tattoos and cast artwork

Yesterday, Dain decided that he needed some tattoos. He ended up with them all over his body.

He also wanted to show off the artwork (courtesy of Uncle Dan) on his cast.

More Ultrasound pics! (Week 15, day 5)

Here are our pictures from our last ultrasound. We discovered that we were off by 9 days based on the baby's measurements, so our due date got bumped from March 21 to March 12! March 12 just happens to be Dain's due date AND birthday... so they'll be almost exactly 3 years apart!

Here's a nice profile shot.

Face shot... the stage where they look like little aliens.

Boy or girl? We don't know... the Dr. couldn't tell from this picutre... we will find out next week on Oct 22!

Little Jumping Bean

As you may already know, I'm expecting again! We have a little one due around March 21. I am very excited to see that everything is progressing perfectly. Here are some pictures of the little one...

5 weeks and 3 days along... just a tiny dot, about 2 mm long. I actually saw a tiny heartbeat. It was amazing. They were mostly just checking to make sure that everything was where it should be.
7 weeks and 3 days along... no longer a tiny dot, now more of a blob. :) Measured just under 1/2 inch long. Saw and heard the very strong heartbeat, at 170 beats per minute. Definitely having fun with pregnancy hormones... love the nausea.

This is from today at 9 weeks 3 days along... a nice profile shot (head is at the right). Measured just over 3 cm, a little more than an inch long. This time the baby actually measured at 10w 1d. It tends to vary this early in pregnancy. This was one squirmy little jumping bean! It was hard to get a profile shot since the baby kept moving!

This is the shot from above, where the baby preferred to be looked at. You can see the little hands and feet and tummy. The heartbeat was measured at 173 beats per minute. We must have disturbed our little wiggleworm, who just waved and kicked away the whole time. It was so cute!

I am having the "normal" 1st trimester pregnancy hormones, and I am so thankful for them (even if they're not very fun)! Thanks for your prayers for this little one. I can't wait to meet him/her!

Dain's new glasses

Well, we haven't had much happen since we got back from IN, with the exception of Dain getting new frames and lenses. He had his old frames since he was 11 months old, and finally outgrew them! So we got the next size up. We're also trying out bifocals without the bi-nasal tapes to see how he does with those. So far so good!

Here's a picture of Dain at the pool in his goggles. He insists on wearing them, even though he won't put his face in the water! He had also just finished eating Cheetos, which is why his face is all orange. Silly boy!

And here's Dain at the zoo, at the river otter exhibit. I got really lucky with this shot! Less than 5 seconds after I took it, we were swamped with kids! Also, most of the time we don't even get to see the otters while we're there.

Our trip to IN

Dain and I just got back from a trip to IN to visit my friend Jenny. We had a great time with them! Here are a few pictures from when we were there. Thanks, Jenny and Max! It was great seeing you!

We went to New Buffalo, MI where there is a beach at Lake Michigan. Here we are in front of the water. Dain didn't know what to think of the water at first.

And here's Dain playing in the sand, made muddy by the waves. He loved it!

Dain came around and really started to enjoy the waves and the water. By the time we had to leave, he was NOT happy about it! :)

Dain and I took one day and drove to Lafayette to see my Aunt Janet, Uncle Buck, and David and Ruth, my cousins. It was great to be able to spend some time with them! Behind us you can see Uncle Buck's Christmas tree farm.

Jenny and I took Dain to the Potawatomi zoo in South Bend. He really seemed to enjoy it, especially getting to pet this fat little goat. who was very sweet.

More Aruba Pics

Ancient cave drawings in the cave we visited on our Jeep tour.

Baby Beach... you can wade out 300 yards and the water doesn't get higher than your waist.

This place is called "ugly mouth" in Papiemento.

Baby Bridge

Natural Bridge that collapsed in 2005.

Butterflies at the Butterfly Farm.

Aruba Pictures

On our "jeep" tour - visiting a cave with a really cool couple that we rode with.
The Xtreme Party Cruiser that picked us up at our resort to take us to the "Jeep" tour.

Eagle Beach at sunset (our resort was on this beach)

An aloe field. Aloe was Aruba's chief export and income before tourism hit. They still grow, process and sell aloe today. See http://www.arubaaloe.com. We visited the factory while we were there.

Some of the beautiful colors of the water - picture taken while on our snorkeling cruise.

Time Flies, especially for bad bloggers like me

Wow, how time flies!!!!!

I'll try to catch up a bit...

Part 2 of Aruba was fun - we did a half-day snorkeling trip, part of it at an old shipwreck from WW2. We took a jeep tour (I say "jeep" loosely) around the island and we saw lots of things we wouldn't have seen otherwise. We went to the Aruba Aloe factory and to the Butterfly farm. I will post some pictures at a later date, as I am currently out of town and away from my computer (and all my pictures).

Dain and I have been spending a lot of time at the pool this summer. For the 2nd half of June, into July we've gone at least 3 times a week. Hot sunny mornings, perfect for the pool, followed by lovely afternoon thunderstorms. Ah, our summer weather has finally returned after a too-long drought! So far Dain and I have some very impressive tans/tan lines. And this is from wearing at least a 30 spf most days.

Poor Jeremy has been going through a lot. He got bronchitis, had to start physical therapy on his shoulder and elbow because of an old injury, and then just had a nasty 12-hr flu bug. Otherwise, he's still working and playing baseball. He's also trying to fit in fishing when he has the time.

Dain and I are currently visiting my friend Jenny, who lives halfway across the country from us. It's been great, since I haven't seen her for 2 years. Yesterday we took Dain to a splash park (he freaked out when the fountains turned on). Last night, while Jenny's husband Max bravely watched Dain (he has a fear of toddler poopy diapers, can't blame him) I went with Jenny to a Brazilian Samba class that she teaches. Yes, I shook my booty. And looked ridiculous doing so. Thankfully, so did everyone else since it is a beginner class and has only been going for a few weeks. And, I did have a lot of fun and got a great workout!

Today we took Dain to the zoo. The morning was gorgeous - not too hot, although a bit stickier that I'm used to (I never have been a fan of humidity).Here's Dain petting a very fat goat at the petting zoo (picture courtesy of Jenny).

I have also been shopping - right here in Jenny's house! :) Jenny is a very talented jewelry designer and makes all of her own jewelry. Each piece is so unique. I've really had to hold myself back from buying everything that I liked. Take a look at her website for Black Rock Design. She has some really beautiful stuff! Needless to say, one or more family members might be getting something pretty and unique for Christmas! :)

Tomorrow we're off to visit my aunt and uncle, who live about 2 hours from here. I'm really looking forward to it. And I think Dain will be fine in the car as long as he gets to watch Nemo for the hundredth time. :)

Aruba trip, May 7 - 9 (part 1)

Jeremy and I went to Aruba! We had a great time, and left Dain at home with my mom. A few things we learned about Aruba:

1. Aruba is "one happy island" until you're on the road with the locals. They have no patience for tourist drivers.

2. Aruba is windy, all the time. It's nice, because it helps to relieve the heat of the sun.

3. Iguanas are everywhere.

4. Aruba has a total of about 5 stoplights - in the entire country.

5. Locals grow up learning how to speak 4 languages: Papiamento, Dutch, Spanish and English.

6. The mullet-style faux-hawk is the height of fashion among the locals.

7. "$6 isn't great, it's awesome!" (explanation to come)

Here's a short diary of our vacation.

Thursday, May 7: Jeremy and I flew to Aruba. We left our house at 2:30 am to drive to Denver. We flew from Denver to Chicago, then Chicago to Miami, then from Miami to Oranjestad, Aruba, where we landed at approximately 9:30 pm (eastern standard time). This was how we celebrated Jeremy's birthday. Happy Birthday, sweetie!

(When we checked in, they made us wear plastic wristbands with the hotel logo on them. They don't want anyone other than their guests using hotel amenities. The wristband left a tanline on my wrist. )

This is where we stayed, La Cabana Beach and Racquet Club. It is the 2nd biggest resort on the island, behind the Marriot.Friday, May 8: slept in until approximately 10:00 am. Had late lunch at the hotel restuarant. Explored the resort and wasted some time listening to a time-share spiel (where they gave us $150 to gamble.) Discovered that iguanas are everywhere in Aruba. Did a little shopping and had dinner in downtown Oranjestad. This picture was taken right outside our room at the resort.

Saturday, May 9: Slept in again. Had a late breakfast at McDonald's. Tasted like home. After that, went grocery shopping for breakfast and lunch food, since we had a kitchenette in our room. Plastered ourselves with sunscreen. Spent some time at the beach and in the water. Jeremy got a sunburn anyway. Checked out the pool and watched kids go down the waterslide. Had dinner at the Buccaneer. I had pasta, and Jeremy had swordfish. Neither were that great. But the ambiance was excellent!

To be continued...

Dain's 2nd birthday

On March 11, the day before Dain's birthday, I decided that he needed a haircut. He was bordering on the mullet - and I love my child too much to let him have a mullet. Here are the before and after pictures.

Before:

After:

Here is Dain on the morning of his birthday, playing with his new table and train set we bought for him. He was so excited that he kept saying "wow!"

Here are a couple of pictures from Dain's birthday party.

Remember me?

Hi! Remember me? Becky? I used to blog here, I think. Once again life has gotten in the way of blogging. My apologies!
A lot has happened in the past month or so. Let's see:
- March 12 - Dain turned 2! (pictures to come)
- March 16 - I turned 30! (Augh!) (might have a picture to come)
- Jeremy and I have still been working with a personal trainer. Last time we checked (it's been almost a month) I had lost 5 1/2 inches and 4 pounds. I know it's more than that now.
- Painted 2 rooms (Living room and dining room - pictures to come)
- Dain got croup
- Jeremy installed hardware on our kitchen cabinets - they look great! (picture to come)
- I caught Dain's cold and am currently dealing with it
- I am currently working on window treatments for the aforementioned painted rooms (pictures to come if they turn out well)
- celebrated the 2 Wood "on their way" babies with a special Hillsdale Babies Shower for Louise (and got to see Hillsdale friends! Yay!)
- had lots of snow - in April - which didn't show up all winter but decided to come once we hit "spring"
- joined membership at our local mountain zoo (which is awesome, by the way)
- got an aquarium set up with 3 healthy fish (we started w/ 5 and 2 died)
- Dain's vocabulary is greatly improved and we understand him more and more
- My Bible study for the semester ended and I'm already missing it
- we are planning our upcoming trip to Aruba (without Dain!)
- started physical therapy on my right shoulder after injuring it doing too many pushups

Guess that covers it for now. Hold me accountable for posting pictures soon. I would do it tonight but it's bedtime!

I blogged about a month ago about how I was about to really get going on getting healthy. So, here's a bit of an update!
I've had 6 sessions so far with the personal trainer, with one coming up tonight. He's been tough! He specializes in cross-training, which combines cardio and weight training. It's very tough, very non-conventional and I really enjoy it! I have also been taking some classes at the gym and doing some Wii Fit at home.
The results: I have lost 1 whole pound. However, I'm looking at weight loss as a side effect of getting healthy. I am finding that I am feeling better most of the time. I recover more quickly from muscle soreness than I did at first. I also can tell in how I look and how my clothes fit that I am starting to tone up a bit. And the best part - my lungs are starting to get back into shape! I have exercise-induced asthma, so having healthy lungs is very important to me. Each workout, breathing gets easier and easier, although I will always require the help of an inhaler.
In conclusion, I am feeling better and looking better. It can only go up from here.
And I am prepared to be sore tonight after another very tough workout!

a little "pick-me-up"

A couple days ago, Dain was playing with this play-doh, along with all the toys and a mat. To my surprise, when he was finished, he put the play-doh back into its cup. Then he handed me the mat to fold up, picked up all the play-doh toys and put them in the play-doh toy caddy, grabbed the mat from me, and put it all away.
I couldn't believe it!
What a pick-me-up that was!

my handy-man

Jeremy decided that we needed some organization in our media niche. So, he designed, built and installed a custom built-in unit. Check out the pictures:

This is before. Unorganized.

Jeremy had loads of fun sanding after assembling the cut pieces.

In our basement after priming.

Dain wanted to help Daddy install the electronics.

Finished product. Doesn't it look great? I married a genius.

I haven't blogged in a while, but our lives have been, thankfully, pretty much uneventful. If there's anything new to report, it's that Jeremy and I are finally getting serious about our fitness and semi-serious about what we are eating. :) I had a small victory in January... I gave up Diet Coke for good! I had been up to 3 a day... and when I quit cold-turkey, I had a headache for 2 weeks straight! However, it's so good to be on this side of it!
I have been unhappy with how I look and feel for quite a while. I had managed to lose all my my baby weight from having Dain last spring (about 30 pounds), but now I still have more to lose to really be healthy. So, starting Monday, I will be working with a personal trainer at the gym. I am also modifying my diet according to my doctor's recommendations. Hopefully soon I will be able to post some good results and "before and after" photos!
Also, I have a goal in mind. We will be going to Aruba later this year, and I hope to be bikini-ready by then! :)
I will keep you posted on our progress!

One more

OK, so here is Dain's first actual intelligible sentence. He just said it this afternoon, after Jeremy got home from work, while I was cleaning the floor.

"Mom, you just farted in there!" (Dain and Daddy both giggle.)

Which, of course, I hadn't.

Dain-isms

Jeremy and I are really enjoying the process of Dain learning how to talk and communitcate. Here are a few things that we are delighting in:

Every day, several times a day, it's "MOM! (very urgently)" "Yes, Dain?" "Ga be scoobable ditset bo!" (or something like it)

Face (while pointing): "Eye!" (sticks finger in your eye, or the cat's or his) "Eeew!" (ear) "Mouw!" (mouth) "No!" (nose)

While eating: (Me) "Dain, do you want another bite?" "Bi! Bi! Bi! (bite)"

Getting ready to leave: (Me) "Dain, let's go get your coat!" "Coke! Coke! (coat)"

Asking Dain a question: (Me) "Dain, do you want to...?" "Ummmmmm.... gi ba scoble so beled ball!" (or something similar)

Dain's favorite: "up, up, up!" (this always works on Daddy!)

And my favorite: (Me) "Dain, you're such a happy boy!" "Happy, happy, happy, happy! (singing)"

Saturday

Dain's doing great today... so I think the effects of the Heart Attack Moment have passed. Praise God!
I never updated you on his eyes. We saw Dr. C yesterday and she was happy with how his eyes are doing. He's alternating between them frequently, which is much better than crossing! So now we're going to be seeing Dr. P regularily for eye therapy, which includes tape on the glasses again. Dain doesn't really seem to mind it so much. We're going back in on Wed to see Dr. P.
I'm looking forward to this week - my aunt is coming into town for a few days and we don't get to see her often enough.
That's about all for now! :)

Heart Attack Moment

Today was one of those days that I wonder why God is letting me be a mommy. You think you have the house child-proofed... and you find out, the scary way, that you don't. Here's what happened:

This morning while I was taking my shower, Dain was in my bedroom playing (as he usually does during my showers). He was opening and closing the drawers in my dresser and Jeremy's high-boy. As I was just finishing my shower, I heard a huge CRASH! and a loud cry - and my heart just stopped! I ran out of the shower, dripping wet, and found Dain underneath 2 full drawers with the high-boy on top of the drawers. I pulled them off of Dain as fast as I could and scooped him up. He cried uncontrollably for a good 10 minutes while I tried to check him over for broken bones, etc. Thankfully I couldn't find anything but I still wasn't at ease. I called Jeremy while Dain was still crying, I was still dripping wet, and we were both stressed out. Jeremy and I decided to see if Dain would calm down and then I would call the pediatrician's office. After a few more minutes, Dain did stop crying but wouldn't let me put him down. After holding him for a good 15 - 20 more minutes, Dain started smiling and talking and pointing to things he wanted to play with. Good sign! So I stripped him down and checked every inch of his body, looking for bruises, especially on his tummy. I didn't find anything, thank God! So I called the pediatrician's office and told them the whole story. They told me that as long as Dain was functioning normally and I could find no signs of any kind of injury, he was probably going to be OK. I just need to keep an eye on him for a couple of days to make sure. So far today he has been acting normal, just like himself. Praise God.
And thank you Lord, for letting me be a Mommy, and for protecting Dain when I'm not able to!

Tomorrow I take Dain in to see Dr. C (the opthamologist/surgeon) for a checkup. He saw Dr. P (the optometrist) twice this past week, once on Monday then again on Wednesday. His right eye has started crossing in and Dr. P wanted to get aggressive with it. It's hard when both doctors are saying different things, but I have to admit that I will go with Dr. P's advice every time. He's the one who treated me with eye therapy and I've known him for 27 years. Our biggest goal with Dain is to avoid another surgery! Please pray that we can finish correcting his eyes with eye therapy instead of with surgery!
On another note, Jeremy and I are planning a vacation! We are so excited... we haven't been on a real vacation since before Dain was born! We are going to Aruba! Sand and sun, baby!