Keepsakes

I love this girls jewelry, especially the ones with the photos in them. Van's physical therapist told me about them and I think they are really special pieces. She also hand makes all of her chains as well.
www.hollymariejewelry.com

In God's Hands....

Our thoughts & prayers go out to Jesse & Denise Somberg who lost their

BELLA ROSE SOMBERG

on her way into the world this week.

What a peaceful existence in the comfort of her mothers womb for 9 months.
She is back in God's hands.
Her spirit will remain with you all forever.

We are thinking about you all during this time.

Car Seats and stuff....

As I sit here with Van on my lap typing this, he likes to watch how fast my fingers move on the keyboard and try do the same thing. Except he just hits the keyboard. I hear a lot of noise coming from the lower region of his body, so I might have to make this one quick.

Well Van started driving this week - first I got in the car with him to show him the ropes, then I let him go on his own! He is seriously growing up so fast. We returned the evenflo car seat we bought because he was uncomfortable in it, and Conner didn't like some features about it either.
And we pretty much bought one we can't afford , but I do what I always do with things that involve safety, I justified spending the extra money on a nicer more comfortable one and I got a great deal too! So I know Van will be driving soon in comfort. I just love looking in the rear view mirror and seeing him in his little infant car seat so much, I am not sure if I am ready for him to graduate to the big boy one.


Anyways, now that I changed that diaper Van was working on while he was sitting in my lap and made him some baby food for the next year. I am back and have completely forgotten what I was writing about.

I am enjoying making his baby food - I am inspired by the pure mom's who make their kids food at home. It is truly the healthy way to go and it teaches them develop tastes for fresh foods instead of canned or processed foods. I read that somewhere. I just can't remember where. Another website I love is the healthy child website, it is great and has so much info on baby care, prevention, healthy products & sustainable living!!! Check it out when you have some free time..

6 months old

It's a little bit late but here is Van's 6 month picture, he is sitting up now, eating solid foods, sleeping 10 and 12 hours at night, and just this week he graduated to a high chair for his yummy meal time, and we bought a toddler car seat. I did so much research online to see what the best car seat was. I also asked all of my momma friends, they all said the britax car seats are the best! But when we saw how much they were we opted for an evenflo. I think I am going to return it because Van's head falls forward and the seat sits up so straight that he can't fall asleep and relax his neck. The Britax has a recline handle that lets the baby lean back so they can sleep more comfortably.
I recently found this picture of myself when I was six months old & wanted to share it.
It's funny I am not too sure who van looks like but I see so much of both Conner and I in him every day.














I think Conner is older than 6 months old in this photo but it is fun to appreciate what a cute little guy he was & compare it with Van's pics.

I realize that our children hold similar characteristics to us but each one is so different and unique. They truly are little diamonds. We are so lucky to have a healthy boy. I have heard some stories this week about people with sick babies, and I thank God for gifting us with a healthy happy boy every day!

Traveling With Baby

Here are some funny pictures from our trip to Ventura this weekend. We visited a hat shop briefly after dinner one night and Van found some hats that he really liked!














"Giddy up cowboy!"















"Tennis Anyone"















"Ahoy Matee"

Conner Surfed in a contest and he placed again, we are hoping he will get 1st or second in the next contest!
It was a fun little family trip.

Sleep Training Take 2

Okay okay, so Van didn't sleep those magical 10 hours last night, he was up twice in the night, and I fed him both times. I feel like if I go in and hold him I am giving in to his needs. Because that is the only way he knows how to fall asleep.. It is so difficult, I wanted Conner to go in and rock him back to sleep but he just put him back in the crib to cry some more. I got frustrated and gave in. His cries were different last night, I could tell he was really hungry last night or he had a tummy ache and when i went in and got him out of his crib he was cold too! So all of those things make for a very awake baby! I asked Conner to try to rock him back to sleep and he was holding him upright talking to him instead... So needless to say that is when I figured out I needed to nurse him for sure.
I didn't go to sleep until almost 2am last night anyways so I was so tired last night and this morning. Thank God Van slept til almost 9:30 this morning.
We did have a big day yesterday and he didn't get his normal naps in so that messes up his night time sleep... I could go on and on about this because it is something I am dying to master.

Healthy Sleep

Van is 6 months old and he was not sleeping through the night. At all. He was napping all night long. 4 to 5 hour naps, each punctuated with a quick nursing session and then he's back down for another few hours. Thiswent on from 7 p.m., when I put him down, until 7 in the morning, when he wakes up. And I go to him, willingly. he is my baby, and so I actually soaked him in during those feeding sessions at night. I rock with him. I smell his head. I kiss him. I think about how wonderful life is going to be for him. And then I lay him back down into his crib and climb back into my bed. And think. And toss and turn. And make “to do” lists in my head. And plan the dinner menu for the week. And then, I finally fall back asleep. I needed some sleep. Desperately. I had tried everything. Finally, we agreed upon a method from a book called “Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child.” In three words: cry it out. And before you roll your eyes and say to yourself “what kind of a mother does that?” let me tell you that it works. And when you’ve tried other methods and they haven’t worked for your child, you try another one. Well, this happened to be our other one. No two children are alike, and what works for one may not work for another.

So this is the one we are trying for now!

My Song

Transformation

I get these daily Om emails everyday and most of the time I skip over them and don't read them but today I felt compelled by the title - Useful Transformation.

It seemed to call to me. I have heard this same message in many different shapes and sizes this past week, and it seems I am now listening. I am letting go of any resistance to change and accepting that with transformation & growth comes discomfort.

As I watch Van go through change and growth I watch him struggle too, the natural human way to deal with growth is to fight it until we realize it is a natural state of life and it is when we truly let go and go with the flow we are so much more able to cope with it.

Transformation is a universal constant that affects our lives from the moment we are born until we leave earthly existence behind. At the root of all growth, we find change. Occasionally, change and the circumstances leading up to it are a source of extraordinary joy, but more often than not they provoke feelings of discomfort, fear, or pain. Though many changes are unavoidable, we should not believe that we are subject to the whims of an unpredictable universe. It is our response to those circumstances that will dictate the nature of our experiences. At the heart of every transformation, no matter how chaotic, there is substance. When we no longer resist change and instead regard it as an opportunity to grow, we find that we are far from helpless in the face of it.

These past 6 months have been filled with change and adapting to a new way of life, Conner started a new job, I left mine, we have a baby, and on and on. So this message was a nice one for me to absorb.















us last weekend at the beach!














A moment.

Sweet Dreams...

Tonight I am tired, Lola has a cone on her head because the groomers cut her little girlie neck. Our house is clean, I got pulled over this week for almost running a stop sign and managed to spew so much random information when the cop came to my window that I scared him into not wanting to give me a ticket. I just kept talking I couldn't stop. And the first words out of my mouth were " I stopped Sir, I did".

I feel like I try to do to much all of the time, and I don't take a moment out to have any breaks. I rarely ever watch TV and Van doesn't either. But I have put him in front of the TV to watch manny on the Disney channel here and there when i can't seem to separate my self from those sheets in the am. I am simply tired because I can't seem to get Van to sleep through the night. I am not going to be one of those mom's that is like oh and our baby sleeps 12 hours a night, it is so wonderful. He wakes up twice a night for two feedings, and I have tried everything. I have read 4 books on sleep training and fed the boy 3 meals a day but nothing has worked so far.

It's really hard to explain how hard this task is, I know I would be a much more sane person if I was sleeping through the night, and I could focus during the day. Lately I have felt like I have ADD going through the day aimlessly doing 8 projects at once, and wondering where the day really went at the end of it.

On a positive note Van's physical therapy is going well, and they see improvements. I do too!
I thought this picture was funny because all of the ones of Van are of the front of his head, but this one gives you a little looksy at his mullet that is disappearing a little bit every day. He has the softest little blond downy fuzz on his head now. I love to rub his head at night after his bath when he is all snuggy next to me, falling into a slumber.

I love the time I have with Van each night before he goes to bed cuddling in his rocking chair, It makes my heart warm. Until 2am then we do it all over again!!!

My Own Two Hands

I found some of these pictures of Van's stages with his finger, thumb and hand sucking. Now he just likes to stick the whole hand in that mouth.

First he found his thumb!


Then he was in love with his pointer and index fingers!

Now It's just the whole enchilada!! ha ha

There is a song by Ben Harper that I love so much, I sing it to Van a lot because I know he is going to do great things with his hands one day.

here are the lyrics:

I can change the world
With my own two hands
Make a better place
With my own two hands
Make a kinder place
With my own two hands
With my own
With my own two hands
I can make peace on earth
With my own two hands
I can clean up the earth
With my own two hands
I can reach out to you
With my own two hands
With my own
With my own two hands

Im gonna make it a brighter place
Im gonna make it a safer place
Im gonna help the human race
With my own
With my own two hands

I can hold you
With my own two hands
I can comfort you
With my own two hands
But you got to use
Use your own two hands
Use your own
Use your own two hands

With our own
With our own two hands
With my own
With my own two hands

So Much To Be Thankful For....

My beach birthday party, was so much fun, thanks to everyone who made it down to be with us!
Van loves watching the waves come in.
My beautiful boys!

Our friends are our family out here, it was so nice to be with you all this past weekend. I appreciate all you do for me! xoxoo
My yummy Sprinkles cupcakes that Kristen brought me, these made me feel so happy!!!
Van in his tent that he is about to outgrow.

This weekend was so hot out here, the water felt so nice to dive into and refresh your soul. The surf was good, we had a fun dinner on my bday and the beach party was such a good time.
Thanks everyone for making my bday so special! D