On a happier note

On a happier note, Will has started using the size of his belly has an excuse not to do things. I guess I must do this...I say things like "I can't crawl on the floor because my belly is too big" and such. So now, conveniently, Will can't do things I request of him either, because his belly is too small!! So now when I ask him to put on his shoes or put his toys away, he can't because of the size of his little belly. Such a little stinker!

But just because I can't crawl around on the floor doesn't mean Will can't...the other night he was giving piggy back rides to his Elmo doll. That's a poor substitute for one of Daddy's piggy back rides but fun nonetheless!

Taking it one day at a time...

Well we're almost two weeks into Keith's diagnosis of testicular cancer and we are, appropriately, taking things as they come. It has been an incredibly stressful time as we navigate the waters of surgery, chemo, and radiation while also preparing for baby to arrive in only a few weeks. Luckily Keith's surgery went well and he has almost fully recovered from the surgery itself. He even returned to work on a non-flying basis this week; resuming a normal routine has been great! We're lucky he was able to bounce back so quickly from his surgery.

We're now in the middle of figuring out the best treatment. Our options are chemo, radition, or to do nothing. So we need to meet with several doctors and figure out what specifically this means before we make any decisions. We got a call to schedule a chemo consult this morning, which is great...unfortunately, the only appointment we could get is on July 13th, which is also my due date. Go figure! We've figured out quickly that timing really is everything. There's obviously no good time to get cancer but when you add in a pending due date and a very active toddler to care for, it definitely ups the stress factor! I'm sure it will all work out in the end, as Keith's cancer was caught very early (stage 1) and he is expected to fully recover. Yay!

Our neighbors, friends, and Navy family have been invaluable during these past few weeks. Their help with watching Will, running errands, bringing food, even mowing our lawn was above and beyond but much, much needed and appreciated. A big thank you to Aunt Jill for stepping up right away and coming down to care for Will during Keith's surgery. I don't know what else we would have done! There's only one of me and juggling a toddler and a husband in the hospital was about my limit. We're so lucky to have such support.

We hope to have more good news (and less bad!) to report in the coming weeks, as baby is due in less than 3 weeks. Let's hope his arrival happens either before or after our oncology appointment so we can at least get some answers to our millions of questions. And if not, I'm sure we'll work it out. Keith and I have figured out that we're a good team and I'm sure we will get through this challenge and move on to better days ahead! Check back for a more uplifting posts. :)

Getting ready for baby

We're counting down the weeks until baby arrives; I'm 32 weeks along and am hoping for an on-time or maybe even early arrival (we'll see if this kid wants to please his mother or not). So that leaves us with 8 weeks or so to get it all ready. Keith's been traveling so much that I'm feeling a bit behind but we'll get there. Luckily Will is all about helping out. He helped Keith put together our new stroller and thought his "big boy" seat was pretty cool. He wanted to ride around in the living room to make sure it was an acceptable ride. Apparently it passed the test.

We also got Will some new sheets for his big boy bedroom. They have super heroes on them and he picked them out all by himself. It's pretty fun. He also wants to go to the rattle store to buy baby a rattle, which I think is pretty sweet. He's getting more and more excited to meet his little brother, as we all are! So keep your fingers crossed that he'll be on time (or early...I'm actually hoping for early!)

Keith and I also got away for a weekend in Williamsburg last weekend. It was our last "hoorah" before baby comes. Aunt Jill was nice enough to come down and watch Will for us and I'm not sure who had more fun. They had pizza, cupcakes, and lots of one-on-one attention, which is what Will loves. We had quiet time and a romantic dinner, which is what I love. So in the end everyone was happy. Thanks, Aunt Jill!

Busch Gardens, Take 2

Spring has sprung in Virginia so it was time for our annual trip to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg. We go for a day (free for the military!) every year before school gets out. We spent yesterday at the park and despite the heat, it was a great time. Will was able to understand and appreciate it a bit more this year. We started at the Sesame Street Forest of Fun, of course, where Will repeatedly hugged his favorite characters. That's my favorite part too. He also played in the water and rode some "big kid" rides. The adults (non-preganant ones) also rode some rollercoasters and water rides. We ate lunch at das Festhaus (the German themed restaurant) and Will loved loved loved the German dancers. He was enthralled with their performance and was dancing and clapping along to the music. I guess his German genes are strong! He got a few souveniers to bring home and managed to skip his nap and stay awake until 8pm last night, although the hours from 6-8pm were less than pleasant.







Will loved Busch Gardens but I would have to say he enjoyed the newly-installed DVD player in our van the most. He watched Pinnocchio on the way to Busch Gardens and Cars on the way home and he thought that was pretty cool. He didn't utter a peep either way, which is quite unusual for the boy who never stops talking. That DVD player was worth every penny!

We've been busy getting ready for baby's arrival (in 2 months) so check back for more on our progress!

29 weeks & growing!

Well I've hit the 29 week mark in my pregnancy...and I feel it! My stomach is definitely bigger than it was with Will but I've been told this is normal. Although that doesn't keep people from making rude and inappropriate comments about how big I am. People are so tactful! I think it just goes with the territory. So far all is going well. Besides being really tired (which I can probably attribute to chasing around a crazy two year old all day), my only complaint is back and hip pain. I'm thankful for prenatal yoga in helping me stretch it all out. That and Keith's obligatory back rubs.

We've been talking with Will about his little brother. He wants to know the baby's name, which we've decided not to share with anyone...no, not even Will (blabbermouth). So we've told him to call the baby 'little brother' until he arrives. Will is anxious to help me feed and take care of the baby. Yesterday at lunch he told me he would share his corn and applesauce with the baby. I figure that's a start and I'll take it! After the baby arrives, Will will eventually move to what is now our guest room and the baby will take over the smaller bedroom. We're going to take Will shopping and let him pick out new sheets and fun stuff for his big boy room. He informed me he'd like firetrucks and robots in his room so I have my work cut out for me. I'm having fun looking at all the different decorations for a big boy's room. Not sure he actually needs anything new to go on his walls; we're running out of room as it is!

I'll try to update on my pregnancy a bit more. I have literally taken 2 pictures while pregnant this time; that's a far cry from my last pregnancy. Poor second child is already getting the shaft!

Why oh why?

It seems we are stuck in the stage of the perpetual why. I am asked "why" so many times in a day that I literally could not keep count if I wanted. "Why do I have to eat breakfast?" "Why are firetrucks red?" "Why are we going to the grocery store?" And on and on. I take solace in the fact that this is just a phase and will eventually pass. Also, I figure it is a good sign that Will is an inquisitive child. He always has been curious and his curiosity certainly hasn't lessened with age. I just wish someone else was around to come up with creative answers. One day I'd completely had enough and told him to stop asking me why. His response: "Why?" :)

Otherwise Will's doing really well. He's enjoying school a lot and talks about his teachers and classmates all the time. He's got one more month of regular school (Tues/Thurs mornings) and then will attend a special summer camp for 6 weeks on Tuesday mornings. I figured I could use those last few weeks to finish getting ready for baby. After that, it will surely be chaotic around here for a while!

Will's favorite color remains red. Always red. His favorite flavor is vanilla, which he still refers to as "pernilla." Sometimes I correct him but I find it so cute that I really don't care if he says it wrong! His favorite truck is the almighty firetruck, although he also likes police cars, bulldozers, dump trucks, and the like. He's all boy in that regard. He informed me last week that his favorite animal is the warthog. Okay. Then he was disappointed when we went to the zoo and couldn't find any warthogs. Maybe his next animal will be something that's easier to find, like a house cat. We see those all the time!

We're looking forward to the warm weather and playing outside, especially now that Ketih is home for a while (fingers crossed!) Hopefully some fun in the sun pictures to follow soon.

Hippity Hoppity Good Times

We had a wonderful Easter this year. It was especially fun now that Will is old enough to understand and enjoy the traditions a bit more. And we realized in combining my traditions with Keith's traditions, we had a very full plate for the weekend! On Saturday we attended the annual egg hunt at Chesapeake City Park. It was great. Will once again rode a pony, petted the rabbits, and hung out on the firetruck, which was his favorite. The line to meet the Easter Bunny was way too long for us so we had to pass on him...but we figured the real bunnies are a lot cuddlier anyway. Will even managed to collect a few pieces of candy during the big egg hunt, although I think the big kids got most of the treats. Before long he'll be the big kid trying to snatch candy from the little ones!

The fun continued on Sunday. The Easter bunny visited us overnight and left a big Easter basket of goodies for Will. He was pretty excited to see what was inside, although the candy was the biggest hit by far. That's all he's talked about for days. We also dyed Easter eggs, which was very messy but fun. Keith considers himself a egg-dying expert so he taught Will some of his mad skills. I wasn't much help in that area. We also held an Easter Egg hunt in our backyard on Sunday. Will collected his previously-dyed eggs along with some chocolate filled ones. He loved the whole process and was really excited every time he found an egg.

Will also got Easter goodies from so many family members. Thanks so everyone who thought of him during the holiday. He loved all his treats but especially got a laugh from the talking Donald Duck. Oh boy...he was laughing hysterically when he first opened it. Toddlers are so easy to entertain!

Besides Easter, everything else is going well. We've started the potty training process, which so far is going pretty well. I know it can be a long haul so I'm just trying to remain consistent and positive. So far I'm impressed with how well he's done. Fingers crossed that it contines! Daddy left on Monday for another trip to San Diego so we're just hanging out until he gets back. Luckily our weather's been lovely so we're outside a lot.