Poor Sooners...

Jason and I watched our Sooners get beat by UNC today. It was really hard to watch, especially because they went out so badly. I don't think they ever actually hit a 3-point shot, and that was crazy considering how well they'd been shooting throughout the tournament. I'm gonna miss watching the Griffin brothers and Austin Johnson play so much. :( I didn't end up filling out a bracket, so I could really care less who ends up winning it all! Our next sporting event to watch & get excited about??? The MASTERS!!! Go Tiger!!!

His room is finished (well, almost)!

Because Emerson came a little more than a month early, I learned my lesson this time around and have actually almost completed a nursery before my due date! It still feels a little sparse to me, but it's good enough for right now. I'm definitely going to look for some cute vintage prints of some kind to put on the wall behind the rocking chair. My mom suggested old Dick & Jane prints... wouldn't that be cute? To give credit where credit it due, she made his quilt above his changing station. It's her gift to each of her grandchildren, and they always turn out amazing. And if you're wondering, the initials on the painted canvases are Uppercase Living, of course... this girl doesn't handpaint if she doesn't have to!

We're really hoping to make it through April 1st before Jax comes. Jason has a really big meeting with his agents that day, and I have plans to make this wonderful homecooked meal for him that night (his birthday is the 2nd). I'm fully aware our little man may make his entrance before then, but I've told Jason I'm going to try my best to not do anything that could make me go into labor.

Yesterday I got to meet Kyna & Rabu's newest addition, Paisley Noelle. What a doll! I had just plain forgotten what it felt like to hold & smell a newborn. It absolutely made my day. I'm so thrilled Jax has a playmate already!

Jax Update - He's HUGE!

Jason and I just got back from my 36-week ultrasound and check-up. Much to our surprise, I'm already dilated to a 2 and 60% effaced. Plus, the ultrasound tech said he's already 8 pounds! Yikes! With all of this new information, my midwife expressed concern about him getting too big, so I'm going to be induced on April 6th if he doesn't make his arrival before then. I'm not thrilled about the idea of being induced, but it sure beats him getting stuck as a whopping 10-pounder or me having to have a C-section. Also, she's on board for me trying a variety of natural induction methods before having to start the dreaded Pitocin. Oh, how I hate that drug.

Here is one of Jax's ultrasound pictures from today. I love the way his little mouth is open just a little bit. He seems to be relaxing. Don't get too comfy in there, you stinker! You're going to have to make a move in 12 days!

Pebbles in the Park

Today was one of those days I was kind of dreading, to tell you the truth. Jason had a work dinner tonight and wouldn't be home until after Emerson went to bed. Mondays are always a little more difficult to me anyway, just because we always have such wonderful weekends with Daddy all to ourselves, and most Mondays I spend really missing his presence. So today I thought the best thing I could do, both for Emerson and for me, would be to get out of the house and go to a park. We ended up at the little downtown Bixby park. I've got to say it was the most fun I've had in a long time. Sister loves to climb, so we went up & down, up & down the playground equipment. She's a little hesitant to slide by herself, so we'd come right back down and start again. Finally we ended up in the pea gravel at the base of the big slide. I was hurting pretty badly from my near-constant Braxton Hicks contractions (please, Lord, let him stay in a few more weeks), so I just sat right down where we were. We picked up the gravel, let it fall through our fingers, and I sat and watched her experience so many new textures, sounds, smells, and (unfortunately) tastes. I don't think she swallowed any... We piled it up on our pants, we put it in our pockets, we dug until we hit dirt, and we laughed and laughed. I've decided pea gravel is good for the soul. So is an 18-month-old little girl named Emerson.

Be Thou my Vision...

I had one of those moments this morning in church... you know, the moment a song pops onto the screen and you know you're going to have a hard time getting through it. Occasionally our worship team will throw in a hymn, and immediately my throat clenches up and I brace myself for the tears that undoubtedly will flow. For me, a hymn represents such simplistic faith, the kind of stripped-down faith that really brings me back to the heart of worship... a hymn reminds me of my Mammo (mom's mom) who passed away a few years back and always hummed the hymns while she went about her day... a hymn, to me, is a much-needed refreshing rain for those parts of my soul that are dry and thirsty and haven't seen the light in a while.

So this morning, as Cody started singing "Be Thou my Vision," I let the tears just fall and was comforted by all of those things a hymn represents to me. I'm just thankful our church doesn't sing only hymns... I wouldn't have had ANY mascara left. :)


Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

Well, this is it... I've been dragging my feet, not wanting to create a blog, but I think now is the time. Why, you ask, have I not wanted to? I'm afraid of the time commitment, I'm afraid some creep on the Internet is going to start stalking me, I'm afraid it'll all be just too overwhelming. But, you know, I sat down at the computer today and just did it. And I'm pretty proud of my creation. I hope to be be a diligent little blogger and keep you informed/entertained/curious about the goings-on of the Van Valkenburg family. Sure, there will be pictures of Emerson, the light of our lives, and Jax, the soon-to-be torch carrier of the family name. (And probably the occasional pic and blog of Boomer, the Jack Russell Terrorist, whom I currently have a love/hate relationship with). But more than anything, I hope this site will just allow you all to connect with who we are as a growing family and provide a fun little getaway from the daily grind. Thanks for stopping by!