Dooce featured "Move" on her blog this weekend, but you've also got to watch "Learn" & "Eat" which are both in the playlist on the right-hand side. Quick little videos but fascinating and strangely moving. Makes me want to jump on a plane with my family right now and see all of these places together.
http://vimeo.com/27246366
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Under-the-Weather Girls
Sweet baby Hayden turned 6 months on Monday, and I'm still reeling. There's no way she's that old already. Within the last few weeks, she learned how to sit on her own. She's still a little wobbly, so I have to be right there to push her back to sitting position when she leans too far one way and topples over. Emerson laughs like a hyena when that happens. There's no sympathy or concern for the state of her bonked head... it's just pure hilarity to my first-born.
On Monday at our pediatrician's office, we discovered Hayden has an ear infection. Our first one ever! I was just bragging to someone the other day that none of my kids had ever had one and was attributing it to breastfeeding. Alas, if it's bound to happen, it's bound to happen to Baby Hane. She's turning out to be a non-clone of her siblings, and I love her to pieces for it. Jax was so easy as a baby because he was pretty much just like his sister. Hayden seems to be following her own path, forging her way into this life hollering and fussing and making sure we know how she feels at all times.
So anyway, back to the dr's visit. Dr. B also discovered that she's got a little bit of wheezing. She's had a runny nose for a while now, so I just assumed it was phlem in her chest, but Dr. B had me take home some albuterol for her. After four days of treatments, the slight wheezing/rattling is still there, so I'm taking her back in tomorrow morning for reevaluation.
Emerson is on the tail-end of a nasty virus. She had a mild fever Monday night, and she woke up screaming a few hours after she went to bed. When Jason and I ran up the stairs, she was plastered to the top of her pillow, convinced there were bugs in her bed trying to get her. The next day her fever never dropped below 102, even with alternating Tylenol and Advil. Finally on Tuesday evening I took her to the children's after-hours urgent care, and she tested negative for strep, so we know it's viral.
The bug incident has taken its toll... we have to talk her through her fear before each nap and before bed each night. She wants to check the sheets and then discuss bugs in general. Tonight I overheard Daddy talking to her about the fact that God made the bugs so we don't have to be scared of them, that we are protected from bugs getting in our beds. For the first time since Tuesday, she didn't cry when he left the room, so I think we're on the mend from the bug incident!
J and I just finished payroll tonight, so I'm off to catch some Zs.
On Monday at our pediatrician's office, we discovered Hayden has an ear infection. Our first one ever! I was just bragging to someone the other day that none of my kids had ever had one and was attributing it to breastfeeding. Alas, if it's bound to happen, it's bound to happen to Baby Hane. She's turning out to be a non-clone of her siblings, and I love her to pieces for it. Jax was so easy as a baby because he was pretty much just like his sister. Hayden seems to be following her own path, forging her way into this life hollering and fussing and making sure we know how she feels at all times.
So anyway, back to the dr's visit. Dr. B also discovered that she's got a little bit of wheezing. She's had a runny nose for a while now, so I just assumed it was phlem in her chest, but Dr. B had me take home some albuterol for her. After four days of treatments, the slight wheezing/rattling is still there, so I'm taking her back in tomorrow morning for reevaluation.
Emerson is on the tail-end of a nasty virus. She had a mild fever Monday night, and she woke up screaming a few hours after she went to bed. When Jason and I ran up the stairs, she was plastered to the top of her pillow, convinced there were bugs in her bed trying to get her. The next day her fever never dropped below 102, even with alternating Tylenol and Advil. Finally on Tuesday evening I took her to the children's after-hours urgent care, and she tested negative for strep, so we know it's viral.
The bug incident has taken its toll... we have to talk her through her fear before each nap and before bed each night. She wants to check the sheets and then discuss bugs in general. Tonight I overheard Daddy talking to her about the fact that God made the bugs so we don't have to be scared of them, that we are protected from bugs getting in our beds. For the first time since Tuesday, she didn't cry when he left the room, so I think we're on the mend from the bug incident!
J and I just finished payroll tonight, so I'm off to catch some Zs.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Emerson said...
At dinner last week, "Mommy, did you know I had a cat named Wilbur?"
"No, Emerson. I didn't know that." (We have never had a cat, by the way).
"Yeah. But he's sick. He has poop in his froat."
_________________________________________________
A few mornings ago, I ran upstairs with Emerson to get her clothes for her first day of music camp. I was wearing just my unmentionables, and as I was leaning over to grab something off the floor, she said, "Mommy, your tummy is SOOO fluffy! You remember when you had the baby in your tummy and it was flat?"
To which I replied, "My tummy wasn't flat, it was very tight when Hayden was in there."
"Oh yeah. Well, Mommy? I like the way your tummy looks."
__________________________________________________
At lunch she said, "Mommy, there's not a hole in our hearts! You know why?"
"Why?"
"Because God is blocking the hole."
I've discovered the key to having great conversations with your kids is to sit and eat with them. It sounds easy, but there are days when I scramble to get food on their plates while eating a sandwich in one hand and holding the baby in the other. When I take the time to set the baby down, make my own lunch and eat it with them, I find I'm privy to all sorts of interesting topics. It's great fun to listen to them interact with each other as well. Emerson basically does everything she can do to force her opinion on her brother. He usually obliges and complies, but I know there will come a day when he tells her exactly what he thinks of her opinion.
"No, Emerson. I didn't know that." (We have never had a cat, by the way).
"Yeah. But he's sick. He has poop in his froat."
_________________________________________________
A few mornings ago, I ran upstairs with Emerson to get her clothes for her first day of music camp. I was wearing just my unmentionables, and as I was leaning over to grab something off the floor, she said, "Mommy, your tummy is SOOO fluffy! You remember when you had the baby in your tummy and it was flat?"
To which I replied, "My tummy wasn't flat, it was very tight when Hayden was in there."
"Oh yeah. Well, Mommy? I like the way your tummy looks."
__________________________________________________
At lunch she said, "Mommy, there's not a hole in our hearts! You know why?"
"Why?"
"Because God is blocking the hole."
I've discovered the key to having great conversations with your kids is to sit and eat with them. It sounds easy, but there are days when I scramble to get food on their plates while eating a sandwich in one hand and holding the baby in the other. When I take the time to set the baby down, make my own lunch and eat it with them, I find I'm privy to all sorts of interesting topics. It's great fun to listen to them interact with each other as well. Emerson basically does everything she can do to force her opinion on her brother. He usually obliges and complies, but I know there will come a day when he tells her exactly what he thinks of her opinion.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Hayden's Dedication & Miley's Here!
I am quite possibly the happiest girl in the world. My sister drove with her two kiddos to stay with us this week! Not just any kiddos, mind you. A potty-training two-year-old and a nursing 10-week-old. For 9 hours. She left Monday at 8:45 a.m. and got here around 7:30 p.m. I told her if she changed her mind and chickened out halfway that I would totally understand. She is the MAN! Eric is at YFC camp this week, and I'm really glad she decided to come see us instead of staying home.
I've been going paparazzi on all of the beautiful children running around my house, so I'll share a few in the next few days.
On Sunday, we had Baby Hane dedicated at our church. It was such a sweet occasion, and tonight as I'm looking through the pictures, I'm realizing it's a little bittersweet because she's my baby. God may decide to bless us with another child at some point, but I'm pretty darn sure it would be via adoption and not via my reproductive system. So I'm beginning to make note of some of our 'lasts' as she grows.
Emerson took great delight in being on stage and basically thought everyone was there to see her. She told Pastor Jeff that Jax's name was Lightning McQueen, and she made laps around Jeff as he prayed for Hayden. (This was all unbeknownst to me... I was deep in the moment and might have spanked her then and there had I seen it. Just kidding. But you better believe I'd have given her THE LOOK.)
Jax was not a fan of being on stage. He scowled and clung to me until I picked him up, and that's where he stayed through the rest of the dedication. My sensitive boy.
Hayden had a great time being held by Daddy, and Pastor Jeff thought it was so cute that she was sucking her toes. I was just really glad that her teeth weren't bothering her and that she stayed happy. It was such a wonderful morning!
I've been going paparazzi on all of the beautiful children running around my house, so I'll share a few in the next few days.
On Sunday, we had Baby Hane dedicated at our church. It was such a sweet occasion, and tonight as I'm looking through the pictures, I'm realizing it's a little bittersweet because she's my baby. God may decide to bless us with another child at some point, but I'm pretty darn sure it would be via adoption and not via my reproductive system. So I'm beginning to make note of some of our 'lasts' as she grows.
Emerson took great delight in being on stage and basically thought everyone was there to see her. She told Pastor Jeff that Jax's name was Lightning McQueen, and she made laps around Jeff as he prayed for Hayden. (This was all unbeknownst to me... I was deep in the moment and might have spanked her then and there had I seen it. Just kidding. But you better believe I'd have given her THE LOOK.)
Jax was not a fan of being on stage. He scowled and clung to me until I picked him up, and that's where he stayed through the rest of the dedication. My sensitive boy.
Hayden had a great time being held by Daddy, and Pastor Jeff thought it was so cute that she was sucking her toes. I was just really glad that her teeth weren't bothering her and that she stayed happy. It was such a wonderful morning!
Friday, July 15, 2011
Hayden's 4-month session
Kelly outdid herself again! We went to her mom's house in Owasso to take these pictures. I love them as always.
Go to http://kellystocksenphotography.com/ (And yes, that's my baby girl on the main page... I'm not proud or anything).
Click on 'Enter-the-Site,' then go to Proofing. Enter 071211vanvalkenburg in the box and enjoy!
Go to http://kellystocksenphotography.com/ (And yes, that's my baby girl on the main page... I'm not proud or anything).
Click on 'Enter-the-Site,' then go to Proofing. Enter 071211vanvalkenburg in the box and enjoy!
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