End of a long week

Boy, am I glad it's Friday. Tomorrow my brother, sister-in-law, and their two (soon-to-be three) kids are driving up from Nashville, and we're looking forward to a wonderful, long weekend of catching up and letting the kids play & get reaquainted. I'm sure I'll be posting about the cousins & the fun they had. But I think more than anything, the reason I'm glad it's Friday is that it's finally the end to a long week for my hubby. He's been incredibly busy lately... lots of stress at work, and he had to fly to Kansas City on Wednesday for a 1-day meeting. He's got one of those jobs that never really ends because he can't leave his work at work. Most days he answers close to 50 or 60 emails (probably more than that), and the cell phone never stops ringing. Even during dinner. Even when he's playing with Emerson or getting her ready for bed. I'm incredibly thankful that he does a good job of only answering the imperative calls and saving his emails for after the kids go to bed, but now that Jax is here, I spend my evenings taking care of him (he's always wide awake from 7-9), so I feel like Daddy and I do a lot of co-existing. Tonight we sat on the couch, and I reminded him that when Jax is old enough to drop his last feeding and goes to bed when Emerson does, our 'old life' will come back, and we'll have more time together. It's amazing how important that time is to both of us. It's so hard being a mom & balancing time with your babies and their Daddy! One thing I know for sure, though, is that I'm eternally grateful to him for providing for our family and having a job that allows me to be home with my children, experiencing them changing and growing right before my eyes every day. There's nothing like it.

Daddy's Girl

It's funny to me to remember back when I was pregnant with Emerson and recall how Daddy was freaked out about having a girl. He doesn't have a sister, so I think he was really unsure of how to deal with a girl, and he was definitely afraid of being way too protective. Last week he said to me, "Now, don't get me wrong... I love Jax and am so glad I have a son, but I tell you what, I love my daughter. I love that girl." It does a Momma's heart good to see her husband absolutely head-over-heels for an ornery little 20-month-old who looks, acts, and thinks JUST LIKE HER DADDY. Heaven help us.

I ran errands yesterday for about 3 hours, and when I got back, Daddy had made a play fort out of a big cardboard box. He even took pictures of her in it. She loved it! Her little vocabulary is growing leaps & bounds, and she's putting two words together all the time. This morning she woke up, looked down the hallway, saw the fort, and said, "Play... HOUSE!"

Quick story from Friday... I was grilling on the back porch and had a few things on the stove inside as well, so because I was going back & forth, I just left the back door cracked and let Emerson play outside. I guess I spent a few minutes too many at the stove, because next thing I know she comes walking in with her little fists closed tightly, chanting 'Poo Poo.' Uh-oh. I made her open her hands, and low & behold, she's holding two semi-dry pieces of Boomer's fecal material. That's right, friends... two nice, ripe dog logs. Unfortunately, she had held them a little too tightly, so we promptly had a quick lesson on throwing things away & washing our hands. I guess a little poop in the palm never hurt a toddler! Ha!

Smitten Kitten

It happened yesterday. I was changing Little Man's diaper in his room, saying his name and leaning over him so he could focus on my face. He cooed at me and gave me his very first smile! I'm in love! I made him promise that I would always be his best girl and that he would never leave home.

Jax at 6 Weeks

It's hard to believe 6 weeks have already passed since I pushed this boy out! He's been an absolute delight. He's not quite as easy as Emerson was, but I still can't complain. He's got rolls upon rolls, the kind you have to wash very carefully at bathtime or you'll smell a day or two later! I'm amazed how quickly we've adjusted into being a little family of four... it seems so natural to have the two of them. One thing I know for sure... I'm not finished with two!

A Good Sniff

Tonight the hubby came home from work and asked if he could go pick up Mexican from our favorite local restaurant. Ahhh, music to a stay-at-home mom's ears. After he left to go pick dinner up, Emerson and I went outside to play for a little while and Jax slept in his papasan chair on the counter. She immediately asked for bubbles, so I blew and blew while the wind quickly picked the bubbles up & carried them over the fence to our neighbors' back yard. It was funny to watch her chase them, only to see them popped by a blade of grass or the air or a pine needle from the trees. Sometimes Boomer will chase the low-flying ones, but today he was much more interested in following his little trail behind the pine trees, sniffing for creatures on the other side of the fence. Did I mention we almost sent him to live with the grandparents? They did a trial run for a week, but he ended up back at our house. Go figure... those of you who know him can understand. Anyway, back to playtime. After bubbles, Emerson was just wandering around exploring... the hubby would call it 'fartknocking'.... and I sat on the back bench admiring my newly planted pots full of vinca, asparagus fern, geraniums, some new annual I can't remember the name of that a saleswoman at Southwoods talked me into, and my usual Boston fern & hanging basket of pink million bells. Today was unusually windy, so I just sat, closed my eyes, and smelled the wind. I immediately though, 'Gee, how long has it been since I just sat & smelled the air outside?' There's something that happens to you when you intentionally stop the busy-ness of your day, sit on a bench outside, and sniff. Most of my inside smells are food, diapers, new baby smell (quite possibly the most intoxicating, lovely smell known to man), and a perpetually stuffy master bedroom. I really need to open the windows in there more often. It's always so dark & cooped up. I think my husband would live in a cave if I would let him. What is it with men & darkness? I don't get it. Anyway, I'm rambling, so I'm now going to upload the pictures from my camera onto my online album. I'm having a really hard time keeping up with all of the pictures & video this time around! Boy was it easy just having one! Happy sniffing...

BIG Boy & Newborn Pictures Online

Oh wowzers... I stepped on the scale with Jax on Monday, the day he turned 4 weeks. After much gnashing of teeth and weeping/wailing over my own number (shedding baby weight is OH, SO FUN), I took him from Jason and gasped at the new number. Our month-old baby weighs 15 pounds! Is it just me or is that really fast weight gain? I'm obviously producing plenty of the good stuff.

His precious newborn session is now online. Kelly Stocksen is one talented photographer. I'm just so thankful to have such beautiful pictures of our babies. Go to http://kellystocksenphotography.com Click on 'Enter the Site,' then 'Proofing.' The password is 050109vanvalkenburg.

What's in a Name?

For some reason, tonight I was thinking back on when Emerson was born and laughing at all of our silly nicknames for her since that time. Actually, it started when she was still in my belly. First she was Bun in the Oven, then just Bun... then Bunners... then Wonder Bunder. After she was born she received all sorts of strange monikers:

• Munchkin
• Punkin
• Punkin-ator
• Munchers
• Smunchers
• Sister
• Sister Sue
• Muncheroobie
• and my favorite of all time.... Sister Sue-bie Muncheroobie. This one has now developed into a regular song sung by none other than Daddy, the great crooner.

I just love nicknames. I remember my favorite from grade school: Becca Lettuce & Tomato (my initials were BLT). I also got Becca Lecca Hi, Becca Hiney Ho. Mostly I was Bec. Then there was my least favorite, courtesy of my brother who knew I hated to be incorrectly called Becky or Rebecca. He called me Rebecky. Thanks, Jace.

Any of you have any funny nicknames to share?