18 Months

This past Saturday, Christian was officially 18 months old. I still can't believe that he is already a year and a half, but it's true! I feel like I was heading to the hospital to have him yesterday, and now he is such a big boy. Time is going by WAY too fast these days, I wish someone would figure out a way to slow things down for a minute so I can take it all in. 

We celebrated Christian's "half birthday" yesterday, and yes he got a little spoiled. He has mastered drinking from a straw, so we got him some new sippy cups that have a straw. He picked out his own Halloween costume this year, and decided that he is going to be Buzz Lightyear (and he is super cute in his costume)! Brandon's parents came over and brought him a little broom so he can be just like his daddy sweeping up the acorns in the driveway, and they got him a little lawn mower and a new book. He was so excited about all his new stuff! 


The biggest thing that happened yesterday was getting Christian a "potty seat" and he was so excited about it! We have been letting him stand at the potty before he gets in the bath at night and see if he would do anything, which he hadn't until yesterday. So, last night before his bath I put him on his seat, and he looked at me with this huge grin, then proceeded to pee-pee in the potty for the first time ever!!! I was so proud of him, and he was really cute clapping for himself. Brandon and I made a huge deal about it, and I know that he was really proud of himself too! I got him on the potty a few times today but he hasn't gone in the potty again yet. I'm not rushing him, just taking the time for him to get familiar with sitting there and knowing what he is suppose to be doing while he sits. It's a work in progress, but I honestly think he will have it down pretty quickly. 


I am just so proud of Christian for being the wonderful, beautiful, happy, energetic, chatty, funny, smart, lovable little boy that he is. These past 18 months have been the best of my life!! We couldn't ask for more! 


Many Blessings, 
Vanessa  

Christian and Reba

I just had to share this video with everyone because it is the cutest thing ever! We watch "Reba" in the evenings while we eat dinner, and Christian has loved this show since he was a tiny baby. Every time the theme song comes on he sings with the music and his face just lights up. I love it! So here you go friends and family...my son singing along with Reba:

Many Blessings, 
Vanessa

Looking Back

This coming Sunday, August 29th, it will be exactly 2 years since Brandon and I found out that little Christian was on his way! That was one of the best days of my life, and I'm sure that I will never forget anything about that day. Brandon and I had been trying to get pregnant for over a year and a half at that point, and I had honestly given up all hope of becoming a mother. So I set up an appointment with a new doctor to talk about fertility testing, and apparently there was no need. She did a pregnancy test at the office and came in to tell us that it was POSITIVE! Brandon and I looked at each other in shock, and asked the doctor if there was some mix up with the samples because mine were always negative. She assured us that it was all correct, then it really sank in. I was finally pregnant!! I cried tears of joy for the rest of the day! All our dreams were coming true, and we were finally able to start the family that we had been praying for.

Well what a lot of you might not know is what a rough road it was for me when we were trying to get pregnant. Every month was a disappointment, and plenty of tears that came along with it. Getting my hopes up, thinking this month I was pregnant for sure, only to be let down again. It takes a toll on any woman who is ready to be a mother, and thank God for my awesome husband, great family and friends. I couldn't have gotten through that time of my life without them. One night my girls and I were hanging out at my house talking, and for some reason we started doodling on this pad of paper that was sitting on the table. We called them our goal sheets, dated them, and we each hung them on the mirror in our bathrooms. The date was August 29, 2007. Obviously, my goal sheet was all about getting pregnant and here is what it looked like:

It was exactly one year after making this, to the day, that we found out that we were finally pregnant! How crazy is that?! I don't believe in coincidences. I believe that God is in control of everything we go through in our lives; good or bad, for us to learn and grow from every experience. I see now looking back, that all the time I waited and wished for a baby God was teaching me patience. This is something that I lacked when it came to anything I wanted; I wanted it right then. One thing about getting pregnant, you can try all you want, but the creator of life will have the final decision on when it's the right time. This was very hard to deal with as I was going through it, but Brandon and I needed that time to wait. Not only to grow closer to each other, but to grow closer to God. Christian was born on April 16, 2009 and I have been able to stay home with him from day one. If we would have gotten pregnant when I wanted, I would be a working mom. There is nothing wrong with being a working mother, but for me staying home with my kids has been something I always dreamed of. I thank God everyday for the blessing that is my beautiful son, Christian. He is happy, healthy, extremely smart and full of love. Being a mother is more than I could have ever dreamed of. Thank you Jesus!

I just wanted to take this time to tell any couples out there that might be struggling to get pregnant, that God is for you and he wants to give you all the blessings that your heart desires...but in His time. Keep the faith and know that you are a child of the most high God, and He already knows what your future holds. Your time will come when you least expect it.

Many Blessings,
Vanessa

Poor Chloe

As most of you probably know, we have a little pekingese-poodle named Chloe. Brandon and I got her for my birthday right after we got married back in 2005. She was the princess of the house and our baby, until Christian arrived last year. Since then she has become the dog and has not been too fond of the little person who stole all of mommy and daddy's attention away from her. Well once Christian got on table food, she became his new best friend. He loves to drop food down to her and laugh as she eats it. But other than when he is eating, she could really care less about Christian or what he is doing.

Christian is getting bigger now, and RUNS around the house. One of his favorite things to do is chase Chloe around the house trying to kick her. He thinks it's hilarious when she snaps at him, so he does things all the time to make her mad. We have shown him how to nicely pet her and he gives her hugs and kisses, but I still think he likes to torment her. He has this red, plastic baseball bat that he plays with in the house, and has recently become very good at swinging it (which he bats left handed apparently...just fyi). He has been pretty good not to break anything in the house so far, but today he almost broke the dog! This boy of mine is extremely strong, and when he swings that bat there is some force behind it! Poor little Chloe didn't even know what happened. She was just walking by when he was mid-swing and he nailed her right in the face. She tucked her head down to the floor, then when she tried to walk it off her front end and back end seemed to be going two different directions. She proceeded to hide behind Brandon's feet, and when he picked her up she was shaking like crazy. Brandon and I are pretty sure that he gave her a "doggie concussion." Needless to say I took the bat away from Christian for the rest of the day to keep Chloe from having a nervous breakdown. Poor little Chloe! She is fine now, but I'm sure that when I give the bat back to Christian, she will go find a spot to hide.  

Many Blessings,

One Bun?!

So today Christian and I were on our way to the pool when I decided that I wanted to get a delicious, mouthwatering, spicy chicken sandwich from Chick-Fil-A for lunch. Seriously I am obsessed with this sandwich! So we drove on in the drive thru, proceeded to get my sandwich and head out to the pool. The manager was the one that talked to me at the window and was super friendly. The whole way there I can smell the deliciousness in the passenger seat, and man did it smell good! 

When I got out to the pool and got Christian situated with his turkey sandwich, I opened the box to eat this yummy-ness and I noticed that there was no top bun!! How does this happen? It was bottom bun, pickles, chicken, cheese, tomatoes and lettuce but NO TOP BUN!!! Well I was already at the pool and was not about to leave and drive up the highway back to the Chick-Fil-A that I was just at. So I ate it anyway! 

When we left the pool I called them to let the manager know about the lack of a bun on my sandwich. He was very nice and asked what he could do to make this right for me. I told him that I would like another spicy chicken sandwich, this time with TWO buns! I also told him that I was just leaving the pool and would come back to the drive thru for my free one. It was so tasty!! Yes friends I ate two spicy chicken sandwiches today, and they were great! 

Thank you Chick-Fil-A for making this delicious sandwich and for giving me a free one today! If you haven't tired one yet, you are missing out! :) 

Many Blessings, 
Vanessa

What's That Noise?!

My son is extremely talented in that he can hear a sound a few times, and mimic it almost exactly. This can be very entertaining at times, but that is not always the case. Don't get me wrong, I love for my son to talk to me in his little gibberish that he does, but when he is chasing me around the house, making this shrill high pitch scream, I start to go a little crazy. I literally check my ears to make sure they aren't bleeding from the noise. I don't know where he has picked up this sound from, but this has to stop! 

Obviously, I keep in mind that he is 15 months old (going on 2), and that he will be throwing tantrums. The most frustrating thing for a toddler, is that they can't communicate what they are trying to tell you, so they get mad and have a fit. I get that! But, when you are home with your child all day, and they are making this ear piercing shriek because you told them no, it can be very frustrating for the parents too. I am having a hard time, because I know that he is trying so hard to tell me exactly what he wants, but just can't get it out. The sign language that I have taught him is coming in handy. He can say please, all done, eat, milk and he tells me yes and no when I ask him something. But in his little mind there is so much more that he wants to tell me, but I just don't get it.

We have gone through a phase like this one before, where he just follows me around all day whining, and I am hoping this round passes quickly. Other than the awesome noise that he has been making all the time, he is doing fantastic!! Christian is so stinking smart!! He is becoming an expert climber. He can get on and off the couch with ease, tries to climb the gate to get into the office, and has recently figured out that he can get on top of the coffee table then stands up on it and claps for himself with pride! Christian is already showing signs that he will be ready to start potty training soon. He does his business, looks at me and says "shoo-e, all done!" then runs to his bedroom to get changed! That is amazing! He literally RUNS around the house chasing the dog, and kicks his soccer ball all over the place running after it to kick it again, and so many other wonderful new things. He is talented for sure! I'm so blessed to be home with him to see all the amazing things that he is learning everyday, and I remind myself of that every time I start to get frustrated with his noises. A mother's love will get her through any tough day her child can throw at her.

Many Blessings, 
Vanessa

Crazy Wasp!!

So, right outside our back door we have this crazy bush, that is half dead, and yet seems to be multiplying around the deck. I asked Brandon a while ago to go out there and try to control this plant, and then he found it. Behind the dead part of the bush, stuck to the fence, he found a big wasp's nest. There were just eggs on the nest at this point, but apparently we are procrastinators around here, and didn't buy any wasp spray until about 2 weeks later. Well, by this time there are baby wasps all over the nest. GROSS! 

I proceded to spray the nest and was almost certain that I killed them all. This past Tuesday, I was making some grilled chicken for dinner. Brandon went out and started the grill for me, then he noticed a wasp flying around the oning over the front door. So, I got my trusty wasp spray, and sprayed it and another tiny nest from the back yard. Sure in my aiming skills with the spray, I proceed to put the chicken on the grill and cook dinner. I went out again to flip the chicken (spray close by just in case), and there was that same wasp around that spot on the fence where I had killed the first nest. I started to spray this wasp, that apparently refuses to die, and it came FLYING at my face!! I sprayed that stuff everywhere, screamed something fierce, and ran back in the house. While all this is happening, Brandon is watching from inside, cracking up because I'm so terrified of this wasp. I told him that I was not going back out there because now this crazy wasp is VERY mad at me, since I have unsuccessfully tried to kill it about 4 times. Brandon told me that there was nothing to worry about, and that I killed it that last time. Well right about the time he was saying all this, Christian and I are looking out the back doors, when that wasp comes flying toward the door and lands on the glass. Ok, now I know this thing is after me! It walked around on the glass, just looking at me. Needless to say I made Brandon go get the chicken off the grill, because I was ready to let it burn and make something else for dinner before going back out there! 

Wednesday night my girls came over to hang out for a bit. We were all standing out in the backyard chatting, and wouldn't you know it, here comes that wasp again! Are you serious? I have tried to kill this thing so many times, and it just refuses to die! So, again I got the spray, and tried once more to get rid of this pest. No such luck. I have yet to kill this crazy wasp in the backyard, and I know it is out there waiting for the opportune moment to sting me. Hopefully I will get this thing under control soon. Crazy wasp! 

Many Blessings,
Vanessa

What a Scare!

This morning started out normal, but turned out to be the scariest morning of my life! I had finished getting ready for my bible study, so I went to wake Christian up. He sat up, and something was different. I picked him up and he just layed his head on my shoulder snuggling with me. I thought to myself how much I love when he is like this. When Christian looked at me, I noticed that he was very pail. His face had no color, neither did his lips. My heart started to race! All he wanted to do is lay his head on me and try to go back to sleep. Well, anyone who has met Christian will tell you that is not him! He would look at me and blink really slow, just being real lethargic. I made him a bottle, and he wanted nothing to do with it. Ok, now I knew something was wrong, my kid will take a bottle any time of the day! 

I called Christian's Dr, and let them know his symptoms. The nurse told me that with him being pail, the lack of color in his lips and him being lethargic, I needed to take him to the emergency room. I freaked out!! I have NEVER been to the ER for anything (other than visiting a friend once) and now I was suppose to take my baby there?! Panic immediately came over me as I rushed to find a t shirt and my shoes. This was really happening! I am taking my beautiful, innocent, helpless baby boy to the emergency room, and have no idea what is wrong with him. 

On the way to the ER, I called Brandon to let him know what was going on. He tried to calm me down as he assured me everything would be fine and that he would be there as quick as he could. After I got off the phone with Brandon, I called my mom. She could hear the panic in my voice as I told her we were on the way to the hospital. She asked me which hospital we were going to and told me she would meet us there as she hung up on me. Upon arrival, Christian started to get some color back in his face. The thought started to run through my mind, "Is he ok? Should I still take him in?" I knew that I would rather go in and find out that there is nothing wrong, then to go back home and find out there is. So in we went. 

By the time the doctors got in to see him (which was only like 15 minutes), he was almost back to his normal self. Talking, smiling and trying to take every wire off that they had him hooked to. They all said that he was fine, and maybe he just had low blood sugar. After hearing that, it makes sense. My mom and I are both hypoglycemic, so I'm sure he could have it too. Having low blood sugar is nothing serious, we just have to make sure we eat regularly. I was so relieved to find out that there was nothing wrong with my boy. I don't know what I would do if something happened to him....he is my world! 

We left the hospital, said bye to my mom, and Brandon came home with us. I fed Christian his favorite breakfast, Eggo's with Uncle Fred's homemade syrup, and he has been fine the rest of the day. As for me, I have been a mess. When I put Christian down for his nap, I checked on him about 5 times while he was sleeping. But, I talked to his pediatrician, and we will be doing a blood test later this month to check his sugar levels. I'm so grateful to have a healthy son, and I thank God for that every day.  

Many Blessings, 
Vanessa

Tidbits Continued...

After my last post with tidbits about myself, I have been realizing just how weird I really am. And the funny thing is that I left out some key tidbits about me! So, I just wanted to add a few more to my list of quirks. 

* I cannot, repeat cannot, touch cotton balls! 
* I sleep with the blanket over my ears, because I'm terrified a bug will crawl in my ear
* Can't even LOOK at a chalkboard without my teeth hurting!
* I snort when I laugh too hard
* Have a fan blowing in my face (on high) at night
* I'm always hot!
* My husband calls me the paparazzi
* I get a drink and never drink it 

* I always have deodorant with me

I don't know whether to laugh at these, or if I have just told my friends and family that maybe I'm crazier than you all thought. HAHA! 


Many Blessings,
Vanessa

Tidbits

My friend Laura recently wrote a blog titled "Tidbits" and at the end asked "what are your tidbits?" So, friends and family, here are some tidbits about me...

* I'm so proud to be a full time wife and mommy
* Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior
* I sleep with 5 pillows and a stuffed elephant
* It drives me CRAZY when Christian's diaper bag gets unorgainzed
* I hate when people touch my face
* I could eat pizza everyday....seriously
* My hair is naturally curly & I hate it
* I'm hypoglycemic (low blood sugar)
* I watch "Days of our Lives" every day
* I shampoo my hair twice in the shower
* This little man holds my heart in his hands:

* I love spending time with my girls
* I'm a junk food junkie
* I love watching movies...but I HATE scary ones!
* I always try to look at things from both sides
* Family and God are the most important things to me
* I'm the pickiest person about my food
* Toilet paper has to roll under
* I'm terrified of crickets 
* Disney movies are the best
* Still a "daddy's girl" at 25 yrs old
* I'm uncomfortable with change
* Swimming is my favorite outdoor activity
* Different foods on my plate can't touch!
* My mom is my rock
* I drink 2 cups of coffee a day

That's all I can think of off the top of my head.  

What are your tidbits? 

Many Blessings, 
Vanessa

Mean Ole Teeth!

Last night was like every other night; Christian gets his bath, a bottle, some snuggle time, then off to bed. Well, for some reason, I could not go to sleep. I stayed up watching some TV, and around midnight, I heard Christian start to fuss. This being very unusual, I checked the monitor, only to see him sitting up in his bed crying. I went in his room to see what the problem was, and was hit with an awful smell as I entered. I picked him up and he was soaked! He had thrown up everything that he had eaten during the day. I immediately woke Brandon up for some assistance, and it was certainly needed! My poor son had it everywhere! Brandon stripped his bed and got a load of laundry started with a quickness. 

While all this is going on, I'm trying to comfort my little man who has NEVER thrown up like that before. I don't know if there is anything worse than having a sick child, and there is nothing you can really do for them. He was so pitiful! Christian was running a fever, and wouldn't take any pedialite. All I could do was hold him and sing. When he finally went back to sleep, I put him back in his bed (with some fresh sheets and blankets). About an hour later he woke again, but this time no mess. I tried the bottle again, but he refused. So, we layed on the couch, and slept. My awesome dog decided to wake us up again about another hour later, and that just set him off. He couldn't get situated, so I put him back in his bed. After about 15 minutes of fighting it, he finally fell asleep around 2am. 

I guess he felt better after emptying his stomach, because he slept the rest of the night, and didn't wake up until almost 9:30am. Of course I still woke up about 5 times throughout the night to check on him, but he was fine. See, he is cutting his molars, and I had no idea how rough this process could be. I'm sure that the whole incident was due to the teething, and the temp that he was running because of that. Today he was totally fine, but we did stick to the bland foods. I just pray that those teeth come through really quick, because I hate seeing my angel in pain. Hopefully tonight will be quiet and restful for me and my family. I'll keep you all posted on the progress of those mean ole teeth! 

Many Blessings, 
Vanessa

What a Day!

Last night, while trying to fall asleep, I began to have a bit of a panic attack. I knew that today I would be dropping Christian off at our church for about half the day, and I would be leaving the campus. I know it seems a little silly for me to freak out, but you need to know where I'm coming from on this. Christian goes to his class when we attend regular services, and he is in there for two hours at the most. We have struggled, for most of his short little life, with being called out of the service to get him...almost every week. He has recently gotten much better and stays in class the whole time, which Brandon and I appreciate since we can actually listen to what Pastor is saying.  

Well, I signed up to do a womens bible study through church, which meets on Tuesday mornings this summer. Each study is held at someone's house (close to the church) and is about 3 hours long each time. Best of all, our pastors have graciously provided FREE childcare for all of us during this time. We drop the kids off at church, and out we go. I guess last night it finally sank in, that I would be dropping him off, and would not be right down the hall to come rescue him if he needed me. I would be a few blocks away, which doesn't seem like much, but to me it was MILES!   

When I handed him over to the ladies, he screamed something fierce, and my heart started to break! He looked at me with the most pitiful little face, and I could have cried right along with him. I found enough strength to walk away from my crying baby, and went to pull myself together in the restroom. When I came out, I thought for sure I would hear him crying from down the hall. Much to my surprise, I heard nothing. As I peaked in the window, I saw him sitting at a little table, in a little chair, next to some little friends, eating some cheerios. I was so proud of him in that moment! 

I went on to my bible study in the best mood. It was a great time with some awesome women of God, and we had some yummy food to top it off! Much to my surprise, my phone never rang. I had a thought in the back of my mind, that they might have to call me to come get him for some reason. But, my big boy did great! When I got there to pick him up, he was asleep in a ladies arms, wrapped in his blanket, being rocked. They told me that he was very good, and had just recently gotten sleepy. Other than that, he did awesome!


I am still so proud of Christian, and myself, that we both made it through our first daycare scenario. I know that the time apart will be good for us both in the long run. He will enjoy spending some time with kids his own age, and I know I will enjoy some fellowship with some ladies from church. Hopefully the drop off thing will get easier every time. I'm just so blessed to be able to stay home with him everyday, and at the same time so blessed to be able to have some time with adults too.


Many Blessings,
Vanessa

Memorial Day Weekend

This Memorial Day weekend was a family filled weekend for us. To start the weekend off right, my mom took Friday off. Christian and I spent the day with her and Paris (my brother's girlfriend) at the pool. Christian absolutely loves being at the pool, which is a good thing since summers in Texas are insanely hot! Seriously, in the past 4 weeks, we have made it to the pool at least 3 days a week. I love it!

Saturday and Sunday we didn't do too much. Brandon went to a free concert with his dad, and they had a blast. Monday however, we drove down to Lake Whitney to see my family, and had our traditional ribs cookout to celebrate Memorial Day. Christian had a great time, once again, playing in the pool. His little cousin, Anthony, was there too. It was so cute to see them playing together. Christian also had his FIRST experience with my family's famous ribs. (we have a secret recipe for the sauce, and I'll just tell you that they are the best ribs ever!) We gave him some of the rib bones that still had some meat on them, and oh my goodness did he have a good time with them! Then we had some delicious watermelon to top it off.

It was an all around great weekend for the Hayes family! We got to spend some time with family, and get some down time too. I hope that you all had a fantastic weekend as well.

Thank you again to all the troops who have served, and are still serving our country. It's because of you all that we get to enjoy all our freedoms, and time with our family. 


Many Blessings,
Vanessa