Christmas

I have to say that Christmas is my absolute favorite holiday, its such a magical time of year. I love everything about it. We started a new tradition this year. We adopted an elf, that the kids named Nixon...you know from "elf on the shelf". He arrived the day after thanksgiving and he was sent here by Santa Clause to watch over the children so that he could report back to the North pole each night and let Santa know if they were naughty or nice.
Nixon was a big hit in our house. He hid in a new place every morning, and sometimes Nixon was naughty and got into things. For example he toilet papered the Christmas tree, got into the cereal and made a big mess, and wrote on the kids faces with marker! Silly elf! Sometimes, he even left them a little something special if they had been behaving really well. So much fun! Nixon had to say goodbye on Christmas eve but assured the kids through a letter that he will be returning next year!

Christmas eve we always spend with tons of family at my husbands Aunts house, and we always look forward to it. Lots of food, great conversation, and plenty of children running about! This year was no different. We had a blast. However, I have to admit there was a moment during the kids gift opening that I nearly crawled under the table and was hoping not to be seen. Veda, as most of you know is a very honest, out spoken little girl.....much like her mommy. Well, she opened a gift that was a cabbage patch doll....and the look of sheer disgust filled her face as she blurted out... " I don't like this mommy" Oy Veh!! What do you say to that?? I was mortified. Luckily, her Aunt Heather, who purchased the doll was not offended and explained to Veda why she had picked this very special doll for her. Needless to say, she grew to like her new doll. I had to later have a talk with her about how we need to be thankful for gifts and such. It was a hard conversation because she didn't mean to be nasty and it upset her when I told her that she could have hurt Aunt Heather's feelings.

Speaking of gift giving. Although I don't consider myself to be a religious person, I am teaching my children the true meaning of Christmas. Veda and I baked a cake in honor of Jesus birthday. She was delighted and couldn't wait to share it with family and tell them the story behind it. I'm so proud of her in her understanding of the story.

Christmas morning came fast and furious! The kids were up around 8 and dying to open their treasures that were brought from Santa. We always let them open their stockings and play with the gifts that weren't wrapped until Nana and Papa arrive. Once they arrive, its game on! Veda was delighted to see that Santa brought her a doodle bear and La la loopsy doll that she asked for. Her big gift from us this year was a doll house and she loves it. I am enjoying it just as much as her!! Grayson was really into it which surprised me. When Veda was his age she could have cared less about opening presents. He loves playing with his tool bench and basketball hoop. Christmas was a success!

Hubby is blessed to work in a place that shuts down between Christmas and New Years and has had the week off to spend with family. Its been wonderful having everyone home. We get to enjoy coffee and breakfast together every morning and play with the kids. Perfect in every way. I will be extremely sad on Tuesday when he returns to work.

In other news, I'm in the 14th week of pregnancy and everything is going great. I am started to gain more energy and I think I have even felt a little flutter or two! How exciting!! We found out during my first trimester screening that we are probably expecting another little boy!! Yay!! This will be confirmed sometime in February at our big ultrasound. Nonetheless, I will be thrilled with whatever gender is growing in my belly!

finally, here are a few pictures taken from the holidays!

Christmas already??

Where is the snow??? I am desperately waiting for the first big snowfall so I can bundle the kids up, make snowmen and snow angels, and drink hot chocolate! They are getting anxious as well. I cannot believe that Christmas is next week. I have to say I am terribly behind this year. I feel that I have come down with every illness possible in the last 2 months. I still have ornaments to make, cookies to bake, presents to buy and wrap. Oy! I have some long nights ahead of me!

In other news, I am currently 12 weeks 5 days pregnant and the baby is looking fantastic, fingers crossed that everything remains that way. I have been having kidney issues the last few days and was even threatened with a hospital admission. I have stones and hydronephrosis. The docs are just going to keep a close eye on things for now.

The kids are doing fantastic. Veda amazes me everyday with her growing knowledge. Preschool has been an amazing adventure for her so far this year. She is really blossoming into a little lady. She is quite the entertainer as well. She loves to put on "shows" for us at home. She will come out of her room and sing songs and dance for us. Just tonight she was singing "Oh Christmas tree" while standing in front of the tree, then she kneels in from of the tree, puts her arms out as if she were going to hug the tree and says "Oh Christmas tree, please shine your lights bright so Santa can see" Sooooo stinking cute!!

Grayson is in his terrible two stage right now. He has quite a temper. If you don't give him what he wants he is sure to let you know by stomping his foot, flailing his arms and sometimes even throwing the unwanted object to the floor.We are trying to get these tantrums under control at this point and its quite a challenge. On a positive note he is talking a lot more these days and understands everything we tell him. I was worried for a while because Veda was talking at 15 months. I have heard from many people including my doctor that boys are normally slower to talk than girls. He is starting to catch up and I am certain he will be talking just as much as his sissy in no time. Then I am sure I will wonder why I was so worried about it! :)

Here are a few recent snapshots of the kiddos. They run from the camera these days so the snapshots are far and few between!

Thanksgiving (Way late)

Unfortunately I don't have pictures to share from Thanksgiving. It seemed like such a rushed day. I worked the night before and also had to work Thanksgiving night, this however didn't stop us from enjoying dinner with our families. We drove to Ann Arbor, Michigan to Aunt Mary Ellen's house and had a wonderful dinner and great conversation with loads of family.

The most memorable event on Thanksgiving was when Veda said Grace in front of the entire family. My heart nearly melted into a puddle. She stood at the table with such confidence and belted it out. I wish I had it on Video to share. Such a sweet moment.

Now that its December we are celebrating Christmas and trying to instill the true meaning of Christmas into our children. Veda understands that its Jesus Birthday and we will begin the tradition of baking a cake to celebrate his birthday in the same manner as we celebrate our own. We still get excited about Santa, presents, holiday treats, gingerbread houses, and snow! Its such a magical season and its so much better with Children to share it with!

Guess What??????

Yep its true!! Baby #3 is due June 26th! I found out I was pregnant October 16th. I am so incredibly excited. This will be our last baby so I plan to thoroughly enjoy every second of this pregnancy. I am 9 weeks tomorrow and had my first ultrasound last week. Baby was looking good. Heartbeat was 166 and I have a sneaking suspicion that this baby is going to be a girl! I guess we shall see. I am feeling under the weather with a nasty cold that keeps me up coughing all night and have nausea here and there but otherwise doing well!

Can we say neglectful?

My goodness, what is going on here? I can't believe it has been nearly 2 months since I have blogged. Shame on me! I guess I will start with some updates and add some pictures.

Veda is really loving every second of preschool. She has learned to spell her name and is able to write out the entire alphabet. What a huge accomplishment. She has made some new friends that she talks about daily. She is still quite a sass and has added dirty looks, feet stomping, and slamming her bedroom door to the equation. I am certainly in for it when she hits the teenage years...lord help me!

Grayson is my little monster. In to EVERYTHING. In fact, just the other day I heard Veda screaming that he had a barbie shoe in his mouth. I went to fetch it and it was already gone.....and we still haven't found it...if you know what I mean. He is talking alot more, even if I am the only one who seems to understand what he is saying...lol. He is very interested in the potty, although we have yet to have any successful attempts. I'm not sure I am quite ready to dive into potty training yet!

Joe and I are doing well. I am still having a difficult time adjusting to my night work schedule but its what works best for me and the kids. I am so thankful to be able to be a working mom that also gets to spend a lot of time with the kids even on days I work. I recently started my photography business and it has been doing great (slow right now but I am enjoying my extra time with the kids)ok, enough chatter......here are some pictures of the kids enjoying fall :)

Grayson and opy

Any of you who know Grayson, know that he cannot and will not willingly go anywhere without his blankie aka opy. We named it a woobie when Veda started carrying hers, why on earth this name, I have no idea, but it stuck and both children have one...or in Veda's case, two. Grayson obviously has his own name for it. I know some parents get annoyed with their children having to drag around a lovie. I happen to adore it. He has so much love for this little thing and he gets hysterical without it and will go into full blown panic if he cannot find it or if it is stuck in his crib. Its dirty, discolored from him sucking on each corner, and stinky... VERY stinky but what can I say, he loves it. I wash it...ALOT! Here is a pic I snapped one day after bath...

Preschool!!

Wowee the last 3.5 yrs has escaped from me fast. It's hard to believe that Veda is old enough to go to preschool. Today she took on that new adventure and she loved every second. She has been preparing for weeks. This morning was great. She leaped out of bed...ummm at 9:30 (good thing she is in the afternoon class) and pranced through the house singing "its my preschool day, its my preschool day, and IIIIIIIIII ammmm soooooooo EXCITED!! Then she ran up to me and said "Guess what mommy?, its my preschool day!" as if I didn't hear her shouting it all through the house as soon as she woke up! lol.

I think she asked me every 5 minutes if it was time to go...this made for a long morning! When the time finally came, she was smiling from ear to ear. She walked right through those doors with a smile and a whole lot of confidence. I am so proud of my little girl.

18 Months

Dear sweet Grayson,

I can hardly believe it has been 18 months since I held you in my arms for the first time. I wish I could slow time down for just a little while. You are growing much too fast. AS much as it saddens me that you are already a toddler, I adore watching you explore life and find your personality, and quite a personality you have! You look up to your big sister and try doing everything she does, including jumping from things that you aren't suppose to be jumping from. When I hear un,ti, eeeeeee (one, two, three)....I have to run and find where you are lunging yourself from. (usually 2 stairs up, or off the couch into a bean bag prepared ever so nicely by Veda)

You are completely smitten by your "opie" which is your little square blankie. You have to take it with you everywhere. Each corner is loved equally and you take turns tucking a corner in your mouth. I have to sneak it away from you in order to give it a good washing, and somehow you always catch me in the act and have huge aligator tears when I throw it into the wash.

This summer we discovered that you are not a fan of the water. We have taken you swimming many times and you prefer to be on the outside of the pool running around making mommy fearful that you are going to fall in!

One of your favorite things to do is sing along with your sissy, although
I can't understand a word of it, I love to hear your tune. Your favorite song is patty cake and you get very excited when mommy sings with you. Your favorite animal is a dog and when you see them you yell and point "dog dog" and go running for them. Your vocabulary is growing everyday. You are saying new words like ball, "cewal" for cereal, "be bewwry", for blueberry, "omeel" for oatmeal, and many more!

You are becoming more of a mommy's boy than you ever have before and I absolutely adore every moment of it. You always want to know where I am and come running to me with open arms and a huge smile on your face. I am almost positive that you said "ah lo ooo" (I love you) the other day before I left for work and it made my heart skip a beat.

Grayson, I am so lucky to be your mommy and I fall in love with you more with each passing day! I love you booboo!!

Love,

Mommy

How about those pictures I promised?

Here is my little diva sportin her new do and Hollywood sunglasses. She totally rocks this look, no?

Grayson was less than impressed with swimming, can you tell?

Again, at the beach and not impressed. I happen to adore this photo though. This is the serious side of my fun loving, laid back little man.

she can sure flash a beautiful smile!I think Veda smiled like this the whole time we were on vacation! She was so sad when we left. She said with tears running down her face "mommy, I don't wanna leave our new house (condo at Boyne Mountain)I want to stay her forever" Who could blame her? Its gorgeous there!

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! What a mess! Grayson dropped his cone a billion times, in the grass nonetheless but I let him keep enjoying it....a little dirt never hurt, right?

Priceless

July? Already?

I can hardly believe that its July....and I have not posted in almost an entire month! We have been busy little bee's to say the least. I am enjoying my summer entirely, even the working part. My family took a much needed mini vacation to Northern Michigan and we just returned home today. I will share pictures on a later date.

Updates with us. I am off orientation for my job starting Sunday and I am scared, scared, scared! I know I am plenty capable of taking care of my patients and my fellow colleagues are more than willing to answer questions and lend a hand but, I worry about the what if's...like what if I miss something important, or what if someone isn't available when I have a patient in crisis? Oy, in time I am sure I won't be so worrisome but for now...... I am scared!

Veda...well she just amazed me! She is such a big girl. Her wheel is constantly turning and I just wish I had a video camera to follow her everyday. Some of the things she says are just too hilarious for a 3 yr old!

Grayson..... he is in the process of cutting 5, yes I said FIVE new teeth. He is a trooper, he has hardly complained. He is becoming more vocal and saying more words but he is not quite the talker that Veda was at this age. I think she has the tendency to do the talking for both of them! Poor guy, can't get a word in edgewise! He is also going through a mommy stage. I cannot be out of his site, he wants no one else but me. I have to say, I truly enjoy it, I know its not going to last so I am taking all I can get! I feel bad for hubby though. I know it must hurt his feelings a bit.

Hubby..... well, he is super dad while I am at work and he is loving the game of golf these days. He has many more opportunities now that I am not spending every waking moment with school work.

until next time...... (hopefully sooner than August)

Don't take life for granted......

because you never know how long you have to live it. My recent cancer scare has really opened my already open eyes to how precious life really is. Luckily, I received the phone call on Monday that my biopsy's were back and that I am cancer free. This was such a huge relief. The first thing I did was snatch up my kids and give them the biggest hug you could ever imagine. Its time to slow life down even more and enjoy each day as it comes! Thanks for the prayers!

Just dance!

That is what Veda did today! Tomorrow is her big dance recital and she is very excited! Tonight was rehearsal and she shined! At the end of the night, all the little dancers received medals that said rock star dancer. The whole way home Veda said "mommy, I got a gold medal because I am a rock" lol. I tried explaining it to her but I didn't win this one. So, yes Veda my dear.....you are a rock! (don't mind the terrible quality) It was all about miss V, not my settings for once!

What a day

Today has been full of emotions. I started my day with a routine colonoscopy that has to be done every 2 years because I have Crohns disease. The procedure went smoothly and was over quickly. Then the doctor came in and told me that there was a worrisome area. My heart sank. The first thing that came to mind is colon cancer. He said he took several biopsy's and that we will know something in about 10 days. I asked him what he thought. Not very reassuringly, he stated that he did not feel that it was cancer but that he could not be certain. He thinks its a patch of inflammation and colitis. Sigh. So here I sit, scared as hell. What if......these feeling just keep flooding my head today. What if in 6 months I am not here to care for my children? What if I leave my husband behind? My children aren't even old enough to remember me if something happens. All of these emotions break my heart. I am so scared. Colon caner takes lives unexpectedly all the time. What if I am one of them.....

Then I came home to my beautiful children and my day got better. Their smiles and laughter brought me to tears. I am going to try and think positive, although this is not an easy task for me. I hate to admit that I am a pessimist but its true. I will keep everyone posted...... here is something to end this post on a better note....pictures of my littles!
Maybe she is a pessimist too? lol

<3

Pictures, as promised

If you read my last post you know that my family took a vacation to meet the Kraft family and we were finally able to get some much needed family pictures taken. Here they are! I can't wait to get them on my walls!

Whats new?

whats not is really the question! I find it hard to stay amongst blog posts but I am eager to continue! Where to begin....

Well, when I got a job we thought we would jump right in and try and buy a new house within the year but have since decided that we will continue to make improvements on the one that we have until the economy gets better and we can sell ours and at least break even. So slowly but surely we are updating. The latest updates are taking place in our bedroom, Veda's bedroom, and the bathroom. Texture, paint, and new trim have been added and now we await the arrival of carpet in the bedrooms on Friday. Exciting.

photography is going fantastic! I love applying everything I am learning when I pick up my camera. I recently splurged and bought a Nikon D7000 and now the hubby is shooting with the D90. Its so much fun to have a hobby in common with the hubs. Our poor children are tortured with the camera! I am happy to report that I have been booking frequent sessions! You can view some of my work at http://tabithavaillantphotography@blogspot.com

We just returned home after an amazing visit with the Kraft family. We were welcomed with open arms and had a fabulous time. Kristine and I took turns photographing each others family and then we teamed up on a newborn session! Great times! My whole family was sad to leave Pennsylvania. Can't wait for their visit here this fall

Some pics to share

More pictures to follow in another post! I can't wait to share my family pictures!

15 Months already?

Is it really possible? I feel like G was just born yesterday. He is amazing. A gentle soul. Its incredible how different two children can be. Veda is my sassy, strong willed, witty little girl and Grayson is so calm and gentle. His personality is really shining. He adores his sister and shows his affection by chasing her around the house, drinking anything in her sippy, pulling her hair and yanking on her shirt until she falls to the ground in laughter and sometimes tears. However if he makes her cry he is the first one there to give her a hug and kiss. I can hardly remember what life was like without him.
Milestones? I think I mentioned in an earlier post that he was signing alot lately. Its wonderful knowing what he wants. He is signing drink, eat, please, thank you, and more. He is saying more words too, he can say sissy, mama, dada, Hi, peas(please) nigh nigh (night night),omeal (oatmeal), nana (banana) and there are more I am sure! He is in the process of mimicking animal sounds but so far everything is a cow...... moooooooooo! SO adorable!! I love you Grayson!! You are truly a blessing!

I'm here, really....I am!

Where does the time go? I find myself asking this question so often. I can hardly believe that its the first day of May already. We have been very busy around here lately. Veda with dance, me with the kids, work, and photography sessions, and Joe busy with some updates on our home. Even with all of our busyness we manage to enjoy everything family time has to offer. Easter was amazing. We enjoyed sitting back watching the kids hunt for their eggs in the morning, went to brunch with the in-laws in the afternoon and then spent hours at the park taking pictures, flying Veda's new kite, and just enjoying the peacefulness the park had to offer. Here are a couple pictures from that day! I hope to be posting more often!

Here I am!

Miss me? I can't believe two weeks has passed since I last posted. This working thing, the mom thing, and the wife thing keep me pretty busy! I just finished a run of three 12's in a row. How exhausting! The upside is that I only work one day in the next 6 and have lots of time with my littles! speaking of them...... I just cannot believe how fast they are growing. I enjoy every stage of their growth but it saddens me as well. Veda is so inquisitive and so bright. She wants to help with everything and learn everything that crosses her path. She is begging me to go to school already. I am considering preschool in the fall. I think she will love it. Its me who is skeptical. I have to make a decision soon. Ugh. Grayson.....where do I begin? He is doing so many new things everyday. He is signing a lot more than he ever has. He signs and says eat and pease (please), signs more and he throws his hands around for drink! He amazes me everyday. He says "hi", gives hugs and kisses when asked, says "ni ni" for night night when he is ready for bed. My heart melts as I type this. More than ever I appreciate the time that I was able to be home with them without working. Here are my littles today.......

V&G's First Dentist Appointment!

I felt like the crazy camera lady hauling my D90 into the dentist office but my P&S is broken and I wasn't about to miss this first! I thought it was going to be a bit of a nightmare but I was pleasantly surprised. Veda loved it. She was so excited to tell the dentist that she is a big girl, and brushes her teeth so that she doesn't get any cavities. I could not capture Grayson because I had to hold him. He didn't want anything to do with it but he didn't throw too much of a fit and they were fast with him. Considering I loathe going to the dentist, this was a great experience for the kids and I hope they will never be afraid like I was as a kid. I highly recommend taking children to a pediatric dentist if possible. They were wonderful with my kids. Veda thought she was soooo cool because they gave her sun glasses to "block the sunlight on the ceiling" aka overhead light! They spoke on her level to make her understand what they were doing. I love watching adults communicate with children the way they did. :)

Don't mind my auto mode! I wasn't about to miss this memory trying to perfect the settings.......which I have done before!