before Christmas as we have for the passed 4 years or so. Doodlebug LOVED the lights! He kept pointing and screaming "IGHTS (silent L of course)" every time he saw a house with lights, which happened quite often considering the neighborhood we drive through is known for them!

The 23rd I took a quick trip to the ER just to keep everyone I know on their toes, but all checked out a.o.k and we are none worse for the wear.

Christmas Eve the boys all went over to see hubby's side of the family early in the morning while I rested. We spent the rest of the day with my side of the family and even stayed over at Grampa's and Gramma's that night. We have always followed the Swedish tradition and exchanged gifts that night. Many wonderful memories were made as always. My favorite was the admiration and COMPLETE and total appreciation from my brother for his gift from our family. Because the gift wasn't really even for him. Well, it was... but it was a gift that he could GIVE to someone else. We got him "hope dollars" to spend through Global Hope Network International (GHNI) to help others in need. He gets to choose where the money is used and how he disperses it. He was sincerely thankful that we knew he would appreciate that kind of gift and that we assisted his ability to give unto others. I am so glad we thought of it for him and that he liked it. What an awesome man he is... but I already knew that!

Christmas morning the little guy slipped (thanks to his cute reindeer slippers I guess) and busted both lips- but a few Mommy hugs, and a little ice and he was good as new. I can't say the same for my previously white shirt. Slight miscommunication with Big B's daddy ended up with him traveling to my aunt's house with us, but still getting back in time to spend time with dad and his siblings. Double the fun.

We ended our Christmas celebrations with the hubby's sisters and kids. Lots of kids, lots of noise, and lots of fun! We hope you and your family had a wonderful holiday season as well.

Merry Christmas!

From our family to you and your family!

21 weeks, 21 months, and 21 times better

Howdy friends!
Its all about the number TWENTY-ONE!
Today I am 21 weeks pregnant, Doodlebug is 21 months old, and I'd venture to say that life is at least 21 times better with Big Brother around!

The little lady-
She's been growing for exactly 21 weeks now. She measures in at 13oz as of a few days ago. She moves all the time- especially at night. Her favorite position is with her little hand above her head- we've seen her this way the last three times we've gotten to peak at her. We had a special ultrasound done last week because the last one didn't show adequate views of her heart and facial features. This was a "level 2" ultrasound and they managed to see everything they needed to this time. The tech said her heart and face are BEAUTIFUL. I'd have to agree, having seen them myself, and I can't wait to see her little face in person instead of on the monitor! We bought her a few onsies last week, mainly purple and a couple brown ones with flowers. I'm sure the pink will filter in soon! Her future nursery is getting cleaned and organized and eventually we'll get to painting. 19 weeks (give or take) and we'll meet our little princess. She's been given a name, but for blogging purposes we will call her "Lucky." It doesn't sound too girly now that I write it, so if I come up with something else I'll be sure to let you know!

Our little toddler-
Baby G is a 21 month bundle of energy!!! Right now he is totally stuck on Momma and doesn't want much to do with anyone else. I LOVE the extra cuddle time, but I wouldn't mind if someone else could share it every once in awhile, too. He is beginning to enjoy school, but has yet to really open up. They're in for a real awakening when he finally shows his true self! For 3 nights in a row he has been sleeping in his own room in his own big boy bed. The transition has gone relatively smoothly and I hope it continues. We are very proud of him! Little man wants to do EVERYTHING himself. Even things he can't. He feeds himself very well, but also thinks he can get into his own highchair, dress himself, buckle his own car seat, tie his own shoes, and many other things he isn't quite ready for. We should have named him Mr. Independent. We went to visit Santa the other day and while he didn't cry, he wasn't really comfortable with the jolly 'ol man by any means. He likes hot chocolate, though- which according to him is called "spice." Its about the cutest thing I've ever heard come out of his mouth. He loves to sing Christmas and church songs and likes to dance to them even more. He is also starting to like Elmo, so brother is getting him one that laughs for Christmas. I can't wait to watch him experience Christmas this year!

Our big guy-
I made his title "21 times better" because he makes our lives better- that's for sure. I probably could have also said "thinks he's 21 years old" though, too. Big B is growing up way too fast. While he needs his own space and own time, luckily he is still a huge help with his little brother and just in general. He has had many projects at school lately and while they take a ton of time, he enjoys them and I enjoy helping him. He has signed up for a soccer camp just before Christmas and is so glad to finally be getting back to his favorite sport! He is mighty fond of many holiday foods/drinks right now including the Chick-fil-A peppermint chocolate milkshake, the holiday spice hot chocolate from Sonic, and his very favorite-- Egg Nog! He recently told me I "went overboard" with the things I bought for his little sister which made me laugh for quite awhile. He has no idea what he's in store for.... the monogramming has yet to begin! He loves to be in front of the video camera, but always acts extremely silly when the red light is on- so I don't have much video of him just being him. Maybe I'll get it when he's actually 21!

Holiday preparations and such

So much going on and so little time to blog about it!

Thanksgiving was typical- an amazing time spent with tons of family. I love family time! The hubby was able to be with us this year so that made it even better than last. He often has to work. More kids are being added to the mix each year which is really nice. Fire pits, buggy rides (like a golf cart), horses, tree climbing, and turkey of course = lots and lots of fun!

We've decorated for Christmas and have even done most of our shopping. Lights on the outside of the house didn't quite work as we had planned, but we plan to try again next year. 2 story homes prove to be a little difficult to hang lights on without a VERY tall ladder. Roofs are more steep than they appear. Hiring someone seems to be the wise alternative for next year! Christmas cards will be in the mail soon. A trip to Santa's Wonderland and Holiday Acres tree farm has been worked in and a visit with Santa is scheduled for Monday with our little cousin. Daddy is taking the boys ice-skating next weekend. B has a choir performance coming up that we can't wait to see and the little guy has a Christmas cookie play date planned! I'd say we are keeping busy, but enjoying the holiday season immensely.

Doodlebug is being mighty good with Mommy's special nativity scene that is well within his reach and has been playing with his own "Little People" one instead. He knows exactly where Baby Jesus, Mary, and Joseph go inside the stable. Only problem is: the sheep doesn't fit inside with them. Each time he places them in their rightful spots  he tries to squeeze the sheep in only to find out he still doesn't fit. Needless to say, all 3 quickly get shoved to the side so the sheep can take center stage. Silly kid!

I hope your holiday preparations are going well.

Pictures to come asap!

Our family has so much to be thankful for on this eve of Thanksgiving. At the top of our list is the health and happiness of our two beautiful boys.

and..... 

the fact that these adorable young men will soon be joined by a little SISTER! 

We hope that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Love,

Fall Fun, Family First

I've been planning and hoping to type up a few different posts recently, but Fall Fun has gotten in the way. Family First, Folks! Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Name changes

Hello there my friends,
I think its time that we dub my kiddos with more appropriate blogging nicknames. You see... our oldest was named Big B on this site mainly because he is THE big brother. And an awesome one at that! However, his real name also starts with a B and therefore I find myself messing up and typing his name on here all the time. I have to finely scan each post to be sure I didn't slip up before posting it. Don't get me wrong- I am not a silly person. I know very well that any person who put enough effort into it  just a tad bit of effort into it could probably figure out our real names, places of birth, blood types, exact GPS location, and the future name of my unborn child (that I don't even know yet).  But, I prefer not to type the kids real names on here if I can help it.

So- back to the job at hand. I have decided to go ahead and publicly make my kids' real nicknames their blog nicknames. They have each had their cute little nicknames since shortly after birth. Big B has always been Munchkin. I'm not quite sure why or how he got the nickname to begin with, but it fits him quite nicely. He's short/skinny in stature and has a very sweet personality. He's my little munchkin. Munchie, Munch, even Munch-Munch sometimes seem to come out, but mainly its just Munchkin.

Our second (and currently our youngest), Baby G, deserves a new nickname because he is no longer a baby. He will always be MY baby, but a BABY baby he is no longer. Our little baby Giant got his blogging nickname because he was born big and remained BIG for a very long time. He is still in the 90th percentile for height on the growth charts, but has lowered quite a bit on the weight side of things. It's hard to make a size comparison in relation to his peers because most of his playing buddies are actually quite a bit older. We seem to hang around 2-3 year olds mainly. I'm pretty sure he's still big compared to most, but I don't think he will always be. Baby G's nickname in this real world of ours is Doodle-bug. We tried several other nicknames out for size when he was first born, but Doodlebug is the one that stuck- just BUG for short. He seems to like it and so do we.

So- there you have it. Name changes are complete. I'll try to use them interchangeably for a bit so I don't confuse you too terribly, but I'm sure it won't take too long to catch on.

      Munchkin                                                               Doodlebug

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Real Stars

I've never been overly in awe of "super stars" in our society (at least not during my adult life). Movie stars, singers, sports stars, and all the other 'stars' don't much impress me solely because of their 'star status.' Their talents are impressive- I won't knock that- but it doesn't necessarily make them overly impressive people in my opinion. Of course, I can and do appreciate that many of these people work hard at what they do and have an influence over a much larger mass of folks than I probably ever will.... but I do not in any way think that makes them better people than myself or my next door neighbor. I will admit that it would be very neat to meet Michael Jordan, Damon Stoudamire, Marc Broussard, Steven Curtis Chapman, Dakota Fanning, or Will Smith (a few of my favorite stars). But, I truly believe (and hope I'm not fooling myself) that meeting these people would not be any more special to me than meeting some of life's other 'stars' less recognized by the general public. Anyhow- I digress. My point was to say- that although I don't put huge stock in a person's social 'star status,' it does not mean that some of these individuals are not real stars.

Recently, I have been quite impressed with a soccer player named Danny Cruz. He's an MLS soccer player for the Houston Dynamo, and someone my son now calls a friend. Danny met B after a soccer game we attended when we were attempting to get some of the players autographs. B LOVES soccer and anything that goes along with it. He thought it was a great idea to get the players to sign his cards, but was a little shy when they actually showed up. Danny was so sweet to him, taking the time just to chat with him before moving on the the next kid. He was really kind to them all, but he and B just seemed to 'click.' This was BEFORE he found out Big B was a cancer survivor. So many people are extremely nice to B after finding out that news and although I greatly appreciate it, its hard for me to ever know whether they would have been otherwise. Doesn't much matter I guess, but part of me just wonders sometimes if it's a pity thing. We don't pity ourselves and would never want anyone else to. Danny later learned of B's history of cancer and offered his support a few months ago when B was sick with pneumonia. He's checked in on B, given him tickets to a game for our family and some friends, and has even given him an autographed pair of soccer cleats (which were special to Danny after the loss of his friend and former team-mate). Last week Danny was asked to join with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to help raise money for cancer research through the Man of the Year campaign which has honored B as their 'Boy of the Year.' He quickly and enthusiastically accepted. Basically- he has cared about my kid and now cares about something close to our family's heart. But, its not just my kid. A friend of B's (we'll call him T)loves soccer too and is an even bigger Dynamo fan than B. For his birthday T got a group of friends together and took them to a Dynamo game. Danny took ALL the boys out to the field after the game as a surprise for B's friend, T. They had so much fun!
So, to the "stars" out there who use their status to help others and make a difference in the lives of random people and kids- I applaud you. I don't think that you are better people because you can play a sport or hold a tune, but if you use the position you have worked towards or been put in for the good of others- you deserve to be thought of as a STAR. And to those of you who will never be on TV or in front of cheering fans but who make a difference in the lives of those you can- you too are a star. Your name may never be in lights here on earth... but just wait!

To Danny- thank you for being so kind to my son and my family. You are his favorite athlete by far. BUT- not because of the things you have given him or your ability on the soccer field (although he sure does like that, too!), but because you take the time to talk to him, give him a hug, and to just care. I hope you do the same for many more kids just like him that need someone to look up to. B can't wait to work side by side with you to help others with cancer.

Boy bloggings

Blogging about the boys yet again....

It seems so much time passes between each of my blog posts these days. I have days that I have these wonderful "blog ideas/thoughts" and they just never seem to make it to the computer. Even so, just know that I do think of this site of mine even if I don't always make it on to say so. :)

So- since its been so long I thought I'd update you on the growings of my guys and then come back tomorrow (fingers crossed) to write another post.

Big B- 9 years, 5 months
-- is enjoying his new school (except for the "boring" dress code)
-- loves to play outside with friends now and rarely ever turns on video games or TV anymore
-- gets super excited when we designate a family bike-ride evening and spotted a rabbit during last night's
-- prefers the master bath shower downstairs over the boys shower upstairs
-- still loves the Veggietales Sunday Morning Songs CD just as much as his little brother
-- has remembered to bring home his agenda from school EVERY day this week!
-- wishes he never had to brush his teeth
-- likes reading to his brother
-- loves to wear silly bands
-- desperately wants us to buy him a dog!

Baby G- 19 months tomorrow
-- needs a new nickname because he is no longer a baby!
-- started pre-school last week (which is taking a bit of adjusting, but I KNOW he'll love it)
-- still doesn't say much of anything at all besides mama, dada, and bru (brother) but he'll get there
-- loves to sing "My God is so BIG" with hand motions and all
-- sleeps with his blue blankie every night (and carries it all over at school, too!)
-- loves to play in the water... baths, showers, sprinklers, hoses, you name it he loves it!
-- won't sit still long enough to watch even the shortest cartoon or movie
-- loves to wear everyone else's shoes
-- prefers veggies over anything else
-- is self potty-training, but Mommy isn't pushing the idea too hard
-- has an awesome smile that his Gramma says looks like its "pasted" on

Both boys will be welcoming a new baby brother or sister into the family sometime around the end of April. Our family is extremely excited to share this news with you!

Paint and Gates

The boys rooms are almost complete. Pebble Grey and Graphite Gray for B and Skywriter blue for little bro. A few clouds left to paint on Baby G's wall and a Big "B" on well.... Big B's wall. My other project at the moment is my "picture wall" in the middle of our stairs. Ah yes.... we have stairs. Wasn't a big deal to me that we did until I tried getting a baby gate for said stairs. Finding one to fit the top of the stairs has been a challenge to say the least. We're on gate #4 I believe. But, we're getting it worked out and soon the little guy can run around a bit more freely when he's on the 2nd floor. Maybe we can avoid tumble #2 down the stairs. Poor guy. Anyhow, the picture wall is almost finished. The paint color for the wall is Fireside Red. A somewhat daring choice for me, but my new neighbor suggested I try it after I commented on her lovely red walls in her dining area and I love it! I believe it was paint sample #9.

Pictures to come when the rooms/walls are done!

 

Settling In

Good evening friends!
The kids are in bed and I thought I might update you on the happenings of the Thomas family as of late....

We are moved in to the house and getting settled. Its just perfect! Well.... imperfectly perfect I guess. We have already locked ourselves out of the house, had to replace the water heater and are about to have to replace the oven range (both things we were not aware of when we bought the house), but we LOVE the house, the neighborhood, and everything as a whole! We are meeting neighbors, making friends at the playground, walking the block in the evenings, and playing in the sprinkler to cool down in our own yard at night! The subdivision pool is next on the list according to Big B.

Have a great weekend- I plan to update much sooner rather than later!

The Summer of Accomplishments

My sweet husband has dubbed this summer "the summer of accomplishments." He was mainly referring to Big B and his new-found ability to swim and ride a bike this summer. Let's say he has 'perfected' both skills in the last month. He was somewhat able to swim and ride before, but had no confidence and didn't want to unless he was forced! Now he is truly enjoying our family bike rides and pool days and is begging to do both whenever we can.

Baby G is also accomplishing a lot, but I guess it goes a little less noticed. Climbing on everything in site, entertaining himself for longer periods of time, attempting a few more words, trying to feed himself with utensils, putting himself to sleep (this is a HUGE one for him!), and just growing in every sense of the word. His accomplishments are a little less obvious because he is such an independent little guy and its all or nothing with him- I almost expect him to do things before he does! But- some days we watch him and think.... he wasn't doing that a few days ago!

Last, but not least, the other big accomplishment for the summer is buying a new (to us) house. Its been in the works for a little bit, but you never know with these things so we've just been in waiting mode for confirmation. But- its all but a done deal now and we are so excited. It will be a huge change for us and the boys, but a great one I'm sure. New neighborhood, new schools, new sports teams, etc. I'm not a huge fan of all that new stuff and its easier for me to just stay in my comfort zone but I know this will be wonderful if I allow it to be. God is placing all the pieces together and for that we are thankful.

So- here's to the summer of accomplishments and a life time of many more!!!

Me and my boys

Just a few pictures for you to enjoy.
Will put some words on here soon!

Thank you Lord for July 1st!

Six years ago today my beautiful 3-year-old baby was diagnosed with cancer. I thought that July 1st was just about the worst day ever imaginable. I knew of only one day that could be worse and I prayed and prayed I would never have to find out. Every year after that when this day appeared on the calendar the sting from B's diagnosis day would creep up and haunt me. I didn't much like to remember the day that turned our world upside down and changed our lives forever. I didn't like to remember the day my son began fighting for his life, lost his innocence and a small chunk of his childhood. But, with each successive year the sting is so much less and we have begun to use this day to celebrate and honor the trials B went through and the amazing life he lives. If I remember correctly I almost forgot about this day last year which was something to celebrate all on its own! Oddly enough this year I have even looked forward to this day. Its like a milestone that we get to say Big B has achieved. Even more so I look forward to August 28th (his end of treatment date) when we will celebrate B being 3 years cancer free. 5 will be even better!

Today, on July 1, 2010, my worries are no longer that of a 'cancer mom.' We have moved on. Moved on to 4-wheeler accidents, learning to swim, strange rashes caused by his own sweat, wondering whether he's using soap in the shower, avoiding summer boredom, wasp stings, and the occasional need for an attitude adjustment. These are the things I used to hope I could worry about one day. And I am.

Though I never thought I would say it...  Thank you Lord for July 1st! I love celebrating this day! Today we will remember our struggle to get here and honor my sweet boy. He has come so far and will continue to amaze us I'm sure. Today we will spend time together as a family and enjoy each other because we know time is never something that is guaranteed. I hope you have a great day today!

Momma's Instincts

I have always been given grief about being over-protective or overly paranoid when it comes to my children.... or is it life in general? I personally don't feel I'm OVERLY that way, but I would agree that I am protective and cautious by nature. I don't attempt or want to live life in a bubble by any means, but I certainly do weigh the pros and cons of a given situation and almost always choose to follow the road that might cause the least harm (so to speak).
Anyhow, it bothers me from time to time that people think I'm holding my kids back. I have tried in the last year or so since having Baby G to allow him to test the boundaries a bit more than I did when his brother was little. (And test boundaries he does!) When Big B was young I was a typical 'first time mom' according to some, but his diagnosis also played a big part in my cautious nature with him.
Needless to say- when I heard that B's PawPaw (paternal grandfather) had bought the kids a 4-wheeler I didn't like the idea much at all. People get hurt on those things. Grown people. Let alone kids! So, I voiced my concern and as usual got some flak for not letting B 'just be a kid.' So, after much discussion back and forth the agreement was that he could ride with an adult and must always wear a helmet. This was over a year ago and as far as I know he has ridden it several times when he visits them including once by himself about a month or so ago. I was getting used to the idea and he seemed to love it and enjoy the independence he felt when riding it. This past weekend we were attending the family reunion with his Meme and PawPaw and of course my kid wanted to ride the 4-wheeler. I hated the idea, but decided that as long as his daddy rode with him and he was wearing a helmet he could go.....without me watching!
Silly me. I was in the garage when I saw his older cousin take off towards the back of their property in a full-on sprint. It wasn't until I came out to look for the two 4-wheeling companions and couldn't see them that I started to panic inside. All I could see was the line of trees about a football field away. No B, no Daddy, no 4-wheeler.... but I could hear yelling (or was it screaming?!). Once his cousin re-appeared from behind the tree-line with my baby in his arms I was fine. He was crying and a little bloody, but he was moving- and that was my main concern. The 4-wheeler had not flipped and the boys had not flown off. I wasn't angry- just concerned- and wanted to understand what had happened to be sure B wasn't seriously injured (or his daddy either). Apparently B had gotten scared because Daddy was going fast and clenched his fists which in turn accelerated them directly into the trees (he was holding the handle bars). Doesn't matter much how it happened, just that no-one was seriously injured. It could have been so much worse.

Accidents happen. Nobody's fault but my own. Went against my better judgement. Bumps and bruises are easily fixed, and I can guarantee many lessons were learned. Protective or not, nine-year-olds should not drive 4-wheelers and Momma's should trust their instincts.

The cutest thing in pads

Summer is in full swing. The heat is a good indicator of course, but so are the fun activities! Big B is participating in his first lacrosse camp this week. He's the cutest thing in pads I've ever seen!!! It has been EXTREMELY hot in all those pads, but he has LOVED it! I would have typically said that he is quite sensitive to the heat and couldn't handle it well, but he has done really great out there. He takes his water breaks as quickly as he can and runs back out to the field before the coaches even blow the whistle. Its his pesky mom that keeps trying to hold him back and make sure he's getting enough fluids and rest. I mean, its not like the kid is getting over pneumonia or anything!!!

                             -side note-
           I didn't ever get around to posting, but B came down with pneumonia about 2 1/2 wks ago. He got antibiotic shots for a few days and then had oral antibiotics and is finally doing well. His chest x-ray this past Friday showed it was slowly resolving and the doctor says that he should be fully recovered within the month. But- it doesn't seem to be holding him back!

The kiddos have also been swimming several times. B starts lessons again next week, (postponed due to illness earlier)- and I'm thinking about putting Baby G in lessons, too. That kid can't get enough of the water!!! He can't get enough of most things it seems.... he's into EVERYTHING. His latest acheivement is climbing over the baby gate that blocks off his brother's room and mounds of Legos! He keeps me busy for sure! It won't be long before he's out there in pads on the lacrosse field with Big Brother and I bet he'll be just as adorable!!!