watch what you say!

Gavin has started repeating anything someone says - NOT GOOD!! The other night Wayne, David and Bryan were over playing pool, someone said damn, and Gavin started saying it and laughing. He has said sh*t a couple times too - so from now on when anyone comes over to our house there is no swearing aloud and of course that includes Steven and myself!! He also likes to sing that song, "Gives You Hell" - I don't know the artist, it's a catchy song, but not when your 2 year old likes to sing it!! I know Gavin does not understand the words he saying are bad - so how do I get him to understand?!?!

Lil came over the other day and brought Steven and Gavin a fun toy - air hockey!! Gavin had a blast playing and still does enjoy it, but unfortunately he lost one of the paddles. Anyone know where to get a new one?!?!

Valentine's Day was fun - my aunt and mom came over to watch Gavin while Steven and I went out to dinner with my brother Andy and his girlfriend Allison. They also watched Allison's sons Philip and Dawson - and Lucas and Shayna came over too, so it was just one big party! Dinner was nice - we went to Chili's to keep it cheap and man did we eat a ton!!! When we came home my mom and aunt had not finished all the activities they had planned for the kids so the adults got to sit and watch a little tv and let dinner settle. When they were finished making Valentine's Day cookies all the kids put on a little show for us, talk about adorable!!! That night Shayna and Lucas stayed at our house - we got to stay up late and watch tv - except lazy old me fell asleep on Lucas, poor kid!! We took them home on Sunday afternoon after Uncle Steven made them yummy chocolate chip pancakes =)
Gavin is still going potty, but not on a regular basis. If we ask him if he needs to go he will but he is not yet to the point where he knows to tell us before he goes in his diaper. At least we are moving in the right direction!! He loves to get "monies" for his piggy bank when he has successfully pee-peed in the potty, it's just the funniest thing!!

The other night we were at the mall and Gavin walked into Build-a-Bear. We often go into this store but we never make anything. That day we decided to let Gavin make his very own bear. Of course the batteries in my camera were dead (I was super mad!) He picked out the bear on his own but didn't want much to do with stuffing him.. I think the loud noises scared him a little. He did give his bear a bath and then picked an outfit for him. Big surprise - he chose a Phillies outfit! We got him dressed then went to the computer to make his birth certificate. Steven asked Gav what he wanted to name his bear and he says "TEDDY" - wow my child is so original =) I just was excited that he picked a name! So we completed Teddy's birth certificate, the clerk placed him in his box/house and handed him to Gavin - he was so excited!! He sleeps with Teddy and likes to show him off whenever anyone comes over. I'm so glad we let him build a bear, finally, I just wish those stupid batteries weren't dead.. grrrr!
Last week my best friend from college, Tracy and her husband Artie came for a visit. They arrived on Thursday around 12:30 p.m. and stayed until Friday early afternoon. They got to see my office - my home away from home! We had fun driving around Amish Country, took them to the Intercourse, PA sign and enjoyed an awesome dinner at Texas Roadhouse. On Friday Tracy, Artie and I went to Miller's for lunch - talk about yummy food =) I had such a great time hanging out with them again - why does Rhode Island have to be so far way.. =( Gavin absolutely LOVED them both and did not want to stop playing with them. When he came home from school on Friday he searched almost the entire house looking for his "friends."
On a personal note - I went back to the OB-GYN last Wednesday and had a follow up ultrasound. Both the midwife and the ultrasound tech said everything looked good. Whatever cyst that was on my left ovary before burst and diminished on it's own, thank goodness! I now know 13 people who are pregnant, not including any of the clients at work. 13 friends/acquaintances are due between April and October - crazy right?!?! It's hard not to have baby on the brain when it seems like every time I turn around someone else is pregnant!! Okay, time to get back to work.. thanks for reading!

PEE-PEE in the potty!!!

Gavin went pee on the potty last night!!!! It was just the cutest thing - he was so proud of himself. He went again this morning when he woke up - hopefully we're on the right track =) I can't believe my little baby boy is going potty, oh man they grow so fast! We gave him coins to put in his piggy bank as his "positive reinforcement" because he LOVES his piggy bank. He was walking around saying "I got moneys" - it was adorable!

I could seriously break down and cry right now - my hubby just called and said his company is issuing a 10% decrease in salaries effective Monday. Man that sucks!!! Money was already tight and now this. I really could just cry - money always has and always will be the root of all evil in my eyes.

Okay, enough for now - I hope everyone has a wonderful Wednesday!! Enjoy the adorable photos of Gavin =)

25 Random Things About Me.

I did this on Facebook and thought I'd copy it into a blog - enjoy! I may try to do a different one every so often - it was actually fun to put together =)

1. I have an amazing son - Gavin Arthur - who was born on 10.2.06. He weighed 8 pounds 9 ounces and was 21 inches long. I was in labor for 8 hours!

2. I haven't worn gold jewelry since 5th grade.

3. I have a very interesting job - I work at an adoption agency, Bethany Christian Services, and I counsel expectant parents who were not planning on becoming pregnant. I counsel them about parenting and adoption. If they choose adoption I help them with all that an adoption plan entails - picking a family, labor and delivery, openness, a whole bunch of stuff.. sounds fun huh?!

4. My husband and I have been trying for 8 months to have a second child. I am really trying to be faithful and understand that God has a plan and he knows my heart!

5. I have one tattoo - cherries on my left hip - in honor of my Grammie! She is my hero and has been fighting Alzheimer's Disease for over 5 years.

6. I drive a 2006 navy blue Ford Fusion and I have Boston Red Sox floor mats =)

7. My mom calls me Weeziebug and has for most of my life. It is now my license plate on my car - WEZEBUG - goofy, I know!

8. I am completely obsessed with photographs. I LOVE photography and I wish I could have started my own photography business. Currently I own 3 film cameras and 3 digital cameras. Now you know why each month I have 3 or 4 photo folders!

9. My faith and relationship with God are very important to me - but I don't try to push religion on anyone who doesn't want to hear it.

10. I love music - almost any kind will do.

11. My husband and I met on a blind date and we were engaged 51 days later =) We got married in Oahu, Hawaii.

12. I cannot stand it when my food touches - I have a sectioned plate that I use on holidays!

13. I am the pickiest eater you will ever meet - although lately I've been brave and trying new things!

14. Number 1 on my travel list is Alaska!

15. I hope to go back to college some day - what for, I have no idea =)

16. I think money is the root of all evil and it always stresses me out - unfortunately I LOVE to shop!

17. It's hard for me to get up early in the morning to run - but I love that yucky sweaty feeling I have after I've just finished a couple miles!

18. Reality TV is a guilty pleasure of mine - I'd watch it all day if I could.

19. I collect camels - they are my favorite animal - I think they are so ugly they are cute - strange, I know!

20. I am addicted to clipping coupons - my husband thinks I'm nuts but I get so excited when the Sunday paper comes and I can look through all the ads and the coupon books =)

21. I ran my first 5K in May and if I'm not pregnant when May rolls around this year I am hoping to run that same race again.. but this time much faster =) Eventually I'd like to run a 10K.

22. I have some amazing friends - most that I don't get to see very often - but I know they'd be there for me whenever I needed them!

23. On a daily basis I use about 20 post-it notes. Currently on my desk I have 4 with various to-do lists.

24. My favorite sandwich is lebanon bologna, American cheese, ketchup and pickles - everyone thinks that's crazy but it is sooooo yummy =) I like the crust cut off too!

25. I keep a list of baby names in my appointment book at work, don't tell my husband =)

family.

I'd first like to make a request to those of you that are willing - Gavin has been sick for the past couple of weeks - vomiting occasionally with a fever here and there. We don't know exactly the cause, but he's been doing better the past two days. My request is that you keep him in your prayers, that he heals, or if necessary the doctors can determine what is going on. We haven't taken him to the doctor yet because I at first thought it was just a stomach bug but then we thought maybe it was milk, then we thought maybe it was his esophagus... who knows! He hasn't been sick since Monday so I am praying it's all behind him, but if he does vomit again I am going to call the doctor. Just please pray for him =)

Last Friday evening my brother-in-law Gene and his two sons James and Jordan come over to hang out and exchange Christmas gifts. My mother-in-law and my other brother-in-law Michael came over too! We had a great time hanging out and chatting about the kids. It was fun to see the kids open their Christmas gifts and get excited about what we bought for them! Gavin did very well sharing his toys, especially his choo-choo/airplane set. James and Jordan really enjoyed playing with that =) Gavin got a Phillies baseball and bat and a Penn State bear from Uncle Gene and Aunt Judith. That boys really loves sports! He has been big into hockey lately - anytime a game is on he is glued to the TV. The other morning he woke up and asked when we were going to get more hockey tickets - I just had to laugh! After Gene and the kids left and my mother-in-law left we got to hang out with Uncle Mike for a while. Gavin loves to play with his Uncle Mike - except when he hits his head on the fan - funny story =) I was always the youngest growing up so I feel in a way that Michael is my younger brother!




The next day Gavin and I went bowling with my family - my mom, dad, Chris, Andy, Shayna, her friend Lili, Lucas, Andy's girlfriend Allison and her sons Philip and Dawson. We had a great time! Gavin loved bowling and was at times impatient waiting for his turn! It was so fun to see eveyrone helping him bowl - I think he really was loving all the attention! When it was not his turn to bowl he would practice walking up and down the 3 little steps they had in between the seats - he didn't have to hold on to anything and he thought he was just too cool =) I have to say - I am definitely a better Wii bowler than a 'real life' bowler!! After bowling we went to Friendly's for dinner, one of my favorite restaurants =) It was fun to hang out with everyone and chat - Gavin had a blast too!
On Monday I took a few hours off from work and had some old friends over, Melinda and Abby! Melinda and I have been friends since fall of 1997 and I've known Abby since middle school. I hadn't seen either of them in years and it was SO GREAT to see them and catch up on their lives! Melinda has three beautiful daughters - which Abby appropriately named - the march of the Melindas! They all look just like their mommy and aunts!! The kids played very well together, which was nice because it gave the ladies a chance to chat. I really hope we can get together more often!

Work is going well.. we are all adjusting to our new director. He has really been helping me with networking, which I really appreciate! Steven and I have been thinking about refinancing, which has been stressful, but I really think it would be worth it! Alright, I am going to wrap this up - I hope everyone stays warm and safe in this crazy weather!

Blessings to all =)

catch up!

So it's already almost the end of January, where has the time gone?! We've certainly been busy the past couple of weeks. We bought a Nintendo Wii - which Gavin just LOVES!! We went to my niece Shayna's first band concert =) We went to the farm show and we took Gavin to his first ice hockey game!! Gavin has been learning a lot and is starting to talk well. We're finally beginning to understand most things he says!! This morning he didn't want me to leave for work so we sat for a few minutes and snuggled on my bed - he's such a cutie! It's amazing how you can be having the worst day and seriously stressing out and he just gives you a smile and a kiss and everything is better =) He's been doing really well in school - some days I get there and he doesn't want to leave! Gav has really taken an interest in the babies at his school. One of his favorite teachers is in the baby room so he goes in there almost every morning to get a cookie from her and to talk to the babies - it's just adorable!! I really think he will make a great big brother - if we ever get pregnant =) I talk to him sometimes about being a big brother and he says that he wants a "sisser" - too cute!! There are a lot of people I know that are pregnant and due in the late spring/early summer - which is SO funny because that's exactly when I was "planning" to have #2 - but of course that was not God's plan! It's fun to see friends pregnant - most are expecting their first child so they are just all super excited!
Work has been going well. We just got a new director, which is exciting but makes us all a little anxious too. The number of expectant parents I am working with is low but our number of waiting adoptive families is high - so I am hoping God will provide and we can even that number out a little bit. It's such a tough position - it is a voluntary thing - and not a lot of women even consider adoption. I just have to keep working hard, keep networking with schools, pregnancy centers, hospitals, OB-GYNS offices - anywhere I can think of!
Shayna's first band concert was so fun! She is in the 5th grade band and plays the flute. Going to her concert and being in the OHS auditorium brought back so many memories for me! She seemed to have a great time and really looked like she was enjoying herself on stage!
The farm show was a lot of fun! Gavin really liked the animals and all the big tractors. Steven and I really liked the food =) I had these amazing mozzarella cheese balls - holy cow they were delicious!! Steven got honey waffles with vanilla ice cream on top - I thought they'd be gross b/c I normally don't like waffles - no I was wrong - sooooooo yummy!!!
Gavin's first ice hockey game was on Saturday January 17th. We took him to watch the Hershey Bears play the Philadelphia Phantoms. Uncle Wayne, Aunt Donna and Uncle DD went with us. We all rode up in the minivan together which was a lot of fun (and saved us $ on parking!) Uncle DD took Gav down to the ice to watch them warm up before the game - Gavin just couldn't take his eyes off the players! Gav did awesome through the entire game - he was clapping, cheering and yelling 'Go Bears' with the crowd! The game was tied after 3 periods so they did a 5 minute overtime period - no one scored - so it went into a shootout - which ended in a tie - so it went into an extra shootout which Philadelphia won - so Gav's first ice hockey game was pretty intense and exciting! He LOVED the popcorn and cotton candy Uncle DD got for him. Every day since the game he has asked for more hockey!!


Gav and I enjoyed playing in the snow the other day. We came home from work/school - got our snowsuits on ran outside =) He LOVED the snow but didn't like to leave his gloves on so his hands kept getting cold. We have a small hill on the side of our house - he and I rode down that hill over and over and over - he was in heaven - and I was having a blast too! We played outside until it got dark and Gav was not a happy man when it was time to go in. Every time he gets out of the car in the garage and sees his sled he wants to go for ride down the hill!
I have more pictures of the hockey game on my other camera but I still need to load them on to my computer - so stay tuned! On Monday I went to lunch with my mom, my aunt and Shayna and Lucas. We had a fun time laughing and chatting. I cannot believe how big my niece and nephew are - they're just so neat and are growing into such fun people =)

HAPPY NEW YEAR =)

I will try to sneak in a quick post - things have been SO busy!! Christmas was wonderful - Gavin had an absolute blast!! We spent Christmas Eve at our Aunt Patty's hanging out and being silly. Gavin loves playing with Aunt Patty and her family - he is such the ladies man =) Gavin was so excited when he saw that Santa had come to our house. He of course got more toys than we have room for! We stayed at our house for Christmas and everyone came to us - Uncle Wayne, Aunt Donna, David and Christina - then my whole family came over - so we had about 20 people at our house for Christmas!! We all had tons of fun hanging out, celebrating and enjoying each other's company. I cooked a 12 pound ham, and it actually was very good (I was pretty proud of myself!!) Steven got me a purple iPod Nano =) He actually created a fun scavenger hunt for me to actually find my gift - very creative, and thoughtful!!

I had off for 12 days over the holidays so I just got back to work on Monday. The vacation was really great and it was fun to spend extra time with Steven.

Gotta cut this post short - need to get back to work - lost track of time!! I will try to finish it up tomorrow =)