Oh My Lanta!

This was the look on my face  j u s t  before I, well, you will have to read on to discover my unfortunate fate.

I was feeling so exhausted earlier that I decided it would be a GREAT idea to let the kids have some room time for them selves while mommy rested a bit. 

Everything seemed to be going swimmingly.  The kids were getting along.  I heard playing and laughter.  I was able to get in a good nap.  Then, I heard Bella fussing a little bit, and I kind of knew what that meant.  It meant that Ilijah must have fallen asleep, because, frankly, her world is pretty much perfect when her brother is around. 

Sure enough! 

I came down to the room to check on the kids, and Ilijah was sleeping soundly on his bed.  Sweet, I thought.  But it was at that very moment that a strong odor began to saturate my poor pregnant proboscis.  I chalked it up to a poopy diaper, and then proceeded to take Bella on downstairs. 

When I made it down the steps, I noticed the foul smell was not coming from her diaper, but rather her HANDS!  Oh my LANTA came to my mind, and then I began investigating. 

Why did her hands smell so bad?  Where was this coming from?  She doesn't have a poopy.  Her clothes are intact, and for the most part, everything seems normal.  What is going on? 

I cleaned up her hands as best I could, and made a mad dash back up the stairs to further investigate.  That is when the above mentioned picture came into play.  There, in the middle of the kids' floor was one of Ilijah's pull ups with poop all up in it.  Around the pull up was poop everywhere! 

Needless to say, I made a mad dash back out of the room and into the bathroom . . . you can fill in the rest of this scenario with your own imagination. 

Now, Ilijah is still sleeping, and he is under his covers, so I still have no clue if the pull up on the floor is the one he was wearing, or if Jacob or I simply forgot to properly dispose of one previously.  What I do know, is that I CANNOT GO BACK INTO THAT ROOM. 

Poor Jacob has to come home from work and immediately get to work on one of THE most disgusting things I have yet encountered as a parent.  But I tried.  I fought twice to go back into that lugubrious
room to undertake the vile duty of cleansing the filthy sewage, and both instances, the circumstances were the same. 

I am weak, I admit.  However, I do have the unfortunate "gift" of the almighty pregnancy proboscis!  Which I believe is much more of a curse.  This "gift" is so dissatisfactory, that I can smell things almost 10x more potant than usual.  Uggh it is just simply awful.

As I wallow in self pity, I ask my self, "Has anyone else encountered a similar fate one unsuspecting afternoon?"  I do have to look on the upside, however.  At least I made it to the bathroom.

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Yeah, It's One Of Those Days

Today is just one of those days.  A list of things to do a mile and a half long.  The never ending nag of things past due, things needing to be done, and things yet to come.  If I make it through this day without procrastinating, it will be a miracle.

How do things creep up on you so quickly?  I mean, that is an oxymoron right?  Creeping up quickly.  It feels as though I just did all of that laundry, and I just cleaned the kids entire room.  What happened to my squeaky clean bathroom?  Oh my.  Discouragement settles in.

But, I WILL conquer this day!  Just knowing the fortitude of other mothers I have out there backing me as I go into battle will help me fight the good fight.  I also know that I have God on my side, and that in the end, a squeaky clean home isn't necessarily what He needs from me at this moment.  Oh my, it is good to know that I can rest in Him.  Starting to calm down.  Thank you Lord for letting me cast all of my cares upon you.  Thank you for making this world mean so much more than a mundane meaningless morning.  Praise be to you God for your glory endures forever.

Guess who's back?

That's right.  I am back as an AtHome America Specialist.  I know some of you all were wondering if I was selling this season, and I am!  If you need anything for the Holidays, we have tons on our Clearance section in the Attic.  Plus, you can earn a ton of free gifts by becoming a HomeShow Host.  Let me know if you need anything and I will be glad to help you out!

Signs of a Reader.

For all you moms out there who have begun the task of teaching reading. 

What were the first signs that they were ready?

What were your first steps?

Where do I go from here?

Ilijah has always shown signs of being an overly motivated learner.  I was gung ho about pushing him early on, and then I decided that he can learn tons without having to "sit down and work".  Now, however, he is showing further signs that he is ready to move on to the next level by recognizing words. 

We were sitting in the movie theater about 2 months ago when a trailer came up for the new Scooby-Doo movie, but all that came up was some music and the text of the movie.  However, Ilijah knew right away that it was Scooby-doo, and he screamed it out in excitement.  Now, I understand that he probably just recognized what the typical Scooby-doo text looks like, so I didn't pay it much mind.  Then last night, we were watching a documentary called Babies and when the text for the film came up again, he yelled out "BABIES!"  This time there were no cues, no pictures, nothing that would lead him to recognizing this word.  Jacob and I were astonished and so we rewound it and asked him to tell us again what this was, and he did.  He has been doing this with several words lately, so my question is . . . What now?

Bella's Birthday Cake

 

Let me start this off by saying that this was the very first time I have ever used fondant.  Needless to say, I was more than a little nervous.  I mean, I have heard horror stories about this stuff and how hard it is to work with.  

However, I must say that it wasn't bad at all.  As a matter of fact, I would even go as far as saying that I preferred this over having to use icing to decorate with.  Now, of course I did dirty ice it in order for the fondant to stick . . . oh, and icing is better tasting, so we just peeled the fondant off when we finally consumed the cake.

This Barbie Princess cake was made from Devil's food and strawberry cake mixes.  

I layered it with two layers of Devil's food and strawberry in between.  

I iced it with chocolate in between and strawberry slices, and then I dirty iced the whole cake with white frosting.  

Then, all I had to do was roll out the fondant, which was pre-made and purchased from Wal-Mart in the cake decorating aisle of the art section, and lay it on the three layers of cake.  

The cakes were baked in two bowls and a pan.  

Each bowl was a different size in order to give it the cascading dress effect.  

After I placed the fondant on on the cake, I cut a slit in the cake and gently stuffed Barbie in, then I simply formed the dress the way I wanted, and then cut the excess fondant with a pizza cutter.  

Then came the hard part.  

I had to now paint the icing.  

The colors I purchased were not at all what I had wanted, but I worked with it none the less.  

It would probably be better just to make your own concoction with food coloring, plus this icing paint tasted like poo . . . it is a good thing that we put it on the fondant and not in the actual icing.  

And, that is it!  It wasn't a difficult task, just time consuming.

To Do List

Things I would like to accomplish around the house . . . sometime . . .

1) Recover the dining room chairs.

2) Add a proper backsplash and paint the kitchen.

3) Clean out, and correctly use my craft room.

4) Make a duvet cover for the bed in our master suite.

5) Create a cover for the electrical box in our living room.

6) Put in, or re-do our front door with a new door knob.

7) Change the flooring in our living room.

8) Create some pretty ways to de-clutter our home.

9) Paint & decorate the guest bathroom.

10) Paint the kids room.

11) Add crown molding to the top of our kitchen cabinets.

12) Add some framing above the windows in our living room.

 

13) Paint our downstairs bathroom.

14) Storage. Storage. Storage!

15) Basically, I want a Pottery Barn Home on a dime : )

There is such a thing!

So this is a Snipe . . . in case you were wondering, cause I was.

From the movie Up

Love Love Love this Idea!

DIY Floor Candle Sticks!

Looking for an alternative to shelling out over $100 for floor candlesticks? Katie from Impatiently Praying for Patience shows you how you can make your own for about $12!


Here is another great idea!

DIY Scrapbook Paper Wall Art

SCHOOL!

Ilijah working on some school today : )

Makes me a little nervous

So, Ilijah has been attempting to potty standing up lately, and that makes me a little nervous.
Oh the joys of a boy who likes to watch and do!

Oops I did it again!

Wow, did I really just finish another book?!?  No way, there is no possible way that I just completed two books within a matter of a couple of days.  I am loving every minute of it too!  Thank you Jesus for giving me the opportunity to spend time learning.

The book that I just recently finished is It's Better To Build Boys Than Mend Men (a study through Proverbs 22) by S. Truett Cathy, the founder of Chick-fil-A.  I was pleasantly surprised to learn so much from this particular book.  I just always assumed that business men, no matter what they say or have a reputation to do, always have a tendency to be somewhat worldly and not so reflecting of God's Word.  Not sure why I had that opinion, I just did.  However, I must say that I was very impressed by just how truly genuine S. Truett Cathy seems to be from reading this book.

He has a true passion for children.  He has spent his life training up children in the Lord.  Through his intentional efforts to provide love and compassion from the Lord, many children have grown out of broken homes to become strong leaders in their own families and mend a broken family tree.

This book is a great reminder that we, as believers, have a duty to train up more then just our own children.  We have an obligation/privilege to impact the world.  We can only do this through the love that we have experienced through our own relationship with Christ Jesus.

I am truly excited to begin intentionally reaching out to everyone I meet - young or old, innocent or broken.  I pray that God's love, grace, and mercy will pour out of me and my family.  Not through our own ambitions, but through the glorification of Christ only.

Again, here are a few excerpts from the book which I have enjoyed.  Hope you enjoy them as well.

"Don't be too concerned that your children don't listen to you.  But be very concerned that they see everything you do."

"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it" (Proverbs 22:6)

"Be so consistent with your discipline that you're boring."

"Don't consider watching TV with your children to be 'quality time.'  You may be in the same room, but you're not together."

"A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it." (Proverbs 22:3)

"It's difficult for an adult to teach common sense to a child; you may be more effective by creating opportunities or responding to opportunities that allow the child to develop common sense."

"Children who have not been taught basic living skills at home will act years younger than their peers.  Don't blame children for things they have not been taught."

"I recently read a survey indicating peer pressure had surpassed parents as the strongest influence in the lives of American teenagers. We must do everything in our power, then, to positively influence the influencers."

"we must do more than talk.  We must model the good behavior.  We must become the "right crowd" - the kind of people we want children to spend time with and be influenced by."

"You can't make a child be humble any more than you can make a child love.  But you can teach humility to children by serving others and by giving children opportunities to practice humble service."

Simple Sundays

What do I love most about Sundays?

Is it the fact that I get to commune with fellow believers in worship?

Is it the ever pleasing Sunday lunch?

Maybe it is the awesome afternoon naps.

Or the family togetherness.

Well, today it was hearing my husband bring the word in small groups and spending a lovely evening of worship with the family in our home.

What do you love most about Sundays?

The Fulfilled Family

I've done it!  I have actually completed a book and am almost done with a second.  This is something for me to rejoice about, because frankly, that just doesn't happen very often.  What a great book to read through as well.  I have had the great opportunity to read through John MacArthur's The Fulfilled Family.  This book has been a huge blessing to me and I have taken much from it.  I very much suggest it to any one and every one who is thinking about having kids, already has kids, or even Grandparents.

Ilijah and I actually watched a sweet movie yesterday by Featured Films for Families called The Velveteen Rabbit.  This is one of Ilijah's favorite books, so it was awesome when we found a movie based on the book.  One of the main morals of the story is that it is never too late to be a good parent.  Who would've thought I, a parent, would get something out of a children's movie? 

Sometimes in life, things can get away from us.  Life passes us by so quickly that we are left caught off guard and unaware that time has passed us by.  Many times, parenting becomes something you simply do on the fly.  Discipline is just something that happens as we go, and then inconsistency creeps in.  Even though we are still a "young" family, Jacob and I have already experienced this laps in time.  We know what we want as parents, but often times we fail to think through our choices, and we allow our selves to get caught up in the moment.  The Fulfilled Family has really inspired me to think through each moment with my children and reflect those moments on the Lord and what He would have me do and teach.  By taking time to think upon what the Bible teaches me as a parent to do, I pray that my actions become less reactive and more proactive.

The following are some excerpts from the book which have seriously focused my philosophy of parenting.  Hope you enjoy!

"If the family crumbles as an institution, all of civilization will ultimately crumble along with it."

"It may well be that the example we set before the world through strong homes and healthy families will in the long run be one of the most powerful, attractive, and living proofs that when the Bible speaks, it speaks with the authority of the God who created us - and whose design for the family is perfect."

"It is folly to imagine that our families can be what He intended if we refuse to set Him first in the family."

"Christ must be first in our hearts and in our families."

"It's only when we love Him more than the family that we can really love our families in the highest, purest sense."

"submission is the single principle that sums up the character of a truly Spirit-filled person."

"a married woman's first duty is to her own family, in her own household.  Managing her own home should be her primary employment, her first task, her most important job, and her true career."

"We have a serious problem in contemporary society: no one is home."

"millions of preschool-age children are growing up in day-care centers rather than in the home."

"The exodus of mothers from the home has surely contributed to the rising tide of juvenile delinquency, the dramatic increase in adultery and in the divorce rate, and a host of other problems related to the disintegration of the family."

"authentic love involves a deliberate, voluntary commitment to sacrifice whatever we can for the good of the person we love."

"love involves a deliberate act of the will."

"biblical love is a willful commitment to self-sacrifice, and it is not at all based on how we might 'feel' at any point about the object of our love."

"obedience comes naturally to no one."

"parents cannot afford to be fainthearted or passive."

"when children rightly obey, they do it as unto the Lord."

"We ought to obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29).

"They have turned their children over to artificial, surrogate parents.  Day-care centers, relatives, the television set, and the child's own peers often have far more influence on the moral and social development of today's children than parents do."

"The Lord Himself gave parents - not schools, youth leaders, Sunday school teachers, or anyone else - the primary responsibility for the nurture and admonition of children.  And He meant for parenting to be a full-time job, with no time off."

"set a good example, be dilligent teachers, give regular correction, and provide consistent discipline - all without frustrating [your] kids in the process."

"Remember, parents, like children, are fallen and sinful."

"parents are not always right."

"the principle of mutual submission covers the parents' role too.  There's a true sense in which parents must submit to their children, and Paul defined how that works in Ephesians 6:4: 'You, [parents,] do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord."

"show your submission to them by treating them with gentleness, kindness, consideration, and respect.  After all, that's an essential part of being a good example to them."

"No parent should ever be eager to punish."

"Parents should always administer discipline with the good of the child in mind, always with love."

"parents provoke their children by inconsistent discipline.  If you overlook an infraction three times and punish the child severely the fourth time, you will confuse and exasperate your child.  Parental discipline must be consistent."

"parents, you cannot raise your children to be what they ought to be unless you help them realize that their most fundamental needs are spiritual"

"It's not ultimately about behavior; it's about the child's heart."

"Chastisement is not for the benefit of frustrated parents.  It's supposed to be for the benefit of the child."

"the real problem is their sin - sin that offends God."

"discipline should be consistent."

"If a parent tells a child not to do something and the child does it anyway, the parent must correct the child.  To ignore the offense is to sanction the disobedience and encourage more rebellion."

"don't be severe sometimes and lenient other times.  Discipline should always be firm (not necessarily harsh) but always loving and always consistent.  Be equally firm with all your children.  And keep your word when you make promises."

For the Family: Christmas List

Since we are all tight on money and could use a bit of help saving for the Holidays, I have decided to go ahead and start my Christmas shopping early.  Not that Christmas is about the gifts.  As a matter of fact, Jacob and I have decided to go ahead and keep our family gifts to a minimum so as not to take away from what we are really celebrating, Christ's birth.  We have decided that Christmas presents will be a good way to set money aside to get our children things that they need, and not so much things that they "WANT."  Plus, it is kind of nice to be able to give that "fun" gift giving opportunity to the Grandparents.  Either way, I want my children growing up loving any gift they receive.  I want them to be ecstatic over receiving the things they really need since it is truly a blessing.  It is nice to receive things that are fun, but it is even sweeter knowing that they have all of the things that they need to really enjoy life.

All of this being said, I want to let our family know the things we need as a family for Christmas.  So, here goes, this is the official Via family Christmas list:

- New Via Baby -
- A fuzzy blanket to match Bella and Ilijah's (we will find out tomorrow whether we will be having a boy or a girl, so this will help with colors!)
- White onesies long sleeve and short (you can never have too many of these)
- Money to purchase a swing and a new bouncy play gym at the consignment sale
- Diapers, diapers, and more diapers in all sizes!
- Wipes
- Formula for just in case

- And, an electronic piggy bank
- Money for savings

- Bella -
- A new car seat!
- Diapers size 3/4
- Buddy Fruits (these are a new find that my kids just love! they come in a small bag with a lid on it that you suck out of.  they are all natural and no sugar added)
- Finger foods that are easy on-the-go
- Sippy Cups that are actually spill proof
- Some books on CD
- Educational DVDs
- Clothing is always much appreciated sizes 6-12 months (hopefully, she is still in 3-6 months now)
- Soft shoes since she will be walking
- And, an electronic piggy bank
- Money for savings

- Ilijah -
- Big boy undies!
- Socks
- Clothes as well, size 2T
- Books on CD
- Educational DVDs
- Workbooks
- Bob reading books
- Anything school related (we will probably begin setting up a home school section in their room)
- Sippy Cups
- And, an electronic piggy bank
- Money for savings

- Keesha -
- Curtain rods for our room (it really doesn't matter what they look like, I just want to be able to hang my curtains : )
- Vacuum
- Duvet cover (anything in a natural shade) This is a want, not a necessity.
- Baskets for organizing
- Clear large storage containers for closets
- Anything that helps declutter a house (not sure what that is, I just want a simple house)
- Nice fabrics, buttons, ribbons etc. to make clothes and pillows and other items
- Cleaning supplies, esp carpet cleaners
- Money for Women's Retreat & Passion Conference
- Money to go towards Dental fees
- And, an electronic piggy bank
- Money for savings

- Jacob -
- Office supplies, computer paper, ink, etc.
- Books
- Clothes
- Money for Men's Retreat & Passion Conference
- Macbook Pro 15"
- iTunes gift card (for all his videos)
- Basketball/running shoes
- Graphic Tee Shirts size medium
- Flip Flops

- Gift Cards -
- Gap or Old Navy
- Target
- Walmart
- T.J. Maxx
- Harris Teeter
- Lowe's
- Gas Cards
- Little Caesars
- Taco Bell
- McDonald's 

Okay Family, hope this helps!  I know you all are working hard to save some money too!  Love you!  Can't wait to all be together for Joy's wedding soon!

Finally . . . a new post!

Well, I know I am not so hot at this keeping up with my blogging thing, but I figure that you all are ready for an update.  So here goes!

Bella @ 8 months:
- Has grown leaps and bounds, she is very tall
- Is now crawling everywhere, not just military style, but full on crawl
- Can now go up the stairs (Yay.)
- Pulls up on anything on her own
- Can walk with something to hold onto, but generally chooses not to
- Has quite the personality and will be difficult to discipline, though she is a sweetheart
- She is my whiner, she will fuss at just about anything if she is not getting her way
- She will laugh at just about everything too
- She thinks it is hilarious to squeal with laughter if you are disciplining her
- She has no problem flashing her puppy dog eyes when she needs to
- Her smile makes you feel as though you are the specialist person in the whole universe
- She can be both adventuresome and cowardly
- She is my eater.  She will eat from the time she gets up to the time she goes back to sleep, yet she doesn't look like it at all
- She has beautiful blue eyes, and unlike Ilijah, I think she will keep hers
- She still has little hair just like her brother was
- She wears mostly dresses and at times she will lounge around in her brother's t-shirts
- Her favorite pastime in her crib is to stand up in the corner closest to the door and let us know that she does not feel like sleeping
- She has had some trouble sleeping lately, I believe do to some teething, but then she has days where she will sleep from 8:00pm-10:00am
- She doesn't care for TV and movies as much as Ilijah
- She would rather hang out with mom all day
- She is very slowly becoming more independent, but I think we really need to start forcing room time because she is starting to have separation anxiety when at church
- She loves to pick on her brother and steal his toys and climb all over him
- So far she has no allergies that we can tell, and has great skin too
- She has super long fingers, legs, and feet, so she will be a great volleyball player one day too ; )
- She likes to observe, she is my people watcher, but she learns alot from doing so
- She wants to do everything her brother does and she absolutely adores him
- She is very pretty in pink, which is so funny, because I used to hate the color pink, but now I am a mom and that kind of changes everything
- She wears a size 2 diaper still, but that needs to change because she is going through those quickly
- She is a size 3-6 months still, but can wear bigger if need be, or if the dress is just too gorgeous to pass up
- Her daddy likes her to wear shirts and pants, but her mom prefers her in her Sunday best at most times, if we are going out
- She is a snuggler
- When you pick her up, she immediately turns around so she can see everyone
- She sleeps with her blanket over her face just like her brother does
- She already knows how to play with cars and trains just from watching her brother, but she generally prefers girlie toys
- She can drink from a bottle or a sippy cup now, but she still really loves her bottles
- She eats at least two things of baby food and takes a bottle at every meal
- She can eat almost any big girl food and really enjoys it, she even ate ham the other day
- She is not a picky eater like her brother
- The only thing she is picky about when it comes to her food is that she doesn't like plain milk, it has to have some other type of flavor with it whether it be fruity or chocolaty or even veggies
- She often says Dadda, but only says Momma when she is upset or wants something
- She uses "G" sounds alot, and can almost say "car"
- She doesn't have very many "favorites" yet other then her family, eating, and sleeping
- She is very tender hearted, but stubborn at the same time (hmm, I think I know someone just like that)

Ilijah @ 23 months:
- He is so sweet
- He loves his family very much and likes it best when we can all just hang out together for the day
- He is very good with Bella and is an awesome big brother
- He loves his carbs, any type of bread or cereal or cake or cookie or breakfast bar
- He still does not like meat, so he eats at least one thing with peanut butter in it a day to help get some protein
- He will drink milk and water now, so we load up on that
- He climbs on everything!
- He is mischievous yet super obedient at the same time
- He has an adventurers heart
- He loves Scooby-Doo, Cars, Thomas the Train, Princess and the Frog, Toy Story I, II, & III, and any other Pixar animated movie
- Ilijah would watch TV all day if I would let him, and it doesn't help that his father is a movie guru
- He is very particular
- You can often find him lining things up, by himself, off in a corner
- He has to have things in just a certain order and in his certain way
- He loves to dance and will go fast or slow depending on the music
- He loves sports and all things manly
- He LOVES being naked
- He is about 50% potty trained and is just doing so well with it, we are just trying to make it simple and not push it too hard
- He is also very observative
- His brain is always ticking and you can actually see him thinking about all the things he encounters
- He loves to sleep with mom and dad (on mom and dad's terms) and even takes good naps with mom all the time
- He does a great job brushing his teeth
- He still has not had a hair cut, but his dad wants him to get one, even though his mom absolutely does not
- He is no longer a little boy
- He has grown a ton this year and does not seem like a typical two year old to me
- His language is awesome and he says and comprehends just about anything
- He is so very smart
- He has great manners and loves to please others
- His eyes are now a green, gold, and barely blue
- He has tons of teeth and I think already has his two year molars
- His hair is blond and curly, but not super curly
- He makes the best faces
- He is very dramatic and funny
- He loves to entertain and thinks that he truly is the life of the party (it doesn't help when people shout out his name every time he enters a room)
- He is confident
- He loves cars, trucks, trains, boats, tools, action heroes, buzz & woody, and the list goes on
- He is an awesome swimmer
- He would play in the water all day if we would let him
- He also has no allergies and has beautiful skin
- He now sits in a big boy chair and rarely eats in a highchair
- He loves people and has no problem going off on his own (this one is not so fun sometimes)
- His feet are super stinky and he gets that from his aunt Kendra : )
- He has two cousins that he likes to say their names, Shawn and Zeke
- He LOVES dogs and animals in general
- Almost every dogs name is Heidi
- He thinks that he is having another baby sister, but we think it is going to be a boy
- Did I mention that he is super obedient?
- He constantly asks where is dad is and then when I tell him he is at work, he then replies with, "oh, work."
- He knows that his dad works at the church and yells out his name every time we pull into the parking lot
- Screams with excitement whenever he sees water
- Loves the ocean, but does not like wave pools
- Thinks it is awesome to wear his mom's headbands
- Does a good job sharing with his sissy, even though she does take advantage of that from time to time
- Would rather be doing other things than eating
- Is very imaginative
- Likes to sword fight
- Memorizes things easily
- Loves to sit down and "read" a book by himself
- Interacts well with other children
- Takes one nap a day
- Has to immediately go and turn on the TV when entering a hotel room (random I know)
- Easily functions within routines, too bad his mom doesn't
- Cleans a whole room when asked, but doesn't get why when he is just going to dump all the toys out later
- Loves to put on lotion whenever he sees his mom do it
- Loves to tickle
- Loves encouragement and reinforcement
- Loves kisses and loves to have his mom kiss all of his toys
- Has the softest skin
- Gets hurt at least three times a day due to his daring feats
- Likes to lick people just to get a reaction out of them
- Likes to snuggle on his own terms
- Likes anything on his own terms for that matter
- Loves playgrounds
- Sleeps with all of his cars and trains
- Likes to pretend he has fallen or hurt himself so that we come to his rescue and love on him
- Doesn't take failure well and hates it when he is not successful at something
- Is very determined
- Is also very tender hearted and stubborn but these are good attributes

Mmm . . . the little pleasures

Mmmm . . . there is nothing like indulging in fresh raspberries after a long walk on a hot summer night.

Lost Faith

I am totally writing this post today out of complete frustration and discouragement. 

Let me explain. 

I am simply one of those people who go to the doctor for something, which seems very serious, and comes out with NOTHING.  No explanation.  No positive test result.  No, yeah lets give you this for that, it will help.  Just alot of smirks, sighs, and rolling of the eyes from my doctors as if I had just offended them for wasting their time. 

Now, you might think that this all sounds silly.  I mean why would she actually want something to be wrong?  Well, because I absolutely DO NOT go to the doctor for just anything.  I have been through these sort of disappointing appointments for years. 

Not only is it difficult for me emotionally, but it also hurts the bank as well.  It's like every time one of my doctors gives me that "crazy lady" look, I just want to respond with "WHY!?! Why would I want to spend tons of money and time just to find out that, yet again, there is NOTHING?" 

Now, it is not all the doctors fault.  For some reason, my body clearly steers me wrong.  However, now, I have even been double checking with Jacob just to make sure I am not crazy.  I make sure to get multiple confirmations from my husband before going, because at this point, I don't want to even go any more.

This morning was yet another one of those miserable appointments.  Jacob and I found something which concerned us about my pregnancy, and since I already have a rather large cyst on my ovary, we just knew we needed to get it checked out.  I mean, we do not take anything with our children lightly.  I must admit that I was very worried and quite emotional about the situation.  Jacob prayed over me this morning before I went out.  Again, I am certainly glad that there is nothing wrong.  However, it hit me quite hard when my doctor came just short of laughing at me. 

Now, if you know anything about me, I am not one of your super sensitive, ultra paranoid, give me all the shots you got kind of moms.  I am rather laid back and I try not to let things bother me.  I try to intentionally rely on the Lord and give Him my worries.  So, you can see why it hurt so very much when I was so concerned about something, only to have my concern mocked at.

I am not really sure where I am going with this particular post.  Maybe I just need some confirmation that I am not the only one in this world who feels this way.  Or maybe I need someone to help restore my faith in the medical world.  All in all I guess I just needed to get this of my heart. 

I praise the Lord for always taking care of my family.  I am very grateful to be "healthy" and to be independent and mobile.

The Mystery

Me: Where has all of our tupperware gone?

Jacob:  We threw it all away.

Me:  WHAT!?! What do you mean we threw it all away?

Jacob:  You know, every time we find something moldy and nasty in them, we throw them away instead of cleaning them.

Me:  Oh, yeah . . . we probably should be better at that.

Veggies Anyone?

After having a TON of trouble getting Ilijah to eat his vegetables (or anything that is not fruit or carbs for that matter), we decided that we would be force feeding Bella her veggies.  We weren't going to even give her an option.  We went ahead and started out with vegetables and didn't even buy any fruit products for her.  Well, the older she gets (now almost 7 1/2 months), we have decided that she can start having juice and fruit.  So, in order to still keep the veggies flowing, I have taken after the V8 juice idea, and I have created a veggie smoothy that she absolutely LOVES!  This morning she had a mixture of sweet baby carrots, country veggie medly, apple sauce, blueberry, soy milk, rice cereal, and apple juice.  I warmed it up a little, and she enjoyed the whole 10 oz. of it.  I love it because she can get a good meal in while still taking it from a bottle.  We just cut a large X in the nipple and she just goes at it.  So, she gets a great nutritious meal and it is convenient for me.

PS - Bella is now crawling and pulling herself up.  She is growing up super fast!

Just a Few Pretty Ladies

Lots of things to commemorate today!

I DID IT!!!

And we have success!  Ilijah not only went pee-pee on the potty, he did it all by himself!  We were going commando again this morning and I had to go get Bella from the room.  When I returned, I saw Ilijah going pee-pee on the potty unprompted.  I was sooooo super excited!

Picnik Edits. Cheating I know.

Hmm?

I wasn't quite sure what I should title this post, so I thought I would get some help from the Friends and Fam.  You guys vote and we will decide together!


Here are some of the titles I came up with:







Uhhg, Will I Ever Get My Teeth Fixed?






13 Going on 30 . . .









It takes a Dozen + 1 . . .












Here We Go Again . . .












The Threequal . . .












Micah is a Psychic . . .












THE VIA FAMILY TAKES OVER THE WORLD ONE CHILD AT A TIME . . .










Thank You Lord For Your Little Blessings!!!!













Etc. Etc. Etc.

A little down time

So I finally had some alone time while both kids were sleeping . . . this is a miracle since they are usually not on the same schedule!  So, I thought I would grace you all with my presence.  Also somewhat of a miracle, ha.

Now to catch you up on what has been going on around the Via house.  Ilijah and Bella are growing like weeds!  Each of them have quite the personality, and I just love seeing their little minds grow.  Here is a little of what they are all about these days:

ILIJAH

- Still does not like to eat, and when he does, it is mostly fruit or carbs
- Will play in the water (bath or pool or little puddle in our yard) for hours if you would let him
- LOVES the movie Cars and can name almost every character in it
- Says AHHHH! after every time I say Lightening (one of the scenes in the movie)
- Absolutely loves his little sister and will often share his toys with her
- Frequently asks where sissy, Heidi, and Daddy are (he calls all dogs Heidi after my moms dog)
- Is sad that his mommy made the new puppy go bye bye
- Asks for cookies every time he is hungry
- Says please (or rather "Pees!") when he wants anything, and it is the kind of pitiful begging that would melt even the Grinch's heart
- Loves to run around bare butt naked (as you have seen previously, we are going commando for potty training)
- Hates it when he has an accident on the floor, but still doesn't really know what he should do about it
- Still doesn't ever wake up happy
- Still doesn't like to play in his room by himself
- Would rather drink his weight in liquids than eat solids at all
- One of his favorite pass times is to line, reline, and continue to line his cars up in a row and park them in their garages (whatever that happens to be at the time, box, table, chair, ones foot, behind the couch, etc.)
- Likes to read stories, but only for about 8 minutes, and then he will move on to the next best thing
- Loves to spell his name and sing his ABCs
- Loves to identify other letters on signs and cars and whatnot
- Plays with his cars, trucks, trains, and planes 24/7 (he literally sleeps with them and then asks about them first thing when he wakes up)
- Thinks Spiderman is pretty cool, which I am sure his father is proud of : )
- Still loves sports
- Still loves to sing and dance
- Does not like having his diaper changed any more, hence the potty training
- Is passionate about pretty much everything
- Dislikes the vacuum now, which never used to bother him
- Enjoys helping anyone out in any way that he can
- Is equally as much of a daddy's boy as he is a momma's boy
- LOVES FAMILY TOGETHERNESS! (what Via doesn't?)
- Sundays are still super long for him, and he is usually out before we get out of the parking lot at church
- Enjoys coloring with markers
- Likes to figure things out for himself
- Explores almost everything
- Super enjoys watching movies (again, he is his father's son)
- His eye color has now changed from a vibrant blue to a dark blue/green/brown
- He gets taller and skinnier every day
- His hair is finally starting to fill in now that he is 1 year and 9 months old
- He loves to put objects like rocks, batteries, change, and grass in his mouth
- Likes to spend his mornings in bed with mom and dad
- Loves days when we can all just hang out together
- Is confident yet caring
- Loves animals and can identify several of them (some of them he still calls dogs)
- Wishes he could live outside
- Doesn't like it when daddy has to go to work
- Loves to bathe himself in mulch . . . not sure why?
- Loves all of his Uncles which also include Bubba, Conway, JoJo, Chad, Flash, & Micah buddy
- Thinks that the moon is one of the coolest things that comes out at night
- Can identify airplanes whether they are a spec in the air, the stream of exhaust from the tail in the sky, or a model on Pappa's shelf 
- Knows when things are yucky and exclaims "BLAHG!" every time
- Doesn't like to blow his nose, but knows when he needs to and asks anyways
- Likes to observe everything and think about what is going on
- Is very obedient, but still has to push his boundaries just to make sure
- Enjoys flushing the toilet
- Finds foods tastier if they are not his
- Loves to pray
- Likes to brush his own teeth
- Loves to pretend to read and laugh at his own jokes : )

IZABELLA

- Scares easily
- Is very tenderhearted
- Loves to smile and giggle
- Loves her brother very much and enjoys being around him
- Loves Praise Baby and it is the only DVD she will watch
- Has mixed feelings about baths and water
- Is comforted by her passie and blankie
- Her favorite spot is on her mother's chest as she is being rocked back and forth
- She is a snuggler (takes after her aunt Kendra)
- Loves to look pretty
- Spits up terribly all over her pretty clothes
- Loves to eat and enjoys eating solids, especially carrots (thank goodness!)
- Is tall and skinny just like her brother
- Looks just like her brother
- Is free spirited
- Is very vocal
- Loves to play with her toes
- Sleeps on her side (it is the sweetest thing ever)
- Doesn't like to be alone
- Will only enjoy a johnny-jump-up or exersaucer if you are sitting right there with her
- Dives after anything she wants
- Scratches your face off with her super sharp and long nails (she did not get those from me)
- Smiles with her eyes
- Has her mom's dimple on her left cheek
- Has dainty long fingers (everyone says she will be a piano player)
- Sits up on her own
- Often does sit-ups when she is watching Praise Baby
- Has had her first cheerio and whole piece of banana
- Sleeps very well
- Enjoys everyone, but loves her momma
- Loves to look back over her shoulder
- Wishes she could do everything her brother can do
- Does not like to go #2
- Loves to make you feel like you are the best thing in the WORLD!

Going Comando UPDATE

Well, we are still trucking on our bare bottom bash with Ilijah.  So far we have had three pee-pee accidents, and one poopy.  However, Ilijah hates it when he has an accident, so that is good. 

New Best Friend

Ilijah has had no problem with getting comfortable with his new potty.  He has had no fear of it.  As a matter of fact, I have had to work super hard at keeping him away from it when he is not using it.  He just loves playing with his potty . . . not so sanitary (even if I do clean it thoroughly).  Blahg! 

The little things in life.

Can I just say that I LOVE it when my children just fall asleep on their own?

Going Comando!

This morning, we are trying a BOOTCAMP tactic for potty training. Ilijah has been bare butt naked all morning, and has only had one accident so far. I read this tactic on one of the parenting websites and just thought that it was a good way for Ilijah to see cause and effect. Now let me preface this with the fact that this is not our first attempt at potty training. I don't think that I would start with this technique. We have worked on potty training subtly and have had good success, but now I feel he is ready to dive in and go for gold! We will see how long this tactic will last for us, but after potty training a puppy for a short while, I CAN HANDLE ANYTHING!

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Catching Up

Thoughtless Tuesdays . . .