Picture Time-20 months

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Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

Our first snowfall came during the first week of December.  We had about 8 inches.  Then, the following weekend, we received another pretty decent amount.  It was probably one of the most beautiful snowfalls I have ever seen.  It was on the borderline or rain or snow, so it came as a very wet snow.  I'm sure it was a pain for Mat to shovel (thanks, honey), but it sure looked beautiful as it stuck to all the trees!  We tried playing with MJ in the snow again since it wasn't bitterly cold or windy, and he actually enjoyed it this time.  We even made his first snowman with him! 

Our little snow bunny

MJ's first snowman-December, 2010

Beauty

Nothing helps it feel more like Christmas than a winter wonderland.  Once Christmas is gone I could gladly give up the snow though!  Luckily though this year I am enjoying it a bit more and embracing the change in seasons and not complaining quite as much about how cold I am all the time.  :)We arrived in St. Louis a few days ago and there is just a bit of snow on the ground here and it's melting fast.  We'll see if anymore arrives in time for Christmas. 

Where's Your....?

A fun little video to share from Uncle Jeff's visit.  MJ loves to show us all his parts.  :)

Just Because

What's cuter than a baby in a hat?

I just want to kiss all over those little round cheeks!  I snapped this picture a few weeks ago actually.  It was the first time it had been cold enough to bundle up with the hat, mittens (which we've already lost and replaced) and the heavy winter coat.

It's stayed pretty cold ever since, and just this weekend we had our first snow.  We started with a bang with about 8 inches!  It was good timing because it moved in on Friday late afternoon/early evening, so we were able to stay at home and spent Friday night inside eating warm soup, watching a Christmas video, and watching the snow.  It was a cozy, beautiful evening.

While Mat was shoveling Saturday morning, I got MJ all bundled up in his snowsuit and snowboots and took him outside.  I was hoping he would like it this year, but he wasn't much of a fan.  In fairness, I don't think he was feeling very well, but he really wanted nothing to do with it.  I personally can't say that I blame him.  I'd much rather look at the snow from inside my warm, cozy house, but if we live here for the long haul I know that I'll have to overcome this and MJ will likely grow up liking playing outside in the snow and winter sports. 



A Final Thanks

All week I kept thinking that I would post a few pics from our Thanksgiving break spent with my brother and parents, but every day seemed to come and go before I ever got around to it.  We had such a wonderful time!  Mat and I were thankful to have some time off work to enjoy with family.  MJ was completely spoiled with so many adults ready to entertain, love, and spoil him!  Here's a quick summary of our Thanksgiving thankfulness.  We are thankful for...



 Lots of time with Uncle Jeff.  We were so happy to have him for 10 days!  He was a great help with MJ a couple times that Mat and I had to both work, and MJ just loved playing with his uncle! 



A sweet little 20 month old who adores his family.



A beautiful mother, inside and out, who helped me in the kitchen.  We even wore our coordinating aprons to make it look official!





Enough delicious food to eat until we were stuffed!

Getting into the Christmas spirit by visiting the Festival of Trees with GiGi and PopPop.



Most importantly, time spent with family!  Family and friends are everything to us.  We look forward to seeing the rest of our family and many friends while home for Christmas in a couple more weeks. 



Giving Thanks

Well, my brother arrived Monday night and my parents are arriving later today.  The boys are all out right now, and I just took a pecan pie out of the oven.  I am enjoying the little bit of silence, but looking forward to the house being filled with family soon.  I know 6 people isn't a large crowd, but it's easy to cook for and and fit in our house.  :)  I have really enjoyed preparing for this Thanksgiving and am looking forward to doing some more cooking tonight and tomorrow.  I don't know what has gotten into me, but I have become much more domestic in the last 6 months or so.  I've even become getting into some crafting....COMPLETELY unlike me!  Here is my newest creation: 

I got this idea off of one of my new favorite blogs:  The Crafting Chicks.  They actually have some crafts that don't scare me away immediately.  I bought a 2x6 and Mat was nice enough to saw it into the blocks for me.  Then, I painted them, applied some scrapbook paper, cut out some letters, and tied them up with ribbon!  They fit perfectly right into my windowsill.

I have so much to be thankful for this year!  I hope that you all have a wonderful, safe, and healthy Thanksgiving this year.  Count your many blessings!  

20 months!

Well, I'm quite late on this post but better late than never.  I figure once MJ hits 2 years old, I will no longer due monthly pictures and updates.  I will still do them, but just not as frequently I imagine.  Just the words "20 months" seems nearly impossible.  I am amazed at what a little person he is turning into rather than a baby.  In the spirit of upcoming Thanksgiving, I decided to focus on some of the things that I am most thankful for at this stage and put a positive twist on even those terrible toddler behaviors:

 

• I am thankful for the kisses MJ is always eager to give.
• I am thankful for the cheerful way MJ waves "bye-bye" to everyone anytime we leave a store, restaurant, or church.
• I am thankful the way MJ pats me on the back as if he's saying "It will be okay, mom." 
• I am thankful for the way MJ wraps his arms around me and gives me a hug when I get him out of bed in the morning.
• I am thankful that MJ has not yet broken the head-scan thermometer that he insists on holding everytime I change his diapers.  Sounds strange, right?  Diaper changes are often a battle and it's the one thing I can seem to let him play with that occupies him long enough for me to change him.  Of course once he throws and breaks our fancy thermometer I am sure I will regret this choice. 
• I am thankful that MJ continues to have a love of books!
• I am thankful for blueberries.  They are the one healthy food that he still adores! 
• I am thankful for the few additioinal words MJ is learning to say.  He's starting to say "thank you" quite well and is working on "I love you."
• I am thankful that he has not yet gotten hurt too badly as he seems to be climbing all over everything.
• I am thankful that he hasn't even begun to try climbing out of his crib though.
• I am thankful for his amazing love of sleep!  He totally gets this from his mama! This child just sits in his crib wide awake after his nap sometimes before we even realize he's ready to get up.  He's still averaging about 12 hours at night and a 3-4 hour nap during the day. 
• I am thankful for the way he sits with his hands folded at the kitchen table while he waits for his plate.  Case in point:



This almost makes up for the many plates of food he has thrown on the floor!


• I am thankful that he seems to be understanding directions more and more.
• I am thankful that he knows right where his time-out spot is and will go there on his own after he's been naughty.  Not that he would ever do that! ha! 
• I am thankful for the little milk splatters his sippy cup leaves all over my furniture and the toys scattered around the living room floor because this means a little one lives in our home. 
• I am thankful that he says "yes" more often than he says "no."  Yes, unfortunately he recently conquered the word no, although he mostly just communicates it by shaking his head. 
• I am thankful that he absolutley adores his babysitter, just gives me a kiss and waves goodbye to me when I have to go to work and never cries a bit. 
• I am thankful that his winter coat he got last year for Xmas still fits him this year.  Although he's getting taller and taller he's remained pretty thin. 
• I am thankful that he's good on-the-go and likes to run errands with us.
• I am thankful that he likes to "help" me do laundry by putting clothes in and out of the dryer. 
• Without a doubt, most importantly I am thankful for the miracle of his life!  The love Mat and I both have for him is just overwhelming at times. 

19 Months has come and gone!

19 month pictures

Click above for pics from MJ's 19th month.  Be prepared, between Halloween and fall pics, there are quite a lot! 

MJ's Masterpiece

MJ experienced his first time fingerpainting last night.  I mixed together flour, water, and food coloring to make red, yellow, and blue fingerpaints.  At first he wasn't really sure about it.  He kept calling them "dip" (which he is obsessed with) and tasting the paints.  But after a little while, he warmed up to it and got into the fun part of making a messy masterpiece.  Can't wait for many more fun little projects like this to come!  ***For some reason, when I posted the videos it cuts some of the right side off and you can't even really see MJ.  If you click on the video though it will enlarge it and you can watch it through YouTube and actually see the little man!***  Anyone know how to fix this??

The Next Bend?

First, thank you to my friend Kelley for suggesting that the picture of MJ walking down the winding path be added to our title of this blog.  I hadn't even thought of it to be honest, and surely thought I had no clue how to figure out how to do something so fancy shmancy anyways, but thanks to good ol Google and a little troubleshooting, wah-lah!  Her words were so right.  Our path or road definitely continues to wind around many turns (doesn't everyones??), but now we are so blessed to have MJ join us on that path!  And honestly, because we have him, it makes even the tiniest of twists and turns all the better. 

This discussion comes at an appropriate time, because we are taking a step down a bit of a new road for us and hoping that it leads us in the right direction as a family.  Although it's hard to imagine being any happier with two children than we are with just our MJ, it's no secret that we (okay, well especially me) desire to add to our family.  It's funny because I remember praying to God just begging and pleading for a child.  During the time we were going through IVF and waiting to find out if in fact we were pregnant or not, I can vividly remember bargaining with God, "If you just give me this one thing, I will never ask for anything again."  Yea, I think that lasted for all of about 9 months until I had delivered MJ and was then begging and pleading for him to survive.  Then, I am sure I found something else to ask God for not long after.  I am sure God knows my heart better than my own, and knew my words were rather foolish way back then.  I'm human, I'm greedy, I want more.  In all honesty though, even though I do desire to have another child, the longing or pain is nothing like experienced the first time around.  I know that I have found love and happiness with MJ and that if it's meant to be just the three of us, I can be content with that.  BUT, my heart feels like it has more to give.  I would love for MJ to have a sibling one day; I feel like Mat and I can be good and faithful partners to each other and parents to another child still, and if it's meant to be, then I truly do desire that for our family. 

Having the two miscarriages has left me with lots of questions, some lingering sadness, and even some anger.  In my mind I never expected that I would conceive on my own.  As I went through my pregnancy with MJ, I treasured each moment fully expecting that it would most likely be the one and only time I would experience each sensation.  I had wrapped my mind and my heart around that reality.  Then to conceive was a shock.  MJ was only 9 months old at the time!  But after a couple days of an "OH MY GOSH!!" shock, then it was pure happiness and excitement.  As we know, it wasn't meant to be, but of course by then my heart had been opened to the idea of a second child and since then it's been something I have thought about regularly.  We have come to a point where we kind of need to decide what avenue is best for us.  We can just continue to keep trying on our own and hope for the best.  We can begin some further fertility testing once again and undergo IVF or possibly IUI.  Or, the third option is to adopt a child.  The easiest and least expensive idea is to just try on our own, and while we will continue to do so, we are ready to explore some other options in the mean time.  IVF is a possibility once again, but it is quite costly and always runs the risk of failing to conceive.  Adoption is something we considered prior to having MJ, but had never looked into too deeply.  

I set up a meeting with a local agency that handles three different types of adoption:  local, domestic, and international.  While the social worker we met with was a wealth of knowledge and answered so many questions for us, I left the meeting feeling a bit discouraged and hopeless.  It was clear that international adoption, although I think it is such a wonderful thing,  was something we were in no means able to do financially speaking.   Domestic adoption was also quite out of our reach in the near future.  Local adoption was the most realistic option of the three.  The price was similar to doing IVF again.  The social worker shared with us that in these cases though, nearly 75% of the birthmothers end up deciding to keep their baby right after they deliver.  Woah!!  I think I had to pick my jaw up off the floor after that statistic.  I knew it happened from time to time, but never imagined it was so often.  Hmmm...definitely something to think about. 

For several years, Mat and I have often discussed the idea of fostering to adopt through DCF or DHS (Division of Human Services) as it's called here in Iowa.  We have some good friends who have adopted two children in this manner, and I have a co-worker who has done so as well.  Mat and I have shared how great it would be to open our home to a child in need.  In fact, when we were living in Lakeland, we looked into it briefly but then we both began school again and it just wasn't the right time in our lives.  As with every situation there are pros and cons.  While fostering/adopting through DHS is practically free in terms of finances, there are more considerations to be taken into consideration such as adopting children with special needs, the reality that most foster children are reunited with their birthparents, most children waiting for adoption are school age, teenagers, or sibling groups, and the list goes on.  It's quite a sad system, which I am sure isn't shocking to anyone.  Our hearts kept being drawn to find out more, so I contacted the local DHS representative.  So, this Monday we actually attend our first Information Session.  We have completed our background checks, fingerprinting, etc.  If we like what we hear at the Information Session, we will begin a 10-week training course in January.  After the training course, we would complete a homestudy and become licensed foster parents. 

This will be a long road, and we are far from experts on any of this.  But, we are quite excited to learn more and see what it has in store for us.  We are hopeful that we can help a child in need while adding to our family.  I know it won't be easy.  If we do pursue it further, I fully expect that it will bring some sadness, some very hard situations, and quite possibly a lot of frustration.  We both have a lot of questions to ask, but we are feeling confident that this is the right step for our family at this time.  Please be in prayer as we turn down this new path.  Thanks as always for supporting our family with your positive thoughts, hopes, and prayers.  We are incredibly thankful!

Fantastic Fall!

I love everything about fall! I like slipping into a cozy sweatshirt, the crunch of leaves, watching football, making chili, pumpkins, beautiful colors, and so much more! We had quite a warm fall actually until quite recently. Even the leaves didn't seem to have near the beautiful brightness that they did last year. I think it was just too dry and warm. But the nice thing was being able to be outside a lot and have plenty of sunshine each day. In the last couple days it has turned much cooler and I think winter weather will be moving in before we know it! One of our favorite places during the fall is Eagle Point Park. We took lots of fall pics of MJ there last year, and I took him there recently to take some again this year. The colors didn't compare to last year, but it was cute to see MJ running through the leaves, exploring the mums, and climbing around on the jungle gym. I really loved this picture of him walking down the path!









I know I am probably one of those annoying moms that talks about my kid way too much, but I don't really care. I adore him, I love him, and these pictures melt this mama's heart. I just wanted to share and wish you each a wonderful last couple weeks of fall. I hope you can spend time with your own families and friends counting your many blessings as Thanksgiving season surrounds us.

There's a New Sheriff in Town!

I finally found a costume that Mat and I both agreed on, and I must say that Mathew made a pretty cute sheriff! He was a quite a hit wherever we went. He was also a lion earlier in the week when we attended the Dubuque Halloween parade. I still need to upload that pic, which was pretty darn cute as well (thanks Jen for the costume).





Our week was full of Halloween festivities. It seems like Halloween is becoming less and less about the actual trick or treating on the night of and more and more about the other organized events at churches or in the community. Monday night, he and I (Daddy had class) attended the parade. It was so much fun, and he loved it! Wednesday night we took him trick or treating at the college. Saturday night, he got dressed up once again to attend a Halloween fundraiser party for Unicef. I wasn't feeling well, so Daddy took him to this event. Then, today we took MJ trick or treating at the local grocery store. It was such a cute idea. They had trick or treating stations at each area of the store...handed out milk at the dairy, apple in the produce section, cookie in the bakery, etc. Such a cute idea for kids! Then, we had our traditional pot of soup for dinner (white chicken chili this year), and handed out candy from home to the trick-or-treaters.






This pic was taken as he was zipping down the dorm hallways looking for candy. Neither Mat or I could begin to believe how much he caught on to the whole trick or treating thing! I fully expected to carry him and him to act shy. But he was knocking on the student's doors, smiling away, and grabbing candy out of the bowls and tossing it in his bag.



What a great Halloween week we had! I just love Halloween, and it's even so much better to see it through MJ's eyes as he begins to enjoy it on his own as well. I think he might be a little disappointed tomorrow when we don't take him anywhere to rack up some more candy! ;)

Is Dubuque Where It's At?!?

My jury is still out, but maybe Iowa's not so bad after all. Thanks to my mom for sending this article our way. Click on this post's title for an article about the best small towns to raise a family.



This was a picture I snapped late this summer while my friend Kelley was here visiting. This "elevator" which is basically a cable car runs downtown, just a short walk from our home.

Dubuque is still becoming home for us, but we have been impressed with the many family friend options of things to do. Hopefully we can make some friends this year and make it feel a bit more like home. Who knows what the future will hold for us, but Dubuque is home for now!

Pumpkin Picking

What a difference a year makes! Last October was quite cold; we even had our first flurries during the first weekend of October. When we went to look at pumpkins, we just kind of plopped MJ down among the pumpkins and were mesmerized as he explored them.




This October has been quite warm...temps in the 80's this past weekend. When we tried to get him to pose with pumpkins for the traditional picture, I captured this sweet face of our hot and tired toddler.



He was busy and on the go, but such a great helper! I just love this photo. MJ adores his daddy and loves to be a helper. They were on the hunt for the perfect pumpkin...well Mat was, anyways. MJ was just having fun with the wagon of course!



Last year I remember how MJ's face lit up as he watched his daddy feed the goats. It was his first time being around many animals and he seemed full of joy just watching them.



This year, MJ was full of that same joy, but he loved petting and feeding the animals. He was amazed by all the chicks. There were hundreds of them! When he went in to the goat feeding area, he wasn't timid at all. I think he felt like they were dogs and just went around petting and following them all.



We had such a wonderful time this weekend, not only at the pumpkin patch but with friends and family in Naperville, IL. My dear friend, Shannon lives there with her hubby and adorable baby girl.



We were able to spend some time with them as well as visit with family and friends that were in town to run in the Chicago marathon. It was such a wonderful weekend!

18 Month Pics

Click on the title to see pictures from MJ's 18th month!

18 Month Stats

Mathew had his 18 month Well Baby Visit last Friday. This was one of the first appointments where he didn't start crying the moment we walked in the office. He was actually sitting in his diaper just playing and laughing when the doctor came in. Perhaps actually being away from the doctor for 6 months helped his memory fade. This year we won't have to be going for the monthly synagis shot, so it should be a more normal fall and winter (fingers crossed).

He weighed in at 23.8 lbs, and was in the 20th percentile for weight. He measured 31.5 inches long and was in the 25th percentile for height. His noggin' took the lead with the 40th percentile with a head circumference of 47.5 cm. He received 5 shots! Poor guy! He didn't like that part of course, but we have been so lucky in that he never seems to get crabby or run a fever or demonstrate any kind of reaction to shots. When we go for his 2 year check up, he won't have to have any shots. Hooray!

We even bought MJ his own potty the day after his appointment! We had been thinking about it, and then they encouraged us to go ahead and begin exposing him to it. He has made his own little sign language that he uses to tell us when he's dirty, so now if we can only figure out how to get him to signal us before he actually goes! I think we're still a ways away from full on potty training, but since he seems a tad interested in it, we'll play it by ear and see how it goes.

Lawn Boy

This was just too cute not to share! I filmed this a few weeks ago and in case you can't hear my narration, Mat mows our small lawn with an old school push mower. MJ has just recently began loving to help by holding onto the small bar and pushing the mower along with Daddy. He gets so excited to help!

Heaven's Gain

I know that when someone passes away people always say that "they're in a better place" or they are "watching over us", but sometimes although my mind believes those words, my heart just doesn't get it. This is one of those times. Susan Griffies, a 33 year old mother of toddler twins, a minister's wife, a daughter, a friend, a teacher, and so much more passed away this week, and this news came as a shock to everyone.

Susan went in for an outpatient procedure. She had an angioplasty done on the brain to explore an artery. The details I know are fairly limited, but unfortunately she suffered a stroke during this procedure and then experienced rapid swelling of the brain and ultimately was pronounced brain dead. Susan had posted several comments on fb the 24 hours leading up to her procedure. I find great comfort and yet some irony in reading her own words:

Posted by Susan at 10:32 PM on Sept. 20
“God, you’re my refuge.
I trust in you and I’m safe!”
Psalm 91:2 The Message

Posted by Susan at 3:55 AM on Sept. 21
Headed to Tampa to take care of a little brain thang.

Posted by Susan at 8:39AM on Sept. 21
Bored. Waiting on the doc still :). Thinking about taking a nap!

Little did she know that her nap would become her ultimate resting spot. I guess it's the beauty, as well as the downfall of technology. You can know some one's moment by moment thoughts if they choose to share them. It just absolutely blows my mind that one minute you can be sharing your thoughts online and then gone from this world the next.

I did not know Susan well. I first met her shortly after I moved to Lakeland and I attended new teacher training in Polk County. We sat next to each other each day. She struck me as a bit shy, but I remember how she lit up when she spoke of her husband. We didn't keep in touch after that week, but little did I know that I would become best friends with a friend of hers and a member of her church. Through that, I found out Susan had struggled with fertility herself and had went through IVF. We reconnected a bit through email and had emailed back and forth a few times and she was very supportive in answering my questions and encouraging me in my journey. When MJ was born and was incredibly ill, she prayed for him and sent cards. I read her blog regularly and enjoyed the pictures and stories she always shared about her twins. That was about the extent of our communication, but when I visited Florida this March I had the pleasure of visiting with her for a few moments and getting caught up with each other's current jobs and locations. I wish I could have known her better, and even though I didn't I guess I just still feel like I can relate to her so much. Not only our ages and occupations, but the longing I know her heart felt to have those children. It's almost like a secret sisterhood bond that you share with other women that have traveled that road. It breaks my heart to know how badly she wanted those children, how passionately she loved them, and to think that she is no longer a part of their daily lives is just too sad to comprehend.

I have had a hard time grasping this loss. It will not have a great personal effect on my life, but my heart just aches for her husband, parents, children, and friends. No chance to say goodbye. No final letters, videos, etc. for her children. They will wonder where mommy is. They will not understand. Her husband will have a huge task. I'm not usually one to ask "why?" but I have been asking it a lot the last few days.

I can only imagine the days and months ahead will be so difficult for this family. Please join me in prayer for her family. Hug your children, spouses, parents, and friends remembering that each day is a gift. May we each have the kind of impact on others that Susan did.



I love this picture of her with her newborn twins! Such a tired mommy but a face that just lights up with LOVE for them.



This would be Susan's last Mother's Day to spend with her children and husband. I hope they will always know how much their mother adored them.

18 Months!

I know every parent thinks it, so I am no different, but it's sometimes so hard to believe that our little guy is already one and a HALF?! I felt like I was getting used to him as a one year old and now we're already halfway to two. Not only is MJ growing in months, but height, development, and personality as well! Nothing brings me greater joy than him.





This was taken on September 9th - MJ turned 18 months old. I dressed him in is "1" shirt that he wore on his first birthday. I just love this shirt! And yes, we had pizza for dinner so you'll notice all the sauce all over his white shirt. This child yanks his bib off any chance he gets and loves to get messy!



A close up of this innocent sweet face. His eyes sure know how to speak to his mama's heart!

The changes and growths are of course not as rapid as they were during the infant stage, therefore I don't seem to be nearly as good about recording them for memory. But, for my own documentation here are some latest and greatest that I want to always remember about MJ at this time:

* He seems to be tall and thin. His shorts are mostly 9 month and some 12 month size while shirts he wears 12 month and some 18month. Now that we're starting to transition to pants as the weather cools a bit, it's a struggle to find any that are long enough for him but small enough in the waist. He has to wear 18 month for the length, but he's swimming in them in the waist. If any parents have any tips for brands to try, let us know.

* He's still a pretty good eater, but has developed a taste for some things more than others. He LOVES blueberries currently. He's also obsessed with "dipping." He likes to dip his grilled cheese in soup, chicken fingers in ranch, etc. He must have learned this one from me! He picks up his food and hands it to you and says "dii" (dip) and if you don't find something to dip it in, it ends up on the floor. Lovely, huh?

* He continues to be an amazing sleeper. He sleeps from about 8:30PM-8:00 or 8:30AM. He used to sleep even longer in the mornings, but we are still thrilled with his nighttime sleep habits. He naps pretty religiously from 1-4 or the occasional long nap until 5PM. He still snuggles with his cuddle bear at night and nap time and takes his pacifier only during these times as well.

* MJ loves to go to the park and demonstrates NO fear, which in turn gives mama LOTS of fear. He usually goes for the toddler size slides only once or twice and then makes his way to the big, tall, winding slides. Ahhh!

* He seems to really like to look at cars and trucks. When we're walking in a parking lot or sidewalk, his head is constantly whipping around to watch the cars drive by. He loved watching all the big trucks at the recent parade we went to. We're thinking we might need to buy him a big toy truck to play with at home.

* He really enjoys going to story time each week at the library. While he doesn't quite grasp the whole concept of sitting still for a few minutes to listen a story, he loves to "sing" the songs and play with the toys with the other little ones. There are a few routine songs that they sing each time and they each have motions that go with them. At home when we sing these songs he dances about and laughs and does all the motions. Of course when we go to story time though he is shy and just watches the other kids. Go figure!

* We started enforcing "time outs" quite a few months ago. He seems to go through spurts of needing them, but when he does it's usually for hitting. :( He went through a hitting phase early this summer, and then we thought it had past, but the last week he has started hitting again. For time out, he has to sit in his highchair (just to keep him contained) facing the corner for one minute. The other day he had been in time out a few times already and I was reaching the point of frustration. He smacked me and I sternly pointed to his time out corner and said "Go to time out!" He walked over there all on his own, waving "bye bye" as he went, and stood next to his highchair in the corner. It was so stinkin adorable that Mat and I had to cover our faces as we were dying of laughter.

* He is learning to say "thank you," and says his version of it quite a bit. He says it when we hand him his milk sometimes. We're working on "please" as well, but haven't heard him say that one nearly as much.

* Talking continues to be a little slow, but he says "Bubba" (our dog) very clearly now and yells "Mama" when he really wants something. Thank you, hat, dog, ball, and more are a few other words we've heard here and there. He still uses his sign language for milk, water, and more.

* He has a great sense of humor. He loves to be sneaky and try to make you laugh. He loves rough housing and being tickled. He very rarely cries. The occasional whining or temper tantrum come into play when he's over tired or wanting attention, but it's such a rarity.

* He's really enjoying learning how to fit things together like stacking blocks, playing with his stacking cups that fit inside each other, and exploring puzzles.

The Official End of Summer

Well, Labor Day always seems to officially mark the end of summer and begin to transition to fall. It seemed like the weather was right on cue. It cooled off and we spent the weekend in the 60's and 70's. It has been just gorgeous ever since! We enjoyed the nice long weekend and beautiful weather by visiting the Children's Zoo one last time this season and attending the Dubuque Labor Day Parade. Last year we attended the parade but it was quite hot and MJ was still pretty little and didn't get into it. We had to leave early because he was fussy and tired. This year was a very different story. This parade mostly consists of trucks, cars, and bands. He is very into trucks and cars right now and loves to shake his booty to some drum beats, so it was right up his alley! We stayed from start until the very end and he was wonderful!


MJ and Mommy awaiting the start of the parade!


Parade watching with Daddy!


I just adore this picture. He looks like such an official toddler. He has his snack cup in hand of course, is sitting on the curb like the big kids, and has his little monkey backpack on to keep him from darting out in the street.


MJ checking out all his loot. He tried his first sucker at the parade. Mommy and Daddy were happy to help eat the candy he's not quite ready for yet. :)

We are so thankful for such an amazing summer. I know it is one that we will always look back on with such fond memories. We were able to spend so much time together as a family of three along with visiting family and friends in St. Louis and welcoming many visitors here in Dubuque. We realize what a blessing it is and were sure not to take it for granted.

17 Month Snapshot

By clicking on the title of this post, you can see some photos from MJ's 17th month. I know you're probably sick of seeing so many pictures, but I can't help but take them and like to document them here. Unfortunately I lost some pictures off one of my cameras this month including some with our many visitors we had visit.

An Aquarium in Dubuque?

I know what you're thinking..."There's an aquarium in Dubuque?" We have actually had so much fun this summer just exploring some of our local little treasures, but we saved one of the best for last. One of Dubuque's attractions is the River City Museum and Aquarium. We kept hearing great things about it, but had not yet been. Just this July, they had a grand opening of an entire new addition where they've added the fish and sea animals of the Gulf. It was almost like we were back in FL for a little bit. ;)

GiGi and PopPop were able to come for a visit at the end of August. It was our last week of summer, so it worked out perfect and was a nice end to the relaxing summer that we have had. We thought they might enjoy going with MJ to the aquarium, so we went as a family and spent a couple hours there. Needless to say, much of it is still over MJ's head, but he really loved jut walking around, looking at all of the fish, and playing in the kid's area. It's so fun to see him begin to be able to experience things like this. I love watching his expressions as he takes it all in. Here are a few fave moments that were captured:


MJ and GiGi check out the large fish tank. MJ spent a good 10-15 minutes just watching all the fish swim by.


MJ trying to peek at the water table. They had such a neat area where the kids could build boats and then put them in the water to go through a dam and sail.


MJ was able to feel crawfish. He was very interested in touching anything that he could!



MJ watches a shark swim by!

Overdue Photos

Eventhough we are quickly approaching 18 months, here are pictures from MJ's 16 month.

http://keyeswindingroad.shutterfly.com/1720

Much Needed Girl Time

Apparently I have been too busy (or too lazy, whatever) to post much lately. We have definitely kept busy this summer with exploring Dubuque, having family and friends visit, and just spending time together as a family. Even despite it all though, I had been desperately missing girlfriends and was in need of some girl time. Not having any friends around here has definitely been the hardest part of adjusting to life in Iowa. Luckily all it took was a phone call to my dear friend Kelley with an invitation to come visit, and off to Iowa she came within a week! She has three children of her own, so I know it's not easy for her to get away, but I know we both really enjoyed the time together!



Unfortunately, I recently dropped one of my cameras and lost all of the pictures on it, so this is the one picture I have to document our time together. It was quite funny, because we had went and gotten pedis, manis, and our hair styled when it started downpouring right before we left the salon. We got soaked and were slip sliding around with our greased up feet, but we were determined to protect the hair! So here we are showing off our new, but slightly damp 'do's.

Besides running in rainstorms we made time for some shopping, eating and drinking, and sightseeing around Dubuque and Galena. Good friends are definitely a blessing!

Baby's First Farm

We have been lucky enough to spend a lot of time together as a little family this summer, and once returning from our St. Louis trip, we made it a goal to explore some free attractions in and around Dubuque. Dubuque has a Children's Zoo, although I wasn't really expecting much because very few people even mention it. It's basically just a small park with some animals, but it was just perfect for MJ, and instead of being a zoo really, it was more of a farm with animals like cows, goats, sheep, pigs, chickens, horse, etc. Since it was so small scale he could just walk around on his own and explore. This was his first time seeing any farm animals, and I couldn't help wonder what he was thinking as all the animals he sees in his book were right there in front of him! He started off just a little bit leery...




But, that certainly didn't last for long. He quickly became comfortable with all the animals. He made the "moooo" sound for the cow and just giggled when the goat nibbled all over his fingers.






I guess all the nibbling didn't hurt a bit because he was happy to let the ram have a little taste of his fingers as well. It was a great morning and a place I am sure MJ will continue to enjoy during his toddler years!

Worth Reading

http://www.self.com/health/2010/08/breaking-the-silence-on-infertility

This article was brought to my attention today and I really enjoyed reading it. I think infertility is often hush-hush and not something you read about very frequently. It's nice to see a well known magazine exposing some of the truths related to infertility. It's a bit of a long read, so only read if you're actually interested. It certainly made me realize and ponder a few things:

1. I am SO glad that I had amazing family and friends to help see us through IVF. It's just reassurance to me that beginning this blog was so important and worthwhile for Mat and I.

2. We are so incredibly lucky and blessed that we conceived MJ on our first try with IVF. We weren't sure if it was something we would be able or willing to pursue again if it wasn't successful. Reading about how many cycles some of these couples went through made me appreciate my blessings all over again!

3. I truly think we were in the right place at the right time in our lives. We were so pleased with our fertility clinic, we had some amazing friends in place to help out, and were surrounded by love and support. Helloooo, even my very own neighbor was going through the exact same thing as I!!! What are the odds? Moving here, which is a predominately Catholic town has opened my eyes to the opposition that many have with IVF. I just know that experiencing it here might have been a different scenario for us as far as support goes.

A Few Recent Faves

Here are a a few recent videos I have been meaning to share...




Back in June, MJ discovered the wonderful joys of climbing on furniture. It kind of reminds me of the same feeling as during that baby stage once they learn to roll over. You suddenly are no longer safe leaving them lying on the couch or bed or pretty much anywhere for fear that they could roll right off. Now the same type of feeling has happened. Now that he's been mobile and quite steady at it for several months, we have felt comfortable to step out of the room for a moment or two knowing he'll stay safe. However, now we're once again fearful to leave him unattended in case he decides to climb up on furniture and then step right off, which he is certainly not afraid of. He's taken a few spills already but doesn't seem to deterred by it. Our little monkey is gaining his confidence! Now we're working on enforcing that furniture is for sitting and not standing. This seems quite a foreign idea to him at times. :)



This toy has remained a favorite since Christmas time, when he received it from Grandma and Grandpa Keyes. He was walking within a couple weeks of receiving it and I really think it helped encourage that skill! He's now more like zooming with it, trying to run Bubba over, run into furniture, etc. It's pretty funny to watch him really get going with it.



Just this past Sunday, we attended "Music in the Park," a free event put on at the Arborterum. There is live music provided for a couple hours each Sunday evening and you just show up with your own chairs or blankets and enjoy. The weather was gorgeous, so we took a blanket, grabbed some subs, and had a wonderful evening. It was a favorite family memory! MJ was so happy. He actually sat on the blanket with us and ate contently and then explored around a bit. Notice his necklace? He loves that thing!!! Thanks, Meg for providing that one. ;)

Crrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrraaaack!

MJ has a little book called Baby's First Farm. Inside it has the typical farm animals and other things like tractor, bucket, egg,etc. It also has printed each word that that animal or object says. I've always though it's a little odd that a bucket supposedly says "slosh, slosh" and an egg says "crack" but whatever! He's a baby and it's fun to try to teach him new sounds and wait for the moment he picks it up on his own. So, the other day I was reading the book to him and he was repeating back to me the sound the cow makes, the sound the dog makes, etc. but usually most of the items are met with complete silence. Until just the other day and when I got to the very last page on the book where the egg is, which I usually dramatize with a nice long "crrrrrrrrrrrrrraaaack," MJ surprised me with his version of the "crack." Of all the sounds for him to pick up on, I couldn't believe it was this one.

So what does any proud mama do but whip out her Flip Camera and try to get such cute moments on video. Needless to say MJ enjoys hamming it up for the camera and once he got started with his "crrrrrrrrrrrrrraaaack" sound there was no stopping him. How dare I ask him to point to his nose or ear, but gosh darn it he will make the "crrrrrrrrrrrrrraaack" sound all day long. The more he makes me laugh the more he does it! Love it!

Summer in St. Louie

Right as I wrapped up working for the month of June, we were lucky enough to be able to head to St. Louis for about 2 weeks. My friend, Stephanie, got married and I was honored to be her Matron of Honor. The first few days were busy, but so fun. I got some much needed girl time while catching up with friends and enjoying Steph's beautiful day.

Then, we were able to spend a lot of time with all our family and friends. I always seem to think we'll have more time than we do. It seems like it is go,go,go non-stop just to squeeze in a visit with everyone, and before ya know it, the time has passed. We really made some wonderful memories though and MJ did great. We were able to be "home" each afternoon so he could nap as usual for the most part. I wasn't quite as good about taking a variety of pictures with everyone, but I definitely captured some fun moments. I've included the link if you'd like to check out our time in St. Louis.


http://keyeswindingroad.shutterfly.com/1659



This was probably my favorite picture. Mathew just adored playing in GiGi and PopPop's sprinkler/hose. He loves to just have the water pour over his head and just giggles and giggles. He is constantly trying to drink out of it as well. Ah, to be so flexible...

Fertility Test #1,682

Okay, maybe I am exaggerating a bit, but I had mistakingly assumed we'd made it past the point of fertility testing. But, after the last miscarriage and then genetic testing (which all came back normal thankfully), an HSG was just what the doctor ordered. It's certainly not the worst procedure in the world, but it's definitely one of the more dreaded in the world of infertility and lucky me was chosen to have it for a third time. To spare most of the details, and just get down to the nitty gritty, an HSG's purpose is to check the shape of the uterus and ensure that the fallopian tubes are open. When, I had this test originally done years ago, before MJ was even thought of, this is how a red flag was raised that something was not quite right with my lovely uterus. Anyhow, years later, a surgery to repair the lovely uterus, a successful healthy pregnancy, and we had no reason to think anything was wrong in that area once again. But, it's standard procedure and the doctor worried perhaps I had a lot of scar tissue left over from previous surgeries that could be keeping an embryo from successfully implanting. So, I had this procedure done once again this past Thursday and was pleasantly surprised with the results! I think I was fully expecting the doctor's fears to be correct and wind up needing surgery once again if I really wanted to attempt having another child. But, luckily this time the news was all good! Both tubes were open and the uterus couldn't have looked any better, in his words. I was quite proud of that little uterus of mine! :)

I guess the tough part in this is that it still leaves us with no answers as to what is causing the miscarriages, but as for now it's being chalked up to the very low progesterone levels. He encouraged us to try again, when we feel ready, and call the office the minute I were to find out I'm pregnant so that they can check my levels and provide progesterone support if needed. That doesn't seem too assuring to me, since that's basically what has happened the last two pregnancies. I've been doing a little reading on how I can give my body a little boost of progesterone naturally, and I am just trying to stay positive.

Overall, I'm feeling pretty optimistic. We couldn't have asked for any better results with this last test. I am now trying to relax, leave it in God's hands, and stay optimistic. I am hopeful that eventually a second child will be in God's plan for us, but if not, I am keeping plenty busy with a toddler for now! ;)

Water Boy

We were excited to buy MJ a little pool for the backyard since he seems to love the water so much. It's a far stretch from our pool at our FL house, but he probably likes this one even better. I bought him a couple little water toys and he kept trying to drink the water from his little toy pitcher. It was so funny! The hard part was making sure he didn't do the same thing later in the week when we went to a public pool with chlorinated water!




This past weekend we attempted our first trip to the public pools. We struck out at both Galena and Dubuque's pools. They don't open until 1pm! Seems really weird to me. He's napping by then, and then they close at 5pm so it makes it pretty tough to squeeze in any swimming time. During the weekdays though, they have a toddler/preschool swim time only from 12-1, so hopefully we'll be trying that out once we get back in town.



Since our "Little Surfer" was all dressed and ready for the pool, we couldn't disappoint after the two failed attempts (good thing he was too little to understand), so we ended up hotel crashing and swimming at one of the local hotel pools. :)

A Special Dedication on Dad's Day

I am beyond blessed to have these two boys in my life, not to mention my own father as well. I grew up with a Daddy that adored me and still showers me with love! I didn't realize just how lucky I was until I began teaching and saw firsthand how many children didn't have a two parent household, much less dad's that were truly active in their children's lives. Luckily I married a man that does just an amazing job showering our son with love. Mathew is definitely loving all his time with Daddy right now while I've been working pretty full days and Mat has been home with him. They have become quite the little buddies. Although he's unable to express it yet, I know MJ would wish Mat a Happy Father's Day if he had the slightest clue that yesterday was any different than any other day.



This was MJ at church on Father's Day before his Baby Dedication. Doesn't he look like such a big boy?



He was grinning his big ol CHEESE grin to the people sitting behind us, so the lady offered to take his picture. For us, he usually turns his head before we can snap a shot. He was quite the little ham during the Baby Dedication as well. He stood up on the stage, smiled, and waved to everyone, and was a quite little guy while the pastor prayed over him. What an amazing day to celebrate the miracle of Mathew. I know I am so lucky to have him in my life and I trust God to guide me as a mother to raise him to the best of my abilities. It was definitely a special day!