All The Family

We were able to teach Vashon the members of his family by drawing stick ppl a few months ago. When he got it down I took out individual pictures of us and tested him, he got everyone right except we used to refer to Vayden as "baby brother" now that we know he's going to have another baby brother on the way, we wanted to stop all confusion. It's so cute to hear him say all his family.

He usually says Daddy, Mommy, Mommy belly, Dashon and Bayden. :) This time he left out the mommy belly.

*stick ppl drawn by me, I'm not the best artist*

24 Weeks - Pregnancy Update

How far along? 24 weeks - YAY!!! If anything happens now I can actually go to Labor and Delivery vs going to the ER. I feel that when you're pregnant and you go to the ER they take care of you the patient but not you and the baby.


Total weight gain/loss: OMG!!! I gained about 7 lbs in the 2 wks I was in Cali, just eating all the wonderful foods I've missed, lol. I don't have an official count but I'm almost sure that I'm total up 18 lbs :)


Maternity clothes? Yes, V$ actually made me go buy clothes, he said he refused to let me walk around like a person from People of Wal Mart. lol I was so upset about it, I went looking high and low for as many bargains I could find.


Stretch marks? Still the same only the ones left over from the 1st two, but I feel them coming.


Best moment this week? See Food aversions


Movement: Oh Yes!!! This lil guy is very active, which worries me because I really thought I would maybe get a calm child, but I'm pretty sure that was Vayden...can you imagine me having 2 Vashon's. Oh Gosh lol


Food cravings: I think the crazy week long food cravings are finally over. It was nice while it lasted.


Food aversions: I actually have none. I am now eating all of the things that I used to hate. Even chicken. I'm happy about this because I can finally give my baby some of the good stuff that he needs. For a while he was living off Cream of Wheat, Oatmeal, and fruit.


Gender: Male - There are still a bunch of ppl that think that we are actually having a girl and we are playing the ultimate practical joke on everyone. That is not the case, as it stands this baby is a boy and I'm still taking beautiful photographs.


Labor Signs: I think I've had a few braxton hicks but I still really can't tell the difference between those and gas. I'm pretty sure that once again I'm not going to know I'm in labor, I'm just going to think it's gas. lol

Photo of my belly at 24 wks

Belly Button in or out? Out and smooth, it's almost like I have no belly button.


What I miss: Sleeping normal, and moving quickly. I really can't remember my pregnancy in full detail with Vashon and with Vayden I didn't have fluid so I just feel very very heavy with this baby.


What I am looking forward to: I love being pregnant and I'm kinda sad that this is going by so fast, but I'm looking forward to when Vashon actually has someone to play with. So if I could just hold him in, until he's about 9 months or so that would be really nice. lol


Emotions: Not an emotional mess, but not as hard up as I was early in this pregnancy


Weekly Wisdom: STOP WORRYING ABOUT WEIGHT GAIN!!!!!! I'm on mommy chat group online and I really am so sick and tired of the multiple post about weight gain. So far I've gained more than I did with both Vashon and Vayden...guess what I don't care! I lost 20 lbs shortly before getting pregnant this time around and I finally figured out what worked for me and was within reason considering I had a child, a foundation, and a husband to take care of. Whatever I gain I will lose and then some and if I don't, well......I've had 3 kids in 3 yrs.

The way I look at this is simple, I gained 18 lbs total each time with both Vashon and Vayden, by 6 weeks post partum I had lost 12 lbs doing nothing (not even breastfeeding). That left me with 6 lbs to lose. My pre pregnancy clothes fit and I felt I looked great, 6 lbs is hard to notice, so I never changed anything. As the months would go on and my eating habits didn't adjust I would start to pack on the lbs. By the time Christmas came around after having Vayden ( 7 months post partum) I was weighing more than I did on the day I delivered him. The weight snuck up on me. So if I at 6 weeks post parturm had maybe 10 lbs to lose, I would have been more motivated to stay on track. This is the last time I can say "but I'm pregnant" when I eat 4 cookies instead of 2, so when I want 4 four cookies I eat 4 cookies. I don't over indulge but I do treat myself far and beyond the treats I had when I was "watching my weight". So really I am so annoyed at the complaints about weight gain, you will lose it and look hotter than ever.


Milestones

Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.


Anything else to share - V$ and I are somewhat at odds on naming this lil guy. In my mind his name is Varien Jeremiah, but still nothing is set in deep stone. oh I wish he could have a real name. I'm giving V$ a deadline of 28 wks to agree on the name I picked or come up with something other than Vamarion Jebediah. So we shall see. (and yes the middle name that he came up with is JeBEDiah. yea I know)

FuN iN CaLi

So me and Vashon took a trip to Cali for 2 weeks to see my family and enjoy the nice weather. This is more than likely our last trip to Ca before the new baby comes so I wanted to make the most out of our entire trip. Family has always been very important to me, but after moving away from them I've realized just how IMPORTANT family really is. I try to make it a point to see some of the key members of my family when I visit. It's also very important that my children know their extended family and know them well. I have lots of pics but I'll share a few of my favs.............



We flew into Las Vegas, NV for a day to visit some of the Vegas family members my mom picked us up from the airport.









Ok this soda machine was so freakin cool at a restaurant in Cali called BEX. The soda machine was digital and had a touch screen. I totally looked like I was from the country taking pics of this but it was really something I've never seen.

We had a great time seeing friends and family

Vashon and his cousin Jasmine at the baseball game in CA & dinner with some old HS and work buddys

Vashon is so blessed to have both sets of his great grandparents in his life. To me this photo is priceless





Me and My bestie Monet @ the ballpark

Vashon and his great aunt in NV & with his cousin S in Cali

Having a lovely convo with his great grandmother. lol

The Food was AMAZING

I honestly gained about 7 lbs in just the two wks that I was down there. Something I can't help but do is eat whenever I go to Cali. There are many things I can't get in OKC and I take full advantage of it when I go visit. Yes food is that important to me. lol

A list of the places I ate at

In N Out Burger (twice)

Chipotle (twice)

Del Taco

Grandma Hazel's house (you can't get this food unless your family)

My moms cooking (same rules as above)

Queens ( amazing pastrami sandwich)

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

Coldstones Ice Cream

This is a pastrami sandwich, something I'm not able to find in OK. A REAL pastrami sandwich. It's greasy and meaty and Oh My Gosh so GOOD.

Yummy!!!!

So my mom wanted to keep us busy like every single day, but it was worth it. I guess.....lol

At the La Brea Tar Pits

You should be PROUD I let Vashon run across the field at the baseball game with his cousin Jasmine. I must admit I was freaking out the whole time there were so many kids and I just couldn't help but think about Vashon getting trampled. But he had a good time and I was so PROUD of him.

Vashon running across the baseball field with cousin J

Here we are with the mascot - Stealth.











My trip was amazing and I had a great time, I was happy to get back to "my home" and V$ of course but at the same time sad to leave. Something about going back to Cali always makes me so happy and carefree about things. Something about being at home with your parents makes you feel like a child again.

An updated photo of my Family. Dad, Mom, older brother Terron and Me.

Let The Kid be a Kid......What's Wrong With Me?

Please tell me this has something to do with losing Vayden..... Otherwise I'm the mom that everyone hates.

Vashon is a BOY aside from often wanting the "pink" cup or "pink" jar of bubbles, he's rough and tough, and he runs and climbs. I HATE it. I look at him as not only a walking accident but also a walking mess. I find myself investing in more play clothes than real clothes because he's always playing in the dirt or jumping in some puddle. I've been working very hard on letting my clothes issue pass it's just that I take pride in clothes and they are always clean and in good condition. I hate to think that his cute little outfits will soon be in a pile of throw aways vs hand me downs.

The PLAY: I see everything outside as a potential hazard. From skinned knees to poked out eyes. It's a wonder that I like having boys instead of girls. lol. I let him play, fall, climb, and fall again, but I cringe every time I see him running too fast or climbing up something I think he's too small for. I panic inside when he plays around bigger kids, I worry that he may be trampled or hurt by them. And when he comes inside I'm constantly treating the mini scraps on his legs and arms to prevent permanent scaring. Yes I seem normal while we're at the playground, but I'm not.

I know that if I don't let up on this my son will be sheltered and the outcome of my fearfulness can be harmful. That is why I don't say no, unless I view the situation as very unsafe. I just don't know what is wrong with me when it comes to free play. I was able to freely play outside from sun up to sun down. I have ridden my bike into rose bushes and have been bite by a number of insects. I still have 10 fingers 10 toes an all my limbs, yet when it comes to my son I'm a total psycho mom. I want to be normal and let my kid be a kid, I want a BOY who is all BOY and I want to stop panicking whenever he's playing outside or around other kids. Have the times changed or is this a part of my grief that makes me fearful of losing another child?

Any suggestions?

Vayden's Story on the Local News

If you don't know much about Vayden's story, you should know that a wonderful non profit organization called Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, came out to the hospital and took amazing professional photographs of Vayden. The organization also gave me a wonderful maternity shoot, because I was a mother who knew the fate of my child and carried to term.

I was contacted in late July to do a special report news story for our local news to share Vayden's story and to talk about how amazing the organization is providing these lasting memories to families who suffer infant loss. NILMDTS does this all at no cost to the families and these are not just your average "like to take pics" photographers, they are talented, trained and professional. They are compassionate and I've developed a close relationship with both the photographers that worked with our family.

FOX News 25 did an amazing story and I'm very pleased with the outcome.

(click the link that says FOX News 25 or either of the photos above to view the news segment)

A Day at the Water Park

I planned a trip for me a Vashon to visit California this month, to get away from OK and to have a little mother and son time before the new baby gets here. Vashon has had 3 yrs being the shinning star and I can only dream of the transition he will go through when his 2nd little brother comes home. My mom had lots of things planned for us for our stay to give us the biggest bang for our buck.

I'm totally in vacation mode and really don't want to do anything. But I'm trying to get my motivation back. On Saturday my older brother and his family came to visit and we all went to the water park.

Let me just say that it was an experience I don't want to try again. I'm glad I took pictures because after Saturday it's going to take a lot of motivation to ever take Vashon back to a water park.

A very pregnant Stephanie and Vashon in the kiddie pool

Vashon and his nanny splashing water

So far the pics look great and we didn't think to snap photos of the real Vashon, but he hated the water park. For two days prior he asked me over and over again if he could go to the "water play". I got him all excited showed him pictures of the place, showed him the online commercial, even did a small countdown. He was so excited the day of and even when we got there. He runs to go play in kiddie land and everything was ok.....until a little bit of water splashed him, then he was DONE. He starts to cry and act like he was on fire, it was HOT, I was PREGNANT and not in the mood. He walks over to where my dad was sitting under a shade tree and tells him he wants to go home. So I go over there to talk to him.......which was probably a bad idea, because I was irritable and not in the mood to deal with his drama.

I left him with my dad for a few mins and went back out to play, knowing my dad would find a way to talk him into trying again. Finally Vashon was ready to try again, so I went to get him and we started off slow by taking him to an area where water would not splash him and he could just sit down and kick his feet.

When we were told he wasn't allowed to just sit there, is when everything once again went down hill. The one thing that bothers me about Vashon is he's so quick to make up his mind about something. He's 3 yrs old and wont ride a bike because the 1st time he tried he couldn't understand that he had to peddle. We try so hard to explain things to him at his age level but it seems like if it's not his way the 1st time around he's done forever with it. I don't want him to be left out of things as he gets older and I don't know if this is just an "age thing" he's going through or if this is an early sign to the personality that he's going to have when it comes to homework, sports, etc.

I feel it's better to learn young than to find out the hard way when you're old. So my SIL and brother took him through the kids area and we all agreed that we would put him down the slide, or as my mom says "push him".

My brother went down with him and although he was upset with my SIL and he did cry he also went down the slide.

We all cheered for him and gave him high fives, told him how proud we were of him and when my brother asked if he wanted to go down the big slide again, Vashon nodded his head "yes".

A Day at The BallPark

We took Vashon to his 1st minor league baseball game on Friday night. I'm not a BIG fan of baseball, but the experience was worth it for Vashon and he may get into it (which I doubt). Not to mention stadium food is the best...............

I just had to have a funnel cake, after my hot dog, and nachos

We were given free jerseys which was a plus and Van bought Vashon his very 1st foam finger

Vashon trying to put the foam finger in our nose

He's all boy

My boys

It was 100 degrees out there and after all the salty food I ate my face got very swollen, but I had to get a family pic

We had fun at the ball game but Vashon wasn't very into it, he does way better at basketball games and next we have to try a football game.