Two Times Two

A couple weekends ago we were able to celebrate MJ's 2nd birthday one more time.  I'm finally getting around to sharing a few pictures!  We decided to stay in town and keep MJ's birthday party local this year.  We opened it up to the grandparents and great grandparents along with his two uncles.  We knew most people wouldn't be able to make a special trip, but we were okay with it either way.  His 1st birthday party in STL was definitely fun and very special, but we were looking forward to keeping it a bit more low key this year and I think MJ enjoyed it just as much, if not more. 

GiGi, PopPop, and Uncle Jeff came to Dubuque to celebrate!  Unfortunately, poor GiGi ended up being quite sick and had to spend most of the time in bed.  We all felt so sorry for her and knew that she was really disappointed too.  Luckily though, we still managed to have fun and shower MJ with lots of love!

We took MJ to the park for some playtime on a beautiful day.  After a long winter, we were thankful for a little outdoor sunny time!

Even Uncle Jeff enjoyed the playtime, too!  :)

While MJ was napping after his playtime at the park, I was busy preparing all things Elmo and putting together some of his decorations, goodies, and presents.  When MJ awoke, he came down to a living room full of balloons and PopPop began to show him some of the goodies that were awaiting him.

Of course, what does a new 2 year old want to do first but start with presents?! 

 First, he began by checking out all his Elmo goodies... an Elmo ball, Elmo socks, Elmo coloring book, Elmo bracelets (yes, he loves bracelets), Elmo See 'n Say, etc. etc. 

 Next, he got his first pair of Croc's from Uncle Jeff.  They were adorned with his FAVORITE thing...cars!!!

 He's been wearing these shoes ever since!  He wore them to school and it just made his day when his teacher noticed them first thing when he walked in. 

 Uncle Jeff scored brownie points with those shoes!

 Time to dig in to another present from GiGi and PopPop....A new Cardinals outfit and then...

 a new backpack!!!

 Pausing for a quick read from his new book with Dada!

 Giving PopPop some cuddles and showing off his goodies!

How cute is this?  MJ likes to put on his new backpack and walk around!  Where did my baby go?

Of course, no birthday party would be complete without good food, so next we had a little Mexican fiesta with homemade quesadillas, rice, Mexican salad, chips and salsa and guacamole.  Our picky little eater is usually pretty happy when it comes to quesadillas, so it was a safe bet.  He didn't eat much though because I think he have had his eye on those birthday cupcakes.

Quite a difference this year as we sang "Happy Birthday" to him.  Last year he looked a bit fearful and wasn't sure what was going on.  This year it was all smiles and lots of applause for himself!

 And then out of nowhere, he decided to dive face first into his cupcake!  Well, I guess that's one way to eat it...

Happy 2nd birthday, sweet boy!  We are so blessed by your life and proud to be a part of your life! 

Think PINK!

The Suan G. Komen Foundation is the national philanthropy for my sorority, Zeta Tau Alpha.  In college I spent a lot of time learning about and raising money for the foundation.  I met a lot of women who were touched by it in various ways and of course heard many heartbreaking stories of battles with breast cancer.  You'd like to always think that it wouldn't happen to your own mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, etc. but the statistics are not good.  With the exception of one cousin though, I really didn't know anyone who had battled breast cancer.  Unfortunately that all changed recently. 

My mom went for her routine yearly mammogram after the beginning of the year.  Shortly after she received a phone call that the results were abnormal and she'd need to come in for further testing.  To make a long story short, in the end she was diagnosed with breast cancer.  That's the bad news, because of course no one wants to hear the C word, much less for a second time (she faced vocal chord cancer in the 90's).  The good news is that was caught early (thank goodness she has yearly mammograms) and is at stage 1.  She will be having a lumpectomy on April 5th followed by radiation. 

While I feel so optimistic about her overall results and I know it could be so much worse, I just hate that she has to go through this.  She has certainly had her fair share of illnesses!  Your thoughts and prayers are appreciated during this scary time!

Muffin Tin Monday

I don't remember exactly when it happened, but somewhere around 18 mos. MJ became one picky eater.  If it looks anything like a vegetable you can forget it!!  He doesn't seem to want to eat meat either except for chicken.  I used to get him to eat such healthy foods and vowed to never resort to chicken nuggets and french fries.  Famous last words, perhaps!  Luckily, he loves dips and also likes plates that are compartmentalized.  He regularly asks for dip, and it seems to be a good way to get him to eat more foods.  I've learned that almost anything can be a dip...besides the obvious ones like ketchup and ranch, we use yogurt, hummus, salsa, guacamole, and soups pretty often.  I keep thinking this phase will pass, but so far no luck.  What's a mom to do but resort to the Internet?  :)  Seriously, what did we do before google??  I wish I could take credit for this cute and clever idea, but I was glad to steal it!

http://michellesjournalcorner.blogspot.com/2009/06/muffin-tin-monday-faq.html

Check out this site if you're interested to see how to make your own Muffin Tin Monday!

I found a couple fun, colorful muffin tins that were just the right size and only a dollar each (gotta love the dollar section at Target).  I thought it might be just enough compartments and perfect for lots of dips, and sure enough MJ seemed to love it!  I know I could obviously use it on any day of the week, but Mondays are our days home together, so it has worked out perfectly to have Muffin Tin Mondays and so far we are 2 for 2! 

Just wanted to share this idea for any other mama's that might benefit!

This was my first attempt at Muffin Tin Monday.  It included blueberries, yogurt, pasta (with veggies snuck in), trail mix, baked chicken, and ranch. 

He immediately dug in!  Although that little stinker did manage to pull out the mushrooms from his pasta.  Apparently those are way too vegetable-like for him!

A good and happy eater equals a happy mommy!

MJ Turns TWO!

Our sweet little one is officially two years old now.  I snuck into his room, scooped him out of bed, and rocked him as he was actually turning two at 12:03AM on March 9th!  He didn't wake at all, and oh how I treasured those quiet peaceful moments.  Two years ago I would have given anything to hold him and comfort him, but that experience and perspective makes us appreciate each milestone even more! 

MJ's 2nd birthday was pretty low-key, but still quite special.  We had so much going on that day between work, carpet being installed, my mom having some very important medical tests (more to come on that later), and my brother having a job interview, that we just really enjoyed some quiet family time together in the evening. It was definitely special and most importantly, MJ had a blast! 

Mathew Alan Keyes Jr.- Two Years Old!

I snapped this picture right before heading off to "school" on his birthday.  They have been transitioning him to the 2 year old room, and he's making the change like a champ! 

After morning time at school, Daddy picked him up and brought him home for naptime.  Apparently during nap time, he received the memo that he was official two year old and could now embark on all the mischief possible!  When I went in to get him up from his nap he had taken off both socks, his pants, unsnapped his onesie, taken off a poopy diaper and thrown it on the floor!!  Although he's taken off his pants a few times before, we'd never seen him do any of the others much less all at once!! 

After that mess was cleaned up, it was on to some birthday FUN!  We started with presents...

a quick snack (this would have been the perfect picture had I realized there was a cheerio stuck to his chin)...

a little chat on Skype with GiGi-notice him waving "hello"...

and then a couple pictures with Mama and Dada!

I don't think we could be any prouder of this little guy!  And, I just adore this profile shot of my little man as he exhibits pure joy and happiness on his 2nd birthday!

Then, it was off to Jumpin' Janes for some playtime!  When we'd visited before MJ mostly hung back and just played in the toddler room full of play kitchens, small plastic slides, and little toys.  This time, he zipped right past it and headed for the big kid area.  It really was strange how he suddenly, as if on cue, seemed like a big independent toddler!  He amazed me at how hard he played and all the slides and bounce houses he attempted.  I never would have guessed that he was ready for those things, but it was great to see him running around with a big smile on his face just going down slide after slide.  We ordered pizza while we were there and couldn't even get him to stop long enough to take more than a couple bites.  He played hard for nearly two hours!


Climbing up the ladder for the slide...

No fear in him anymore!

And, so proud of himself!

Last but not least, we headed to Cold Stone Creamery!  What birthday would be complete without a little "Birthday Cake Remix"?! 

Needless to say, he came home and crashed!  It was such a great night spent together.  I can't wait to see what 2 has in store for him!

A Little Chat Over Breakfast

Home Study Visit #1

This past Friday we had our first Home Study visit with DHS (Department of Human Services).  Our Licensing Worker, Chris, also happens to be one of the instructors of our PS-MAPP course we've been taking the last month.  That definitely made me feel a bit more at ease since I already felt comfortable with him.  Wasn't quite sure what to expect, but of course I figured having the house nice and clean would be a good idea.  What a great feeling it was to have the house super clean by Friday and not have to worry about cleaning a thing the rest of the weekend!  :) 

The visit lasted about 2 1/2 hours and consisted of paperwork, discussion, and a tour of our home.  He asks thought provoking questions that get you to think and communicate with one another.  I am quickly realizing that this whole experience is going to be touching and life alternating way beyond what I ever imagined.  I will honestly admit that I think I was naively coming into it with the idea of helping a child in need, but basically just wanted to gain a family member and be left alone.  My heart has really been opened and my mind as well, and I am trying my best to be prepared and open for what God has in store for us. 

We still have six weeks of classes left, two more home study visits, and much more paperwork I am sure.  It sounds like the licensing process should be complete and we'll be ready to accept a child or children beginning in August.  Our desire at this time is to accept a foster child from age birth-two.  We are willing to accept some special needs, as most foster children do typically have special needs to a varying degree.  There is a huge need for families willing to take sibling pairs, and we have decided that we would be willing to do that as well if both children fell within that age range. 

Really, we are still just at the beginning of this new bend in "Our Winding Road", but as always we ask for your prayers and love during this time.  If you are interested in a little inspiration, you have to watch this video.  The woman featured is now a case worker with DHS and also happens to be one of our instructors.  In 2002 her husband murdered their two children and then attempted to murder her.  Her story is so incredibly sad and awe inspiring at the same time.  The icing on the cake is that just recently she came to know and accept Christ into her life.  Words don't even do it justice, but here's just a little snippet...

L-O-V-E

 My newest craft.  I had good intentions of making these since Christmas time, but it never happened.  Instead I made them the night before Valentine's Day.  Yay for procrastination!  Loved how they look in our windowsill with the snowy scenery in the background. 

It's no secret I love Valentine's Day.  It's my favorite holiday to celebrate.  It has nothing to do really with flowers, candies, etc.  It just has to do with taking time to stop and pause and show others how much you love them.  I don't think of it as just a day for couples, but a day to share with friends and family as well.  Last year was a tough Valentine's Day.  I was just recovering from a D&C after our first miscarriage and was so bummed that I wasn't quite up to par for MJ's first Valentine's Day.  I wasn't up to getting out and getting him anything or doing much special for anyone.  So needless to say I was really looking forward to this Valentine's Day! 

This Valentine's Day was a bit "different" too.  Mat had to work most of the day and then we had our foster/adoptive class in the evening (nothing says romance like that, huh?!), so there wasn't any family time but we had lots of it all throughout the weekend instead.  Then on actual Valentine's Day I got to spend with MJ on my own which was quite special.  Then, Mat and I were able to go to Galena for dinner before heading to our class. 

A little glimpse of some V-Day fun...

MJ got some goodies in the mail from GiGi and PopPop the weekend right before V-Day.  Look at all those brownie cupcakes!!!  Needless to say he was pretty excited and he was ready to dig in and have some M&M's right away!

Mathew's first Valentine goody basket:  ball, heart pillow, socks, bowls, silverware, fruit snacks, and a few other Valentine day goodies.  How old will he have to be when I can't get away with getting him socks and silverware as a present?!  :)



My Super-Cool Valentine headed for sledding and a pizza lunch with mama!

All ready for the snow!  Yes, he's standing in the back of the car after I spent 10 minutes dressing him in all the gear. Time to hit the hills.  Yea, and this is the very list picture that I took because sledding with a toddler all by myself was not a smart idea.  Ha!  The great part was it gorgeous outside and actually pretty warm.  I still had to bundle him all up though because there was still two feet of sloshy wet snow on the ground.  He was not a fan of his toddler sled and I was not a fan of trying to pull him through the muck in it.  Next time we attempt, I'm aiming for either a second adult or only a few inches of snow.  It was short lived and before I knew it I was un-bundling him and headed for pizza with my little Valentine.  Still, great memories, and laughable ones, were definitely made!