Catch Up: January

For me, most of January was spent between Doctor's visits and tests at the hospital with lots of prayers. We had to closely monitor baby's growth and her fluid levels to make sure she was still thriving. It was an emotional roller coaster, as one week things would be looking like she would have to come out within a few days & the next week, she would beat all the odds and be doing wonderfully. Throughout it all, she showed incredible strength and I was so proud of her.

For a fun break, I took Van to a mom-n-me roller-skating session. It was his first time on skates, & about when I got too tired to help him anymore, he really started to get the hang of skating. It was fun to watch him play limbo, toss balls, dance to "single ladies" and race wheelie carts with his friends at the rink.

Tyler & I celebrated our 5th anniversary & even though we don't normally do anything, I wanted to make this one special since we had been going through a tough time with the baby & I figured we could use a fun night. Everything was themed around camping, so I made "tin-dins" for dinner and smores for desert. We drank sparkling cider from our wedding glasses and slept in our sleeping bags on our bed under glow-in-the-dark stars. It was just what we needed- a fun silly night that celebrated our marriage & our favorite outdoor activities!

Catch Up: December

My dad won the award of super grandpa this month. He took Van to a Build & Grow workshop at Lowes and made a train set, took him to the Museum of Natural History at ISU, went on many a "dates" to McDonalds and took him bowling (yes, again) with his employees from the bank. And of course there was the typical spoiling-your-pants-off that Christmas brings. As you can tell, December marked the beginning of Van's celebrity treatment that will continue for the next 4 or 5 months....

It's a long story:

In January I began having complications with the pregnancy that required me to have several tests each week, many at the hospital, so Van was whisked away to playdates and pampering by friends and family. After the baby, those same angels were anxious to let me recover & bond with our new little bundle, so the spoiling continued. Just before Van's 3rd birthday, I herniated a disk in my back and in addition to excruciating pain, I was unable to care for either of my children. In rushed the rescue crew again and more fun and games. People would ask how he was adjusting & I could only answer that he loves being a super-star, but he has no idea what it's like to be a sibling.

(Again, sorry for the picture-less post)

Catch Up: November

• Happy Birthday to me! My dad took Van & I bowling to celebrate.
  
• Holly (Tyler's little sister) & Joey got married!
• We went to Utah for an early Thanksgiving.
• Tyler & Van made the traditional Gummy Bear & toothpick centerpiece for Thanksgiving dinner at the Stuckis.
• We set up our Christmas decorations & decked the tree.
  
• I was 5 months preggo with a baby girl, due in March.

(I can't seem to get pics to load for this post, so it's bare, but I'll keep trying.)

Catch Up: October

October was another fast month for us. Van, as always, is wild and energetic. He keeps us laughing every day.
For my birthday present, I bought Van a "dress-up" box of super-hero outfits... yes, MY birthday present. He loved them so much that he insisted on dressing up nearly every day & all our play was centered around super-heros. He especially loved wearing the Spiderman costume (since he is pretty positive he IS Spiderman) and making everyone else strap the other masks on and fighting with him. On this day, he convinced my parents (grandma Sue & grandpa Jeff) to dress up & fight with him... he was in heaven!!!

Catch Up: September

Ummm... the only thing I can remember about September is that we went to the Fair in Blackfoot. And it rained. And that's about all. And wouldn't you know it: I don't have any pictures from September either.