Trans Siberian Orchestra

So... yesterday was a blur!  In the morning I got to have coffee with the girls I used to play in a quintet with.  We've been together since about 7th grade and played many a gig together.  We got to chat for a couple of hours and catch up on eachother's lives.... our viola player is getting her masters at Rice (In TX) and our cellist is a hall director up at Alma college.  Our bass player (Beaker, of whom I wrote about before) is in Seattle and the other violinist teaches at Grand Rapids Public schools.  Lots of different places!

I decided to walk home from the coffee house because the weather wasn't so bad, and I figured I could use the exercise.  On the way home Gaetan called (which is a bit unusual... we usually text) and asked if I wanted to go to a concert.  This was around 2:07.   I got home around 2:10 (we live pretty close to the coffee place) and he said that one of his friends got free tickets to see Trans Siberian!  WHOO!!!  We went and saw them when I was hatching Tristan, so now Lucy got to experience it too!  I had to quick call my Mom and see if she could watch Tristan while we went, and she graciously accepted.  I think that she loves playing Grandma so much :)  However... the concert was at 3 and we live probably a good 30 minutes away from the venue.  So we hauled booty and got Tristan to my parents and downtown all in time for the whole thing!

The concert was AWESOME.  Not only where the tickets free but we were on the floor about 11 rows back from the stage.  AMAZING!  We had looked at ticket prices before and they were WAY to expensive... but free is more our style :)  So we got to enjoy a free date.

 Before the concert... see how close we were!

 Crazy band!

On the way home I called Mom to see how everything was going and she said that they were getting food and wanted to know if we wanted some too... SCORE.  Free dinner!  So basically my day went like this:

1.) Got to have coffee with gal pals and catch up for a few hours
2.) See a SWEET FREE concert with amazing seats
3.) Didn't have to make dinner

It was such an amazing fast paced day, but it was worth it.  God blesses us in ways we can't even imagine.  I felt so spoiled that day... thank you God for that special treat!

JVG

Break so far...

I don't know how the days go by so quickly, but they have!  Gaetan has been on break now for almost a week and it's been AWESOME.  I love having him home and I know that Bugga is really enjoying all the extra Daddy time.

The first weekend of break we had our first OB appointment.  Due to the nature of my C-section I got transferred down there for the rest of this pregnancy.  They said all sounded good and Lucy's heart rate was about 155ish.  She's quite active and is a kicker!  :)  Its fun to watch my belly do the wave.

Then, we went to Detroit for their pre-batizado.  It was nice to see all the capo folk on that side of the state, and to play some new people.  We also got to hang out with our faves Ashley and Sunil.  I wish we knew where we were going to be and that it would be close to them because they are such a fun couple to be around.

This break has been filled with a lot of relaxation, hide and seek, Grandma and Grandpa and food!  Yesterday Grandma and Grandpa watched Bugga while Gaetan and I went on a mid-day date.  We went and saw the new Narnia movie :)  We have started reading the books over again to baby Lucy, which is fun.  I am glad that we have people we can trust to watch Bugga while we do something like go to a movie.  And it's a nice break for us for a little while... I don't think that I could take too long of a break from him!

Today was kinda a busy one for me.  I got to have breakfast with a really good friend Beaker.  He lives in Seattle now and is in town for the holidays.  It was really good catching up with him.  Then, I played these two Christmas gigs with my Dad and some friends.  It was fun to play jazzy Christmas music together!  We did it last year, and I think that we're probably going to do it next year too.

My brother Jon is home for the holidays also.  That is a rare treat that he isn't in Iraq and is able to be home with family.  He just moved bases from Washington to Colorado, so at least the drive was a little closer for him this time.

God is just really taking care of us this holiday season and we are so thankful for the little blessings.  Looking forward to seeing what other things we will encounter this break!

JVG

Thoughtful Daddy

For the past couple of days I have been exhausted!  I have been getting plenty of sleep though... believe me.  So, I guess it's lucky that Gaetan's on break now so he can help out... which he does all the time!

For example, this morning Bugga got up and was playing and Gaetan took care of him.  Then, he decided that he was going to take him to the grocery store to pick up a few items that he knew we needed so I could get some more rest.  Well, he came home with presents for everyone!  haha.

Bugga got this new toy that is an Elmo mailbox.  There are different shapes cut out for him to put shape into.  HE LOVES it.  He played with it all day, which isn't something he normally does with toys.  Books... yes, toys no.  Gaetan also got me some cereal that I had been craving and ginger ale because he knew my tummy has been upset lately.  I know they don't sound like exciting things, but its the little thing that count.  I told him that it reminded me of something my Dad would do.  And I love my Dad.  Gaetan said it was quite the compliment... :)

I am completely blessed and I cherish every moment of it!  Bugga has been letting me read more 'grown' up books to him outloud in the morning too, which is nice.  Don't get me wrong, I love reading about Waddle like a Penguin and numbers but its nice that I can read other things to him too.  :)  We finished up Crazy Love and now we're onto 'Velvet Elvis' by Rob Bell.  Exciting things are unfolding here.

JVG

Big Boy Bed!

One of our friends gave us a toddler bed :)  We decided that since Gaetan is now on break this would be a great time to try it out... seeing how if Tristan is up all the time then the sleep deprivation wouldn't be as bad.

This is the 2nd night that Tristan has been in it.  We put it in our room just to see how it would go.  Last night he did surprisingly well!  He only woke up a few times and once was because he rolled out of bed.  Luckily, the bed isn't high off the ground at all, and we put a ton of pillows there, just in case he did.

We were thinking of getting him a big boy bed a little before Lucy came around... so he would be getting something new and exciting and then he wouldn't think that Lucy was taking his bed away from him.  I think that this is going to work out marvelously.

We will hopefully, at the end of break, move the bed into his own room :)  If it doesn't work out, and he is back in his crib, no harm.  We just wanted to see if he could handle it... and he seems to love it!  I can't believe that he is growing up so quickly... and doing such big boy things already.

JVG

Frederik Meijer Gardens

We got a chance to catch up with another couple we met in college.  Her name is Christina, and she was actually in my physics class.  We suffered together... and through going to class she met her husband, Ben.  We have been both pretty busy but they finally had a free weekend and we went to Frederik Meijer Gardens.  They had a Christmas display up and we got to see their outside gardens, even though it was cold out!  They are moving to Korea in February to teach English!  How exciting! 

Bugga checking out the tropical part of their gardens

 They had different elements from around the world of what their Christmas decorations might look like.  I really liked India's... with all the colored beans.

 Bugga chasing Daddy through the garden.

Christina and Ben in one of the outdoor huts

 

 

Play date

Tristan recently just had his first play date!  It was with a girl that I played softball with at GRCC who has a son who is a few months older than Tristan.  We took them to a play area in the mall and they could play together.  Her name is Jen and her son's name is Cameron.  Here are a few pictures of the little dudes together!

 Cam and Tristan in the boat

 Playing on a wall puzzle together

Going down the slide together!

It was interesting that softball brought us together and having children is keeping us friends!  :)

JVG

Open doors

So our ever growing and ever learning big boy has learned how to open all the doors in our apartment.  Even when I shut doors he can now reach the knobs, twist and pull/push to get into the desired room.  It's amazing how fast he learns...

More doors have been opened for us also.  Recently, we found an amazing church to attend.  We haven't been that satisfied with the church we were attending, and we would actually kinda dread going on Sundays.  But this one has us excited to go back after we just left.  It's amazing.  And this all happened when our obligations at our old church were ending.  We were working in the nursery, and we apart of a small group there.  They do things on semesters incase things get busy, or not working out so its not awkward to leave... so it was a nice chance to get out.  We are very excited to see what type of growth will happen at this new place.

JVG

Christmas cookies

This past weekend I got to make Christmas cookies with a few girlfriends.  Gaetan was gracious enough to watch Tristan so it was just us gals!  :)  It was nice to catch up with them and just be silly!  We baked cookies and Christmas treats for about 5 hours... here are some fun pictures.  We made sugar cookies, mint chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter balls, puppy chow and chocolate covered pretzel type things...

 Me helping Nae Nae cover the peanut butter balls in chocolate

 Kara making some puppy chow

 Me working on mint chocolate chip cookies

 Nae not realizing she had chocolate all over her face... haha

Our chocolate covered pretzel things.  Some we put rolos on top, and other with hershey kisses with M&M's.

Overall, it was a successful day!  Lots of treats to go around.  What fun!

JVG

New exciting things

So I finally uploaded a few pics of Lucy's ultrasound.  I was comparing Tristan and her's and found that they look very similar.  The first ultrasound picture will be of Tristan, then the next two will be of Lucy.  Look at how similar they look!  :) 

I then got a phone call from my brother today saying that he found a church to go to that he really liked.  It is a Korean/American church, which is interesting and nice that it fit him so well.  It all stemmed from him randomly going and getting a haircut today... God is good :)  He was so excited on the phone to go back next week!  We will hope that it sticks :)

JVG

SNOW!

So... with the first of December came a few inches of that white stuff we all love... SNOW!  The thing that amazes me is that every year the snow comes and yet every year the first couple of times it does people FREAK out... it happens every year people, this isn't new!  haha.  Bugga and I got all bundled up and went out and played on the balcony.  I think all the bundling took more time then how long we were outside!  He wasn't very interested, but I think next time he will be.  Here are a few pics from our adventure.

 Whats this Momma?

 Giving it a taste...

 Longingly looking inside...

And.... I'm done with it out here.  Haha.  We did play for a little longer but then he opened the door to go in so I thought he had enough.

JVG

Black Friday

Oh boy... so my crazy husband went out at 4 AM this morning to get a new TV... And he came home with exactly what he wanted and then some :)  The story of our old huge TV was that it was free but Bugga has taken the liberty into thinking that it's his play toy.  So Gaetan thought that it would be nice to get a flat screen we could mount on the wall so that Bugga didn't have free reign on it.  While Daddy was putting things together today Bugga was being a big boy helper and helping screw some things in.  :)

The triple chocolate truffle cake was a HUGE success!  :)  It was REALLY rich and chocolately and I will definitely be making it again.  I would show pictures but it's gone already... haha.  I also did get a chance to bake that pumpkin to make the pumpkin soup for tomorrow!  It warmed up the place and made it smell extra delicious.

Thanksgiving was a real treat.  It was nice to have a house full of the family and their families as well.  The only person we were missing was Jon... but he will be home for Christmas!

Since it's my birthday tomorrow I've been getting lots of fun things!  I have gotten a TON of organizing bins... which probably doesn't seem that exciting, but when you have the nesting fever like I do it's GREAT.  I also have some new pots and pans coming!  Whoo!!

This break has been great... but fast.  The weather is finally starting to feel like November weather, so we're just waiting for the snow now!

JVG

The start of our Thanksgiving break

WHEW.  Today was an exhausting one!  I find that breaks/vacations are busier then everyday life and you end up more tired at the end of them then when you began!  Today was BUSY.  We got some more cloth diapers (yay!)  Fun colors and some more hemp inserts too for night time.  I know cloth diapers probably shouldn't make me this excited but they are awesome and I will highly recommend them to anybody thinking about them.  (or not thinking about them).  I also found out that this place Ecobuns.com has re-useable nursing pads!  I might have to invest in some of those in a few months... :)

After we got some more diapers we came home for a quick nap and then we were up and getting ready for my ultrasound.  Drinking 32 oz of water doesn't sound like it should be that hard (which it isn't) it's the aftermath of not getting to pee.  But I did a lot better than last time and held it. 

The ultrasound result:  (drumroll please)  It looks to be a girl!  She was very calm through the whole thing and sat still so that the tech could get all the images she needed to make sure she was healthy.  Which is more than I can say for Tristan... he wouldn't sit still for anything!  But... Lucy (which is the name we've decided on) was very modest and sat with her legs crossed through most of the exam... but we did get a few shots of her and it looked like she was negative for boy parts.  We are very excited about having a little girl and I know that Tristan is going to be a GREAT older brother.

Gaetan's mom came out of the ultrasound... as she was here for the last one.  She was SO EXCITED.  We were very surprised that she made it through the ultrasound without crying... but as soon as we left the office the water works came out.  :)  Love Oma for all her passion and love for her grandkids!

We of course had to celebrate... so we had a delicious lunch/dinner and got Tristan a CRAP ton of winter clothes.  Old Navy was having a sale... :)  And we of course had to get little Lu a few cutesy onesies... brown polka dots and another one was pink stripes.  I love me some pink, but I would prefer not to have her whole wardrobe dominated by that one color!

After all that I went to give a lesson and by the time we got home it was almost time for Bugga to go to sleep.  Whew.  What an exciting/busy day!

There are a handful of things we are hoping to do this week.  Bugga and I already made some blueberry muffins... am hoping to bake a pumpkin so I can make some more pumpkin soup.  Also, there is this triple chocolate truffle cake that I've been meaning to try :)  Will have to let you all know how those turn out.  And of course there is Thanksgiving with the fam!  We are going to my parents, and Gaetan's parents are coming and Holly and her family are coming too!  It will be a FULL HOUSE.

Looking forward to this break and all this time with my husband.  :)

JVG

Busy weekend

So this past weekend we had lots going on!  We had Contra-Mestre Carcara out from Rochester, NY to do a weekend full of workshops.  Needless to say we are very tired today.  :)  We had the privilege of housing him though, which was nice to be able to hang out with him in a non-capo setting.  We also got to have our friends Ashley and Sunil stay with us a night because of the workshops.

I finally watched the Celebration of Life Ceremony for Ezra Matthews.  I was a hit hesitant to watch it, because of the tenderness of the subject, but I did and I am glad for it.  It gave me really nice closure and the service the held was beautiful. They really did honor Ezra's short but very impactful life.  It's very humbling knowing that you can learn so much from a 2 year old who was sick for more than half his life.  One of the points that was made that I liked was how we can look to God and the cross in all this chaos.  How God took the most heinous and embarressing way to die in that day and turned it into the most beautiful and the strongest expression of love today.  How even though this cancer took Ezra at such a young age that we can look at all the love and joy he brought despite of it all.  :)

Tristan is still learning more and more everyday.  He will bring me clothes from my dresser, and when I ask him to put it back and shut the drawer he understands and does it.  :)  He also puts his hands in the air with a confused look on his face when you ask him a question he doesn't... 'I dunno!' hahaha.

For all our capo readers he threw a meia lua de compasso today! Very cute.  He also took both of our phones and put them up to both of his ears and starting jabbering away like he was on a very important phone call.  I love this dude very much.  He is now into pointing at my belly and trying to give it kisses.

Tomorrow will be an exciting day for us!  We have our ultrasound scheduled for the afternoon and hopefully we can see if it's a boy or a girl!  :)

JVG

A Time to Reflect

So we finished reading 'Crazy Love' which was a GREAT book.  I highly recommend it to anybody who is looking for a book, or wants to be challenged.  Like I said before, there isn't anything in there new that I haven't heard before, but for some reason this time it hit me differently.  It really challenged what it meant for me to be a Christian and how I can help others.

Also, that blog I told you about www.thematthewsstory.com about the family with the little boy with neuroblastoma... he passed away about a week ago.  I was doing really well with reading about the progress and not getting super emotional about it.  Praying for them everytime I thought of them (which was often, and pretty much anytime I looked at Tristan).  And I asked myself why I was so upset about this particular story.  There are so many hurts in this world, I have been praying about why God has put this one on my heart.  And why it has had such an affect.  It has really helped me see how short and temporary our lives are here and how we need to live them to the fullest.  To help EVERYBODY in need and to love on them.  They are going to start a foundation for neuroblastoma in a little while after they recover... if that is possible!  But I want to be apart of helping in some way... I will keep you updated on how we can all help.  Their story of faith and how they moved through this process has been inspiring and has really helped me with my perspective.

JVG

Busy week!

I feel like this week is full of fun things!  We have a lot of appointments going on... Friday is just a normal routine check up, but hopefully Saturday we will have an ultra sound so we can determine what sex the baby is!  :)  yay!

Also this weekend we have CM Carcara coming out from NY and he is staying with us to do some workshops.  Which is going to be great!  That means we get Gato and Ratinha to stay with us too!  Full house!

I forgot to write about my fun date Gaetan took me on last week.  We went to a fancy-schmancy restaurant with Ratinha for an early birthday.  We went to the 1913 room.  Here are pictures of our first courses, and desserts.  I forgot to take pictures of our entrees because we ate them too quickly!  I forgot to take pictures of us... oops!  But that mean that Ashley stayed with us a few days, which was nice because we miss having them around the corner!

Bugga is learning more and more everyday.  It's amazing what you can pour into them... and kinda scary.  I pray everyday (pretty much all day!) that I am pouring into him godly virtues and a heart for Jesus!

JVG

Detroit Zoo

We spent this past weekend with Gaetan's parents.  We went to the Detroit Zoo on Saturday!  Bugga had a TON of fun walking around and looking at all the animals.  He was such a trooper... he pushed the stroller for almost as long as he rode in it!  We were in there for 2 hours and realized that we weren't half way yet... it's a LARGE zoo.  The weather was a little brisk, but it was nice.  Here are some pics!

Bugga update

Just a quick note to let you all know how adorable Tristan is!  hahaha

-He now puts his toys away... cute right?  In his toy chest.
-He also has learned how to open our DVD cupboard, which has a latch and can open the cases and put them back in.
-He's all about giving Momma kisses now :)
-Whenever he sees my belly he always points at it and smiles... then wants to poke it.
-He has learned how to move objects closer to something that he wants to climb on and then uses it to get stuff... like turn the light switch on and off or get other things I have intentionally put higher so he can't 'get'.  Right...
-When it gets later and he gets a little more tired he'll spin in circles until he falls down...

He's just my little sponge that absorbs everything!

JVG

Getting kicked...

Well, for a little while I wasn't feeling very pregnant.  Life was back to 'normal' as it goes... not feeling extra tired or getting sick.  But then yesterday this baby decided it was time to start kicking something fierce and hasn't really stopped since then!  :) Exciting!  I know that Gaetan was excited to feel the movement.

Also... i used to like day lights savings time until I had a baby.  It doesn't really affect them so much... so now Tristan gets up EARLY.  hahaha.  Love it though.

JVG

A Better Week

So this week I have been praying a lot for peace as a whole.  I have definitely been more at peace this week, praise God!  :)  I know the prayer has been helping a lot, but in the book 'Crazy Love' they are talking about what it means to love to Jesus.  Its very hard to explain what I experienced this week and what types of things I'm learning, but they are all great.  Some of them are hard to swallow because it points out a lot of short comings and selfish desires in my life... but through the refining process I am coming out better than ever.  :)

Tristan is now giving me lots of kisses... which is probably one of the most adorable things ever.  I just think of how much I love my son, and how much I will never be able to fully understand or comprehend what God did for us by sending His ONLY son.  To think about that... knowing that Tristan would be the only child I could have and sending him to a world that hated, mocked and harmed him, just breaks my heart.  I know that God doesn't mean for His love to be a mystery, but it has to be for us because of our human nature and because of the faith it then requires to follow Him.

So thank you God for a good week.  :)  I know all of them can't be good, but I do praise you and recognize you when I have them.

JVG

Turning into such a big boy!

As many of you have noticed a lot of my blog is about Tristan.  I mean, he is my whole entire day pretty much :).  He is turning into such a little boy.  I still call him my little baby, but I know that he's not.  He's learned how to do stairs, both up and down and use the railing if need be.  He LOVES being outside and 'exploring' the apartment complex.  Mostly chasing geese :)  He has just started doing this cute little samba dance step while he turns himself in circles, while of course laughing and clapping for himself.  He is at the point now where he wants to eat everything we are eating, even if he's just eaten a full meal.  Turns out the boy likes cucumber sandwiches... who knew?  Today he was eating one of the cucumbers and about an hour later he smiled at me and the skin of the cucumber was lining his teeth like braces.. silly boy!  :)  Love him to pieces though.

We are also at an experimental point.  He now spanks us back when we do something that he finds 'displeasing.'  I'm glad that he has the correlation between the two, but unhappy that he is hitting.  So this week we are trying a different method of discipline.  Will let you know how that goes.  Already today he has hit less often, but it has taken some serious persistance to have him not do things that could potentially harm him.  Any suggestion out there on what to do?

I am feeling much better.  Been praying hard for strength and to know that I need all the help I can get!  haha.  Today was beautiful weather so we got to play a bit outside, which I know he really liked.  Until next time!

JVG

Momma Pains

I have been a bit emotional lately, which might be an understatement.  It probably doesn't help that a good friend of mine was blogging about a family she's been following that has had their shares of ups and down.

Their little boy (about 2 now) is battling neuroblastoma, which is there no cure for.  They caught it when he was 13 months old and he was doing well, but then it came back.  Right now they are fighting for his life...  To top it off while they were fighting his cancer the first time they found out they were pregnant with twins.  Unfortunately she delivered early and lost one of them, and the other one had serious complications.  ::sigh::  :( :(  I started reading their blog and was just completely overcome with sadness and grief for them.  Even though they are an amazing family of faith and know that God is taking care of them each step of the way, I just couldn't help but think how would I handle this if it happened to Tristan?  or, would my faith be strong enough like their's is?  I have spent a good deal crying everytime I think of them, and everytime I do think of them I pray for them.  The Dad blogged something very recently about how this blog isn't to get you to pity them, but to realize that our time here is so temporary and SHORT.  To help people we come into contact with everyday and make this world a better place, especially when it means you have to sacrifice.  Their story is a story of hope and how we should rejoice in knowing that Jesus has already paid the way for our exit out of this world.  Now the question remains... What are we doing with this precious gift of time that He's given us?

I am praying that God will reveal what He wants me to learn from this and that I can get over my selfish little thoughts about how this story makes me feel sad.  I hope that he takes my passionate Momma-love and is able to use it for His good and glory, and that I would be obedient enough to listen and do it.

JVG

Each peach pear plum...

Today I was sitting on the couch and I started reciting one of the many books I have memorized of Bugga's... from reading them to him so many times.  He had a different book in his hand at the moment and as soon as I said... "Each peach, pear, plum..."  He dropped the book he had and walked over to his bookshelf.  And of course what did he come back with?  The right book.  :)  He is so smart and he amazes me everyday at how smart he is!

JVG

God is faithful

So a few months ago we joined a life group.  We signed up for young marrieds with young children... Well, that's not exactly what we got, but it is what we need :)  Our leaders just celebrated their 22 wedding anniversary... so, even though they are young at heart, needless to say they are a bit older then we are.  And the other couple in our group has been married for 11 years, with older children as well.

On their anniversary, Dan and Victoria (our leaders) renewed their wedding vows.  I was lucky enough to play for their ceremony and to watch how God has shaped their marriage and has become the foundation of it.  There was something that the Pastor said that I haven't really caught in all the other weddings I've been too... and he said, "Any marriage that GOD has put together, nothing can break it apart."  Because some of our friends have gone through divorces already I was thinking, 'how can this be?'  But unfortunately God didn't put those marriages together and they failed.  There are so many marriages that seem like God put them together, but they're really what we wanted and haven't included Him at all.  But it is a blessing to watch God work in their marriage and their lives :)

Another HUGE blessing is that they had to move out of the place they were renting.  Their landlords have been awesome to them, but they haven't been able to pay rent for awhile, and another family was going to move in.  So they were praying for a new place to live.  At our church there is a prayer room that has prayer requests that people write down.  They were in there praying one day and there was one specifically asking for help with their marriage.  So they took that one pretty seriously and wrote down the names of the people and have been praying for them every since.  Well... it turns out these people are the people that are moving into the house and they offered Dan and Victoria their old house rent free to live in!  Crazy right?!  huge answer to prayer.  They have a place to live now, rent free, and they have been praying for these people for awhile now.  Some would say coincidence... I say God's timing.  Love it.

JVG

Lately

This past week I feel like we have been so busy!  Bugga's molars finally popped through and he is getting another tooth on the bottom.  He is doing really well with all his teething... there was just one bad night that he was in so much pain!  :( We felt bad for him because he would fall asleep and then just wake up crying.  But he's a trooper and is taking is like a champ.  Unfortunately with all the teething comes some of the symptoms... not really eating a lot, and lots of poopy diapers!  A praise though... we got another poop sprayer for his cloth diapers which has been a huge blessing.  I know it's a little thing, but it's a big thing too.  I didn't realize how awesome they are!

Friday we had a Dr's appointment to see how #2 is doing.  Heartbeat is 151 :) and everything is looking good!  I'm feeling a lot better physically... emotionally I'm still a bag full of crazy, but I am relying on God's strength to help out and not drive my husband crazy!  He was very excited to hear the heartbeat for the first time.  :)

Friday night we had a couple over from church for dinner.  We do dinner with them once every other month.  I went to high school with both of them, and they are a nice couple, our age, to just talk with.  :)  I know that they like coming over and playing with Tristan and asking us questions about being parents. 

Saturday Gaetan's Mom came over and hung out.  We had a lot of fun just chilling!  We got sushi (yum!  And don't worry I got the kind I can eat) and Bugga even tried it.  It was DELICIOUS and hit the spot for sure.  Then later that night we were in the church nursery.  We only had 4 kids, including Bugga, but it worked out really well.  Sometimes I worry about how Tristan will react with having another baby around, but he LOVES other children.  In the nursery if one of the other kids was upset he would bring them a toy or try to rock them in their chair.  Super cute right?  And then there was a time I was watching somebody's 11 month old while Gaetan tutored the Mom and the kid really wanted some cheerios but couldn't stand up to get them and eat them, so Bugga fed them to him.  :)  What a lover.  I am just under the impression that if we are excited for Bugga to have another sibling and that we get him excited about it then all should go well!

Life is happening quickly, but life is good.

JVG

Amazing baby!

So as you know we've been doing sign language with Tristan.  He is catching on so fast!  Here are the signs that he already knows:

1.) Please
2.) Thank you
3.) more
4.) Milk
5.) eat
6.) Drink
7.) water

And the 'uh-oh' sign that Gaetan taught him... but I'm not sure how legit that is. :)

But in the last two days he's learned 3 more signs!  The cutest one of all...

8.) I love you <3
9.) Play
10.) Avocado

He's been doing sentences with all the words that he knows.  Like:

More milk please!
Please.... thank you!

He's SO smart.  It is amazing to watch how his brain works and how quickly he picks things up!  I usually have to show him something once or twice and hes got it down.  Smart Boy!

JVG

Fall fun

This past Saturday we got to go to an apple orchard with Gaetan's Mom!  It was a lot of fun and the weather was gorgeous.  We thought that it would be a lot of fun for Bugga to pick out his apples, but unfortunately they had stopped that the day before... but there was still lots of fun things to do there!  They had a petting zoo type thing, a two story slide, and other fun toys for kids to play on.  Of course there was apple cider and donuts :)  YUM!

The next day we took some family pictures!  I have felt like a delinquent for not taking them sooner, but I really like the fall colors.  I have seen some of the proofs already and they turned out super cute!  Tristan wasn't about smiling a lot of the time, but we got a few good ones in.

This past week was quite a challenge it seems to a lot of people.  I am thankful it is over and I'm thankful that it showed me how I can be joyful even when I'm not feeling happy.  God is good in teaching us small lessons :)

JVG

Crazy Love

So we are starting a new book at our church and in our small group.  It's called Crazy Love.  It's mostly about how crazy the love that God has for us and how we should love each other.  Here's a video that is apart of the first chapter that i'm really enjoying.  I am looking forward to seeing what the rest of the book holds!

http://www.crazylovebook.com/videos_stop.html

JVG

Happy life

It's been a little while since I've written!  This week has been a little long for us.  Gaetan was helping somebody with tutoring before he went into work so he's been up around 4:45 AM all this week.  We're looking forward to the end of this week!

This morning I was pleasantly surprised to find the dishwasher emptied!  Normally I do the dishes and such around the house, but it was such a nice surprise to not have to.  We are hosting our small group tonight so I was trying to get a jump on cleaning things up before tonight.  Little things like this just remind me of how thoughtful and wonderful Gaetan is.  He's been working so hard all week and to think of me early in the morning is just heart-warming.

More good news on the horizon.... Bugga has cut two new teeth.  So he's almost in the double digits!  I am looking forward to a little less drool and snot!

This morning while I was cleaning up a little I looked over and saw Bugga with a book open, and just babbling fiercly as if he was reading.  SUPER cute.

I have also caught, as Gaetan calls it, the Equinox cleaning bug.  Not spring cleaning... haha.  We have lots of space that if I was efficient with everything would fit!  So I have been organizing and LOVING it.  :)  I am loving the 2nd trimester already :)

JVG

Hard working Daddy

So I am currently sitting in an completely silent apartment by myself.  Tristan has retired for the night and I'm waiting for Gaetan to get home from helping some friends move.  I am so lucky to have such a considerate husband who is so willing to help out in any way he can!  For instance...

We have been lucky that he's able to get 40 hours at work now. However, because he's the only guy that can really do organic chemistry the one-on-one tutoring office is trying to load him up with as many kids as possible.  I'm sure that he can only do 40 hours a week, but I think they would work him WAY more if they could.  But there is a guy who comes into the calc/physics lab all the time that wanted some additional help that was willing to pay out of pocket... so Gaetan discussed with me so see what I thought.  His (Gaetan's) big stipulation was that he didn't want to stay later because he didn't want to take time away from being home... so what did they come up with!?  6 AM because Gaetan works at 8... ::shaking head:: that's crazy!  I told him I hope it was only for this next week because he was gonna be tired real quick.

He does so much to make sure that we're taken care of.  Last night I was SO hungry all the sudden but didn't really know what to eat or make... and since it was getting towards the end of the week groceries were running low.  So he offered to make me something that was delicious :)  Although I ate all of it (and the recipe said it was supposed to feed 6 people) I felt like a horker so my crazy self cried about it for awhile.  Good thing I have a husband who is there to agree with me that I'm crazy but there is a good reason to eat until I'm full...

Love this guy way too much.  God definitely knows my heart and my desires and He proved me with the best mate ever :)

JVG

Grandpa Don

Today I got to hang out with my Dad for most of the day :)  He's on vacation this week and so I asked if we could hang out today, because that's Gaetan's long day at work.  So he picked me up after Tristan's nap and we headed to a golf shop... fun right?  It actually turned out to be a lot of fun.  I don't know much about golfing, but it was nice to see him actually spend some money on himself.  Although, he did it in the most froogle way possible :).  He got all his clubs regripped, bought a new club and a new bag for under $50!  Way to go!  Tristan had a lot of fun exploring the golf shop and going up and down their ramp.

We then headed back to their house where Tristan played like crazy there with Grandma and Grandpa.  He walked up and down and up and down their HUGE hilled driveway.  My dad keeps hinting that he wants us to move in with them, which is a kind gesture, but I don't think that it would work for a family of 4 to move in there.  Their house is definitely big enough, but I think we like having our own space and doing our own things.  Also, Mom doesn't cook with onion or garlic... I don't know what I would do!

I'm glad that Bugga is liking going over to Grandma and Grandpa's too.  We pull into the driveway and he starts clapping and laughing.  Good thing too because he will be there on Thursday night and Friday night this week!  I am thinking ahead for when I have number 2 I think Grandma is going to watch him, so he'll have to try spending the night once or twice before that so he's used to it.   We'll probably spend the night with him just so he gets used to it. :)

We tried putting him in the nursery for church on Sunday because we have been working in the nursery for Saturday night services.  I thought the surroundings would be familiar enough.  He did well for most the service.  Made it about 45 minutes.  The poor gals in the nursery didn't know the signs for 'milk' and 'please' so he's signing away and they don't know what he wanted!  But now they do... and we'll probably try the nursery again soon :)

I am excited for my Dad's vacation this week.  It sounds like he has a lot of things planned that are fun for him.  Tomorrow he's taking Gaetan fishing so he can take the boat out one more time before winter.  And then he gets to use his new fancy clubs on Saturday with some of his friends.

I know that I am extremely blessed to have such a fantastic earthly father.  He has really shown me what I wanted in a husband, and a father.  I know that God is the ultimate Father but He really did bless me with this one.

JVG

The joy of laughter

I am currently listening to my husband make silly noises while my son places with him... laughing hysterically.  I don't think that there is anything cuter than having a home filled with a child's laughter.  It warms a Momma's heart :)

The other day Gaetan had Tristan laughing so hard he tipped over... how adorable is that? 

I love my family.

JVG

First Dr appointment

So I had my first OB appointment today for number 2!  Going through all the rig-a-ma-roll of the first appointment isn't fun, but we got to hear the heart beat, which was all worth it!  :)  With Tristan they couldn't find it, but they said it was normal.  But with this one they did and it was 175!  :)  Which they said was normal and good for this stage in the game.  Very cool.... :)

I am planning on trying to have a VBAC but I'm all about being flexible and having a c-section if that's what's necessary.  I found out today that my pediatrician can't deliver though due to the nature of having a c-section before.  So I will be transferred to the OB/GYN when I'm about 30 weeks instead of family practice. 

It's getting exciting!  I'm starting to feel more human again and wanting to actually do stuff at night time other than feel sick.  :)

JVG

Teeth!

So... Bugga is cutting himself some new teeth... more specifically some molars!  Poor little dude!  :(  I think that he's gonna get them on the left side where he already has more!  Might be lop-sided!  hahaha.

Gaetan has also taught him a new trick... to say "uh-oh" and put his hands ontop of his head... its very adorable.

I love this baby boy so much.

JVG

Been a long time!

So... I realized that I haven't blogged in a long time!  I am finally starting to feel better so I have been busier doing other things :)  You know... things that I was too sick to do before.  hahaha.  Unfortunately i have legitimately caught some other type of cold... Bugga and I are sharing.  Poor duder is cutting some molars too so he's been having a hard time sleeping!  I feel bad for him because he'll wake up crying just saying... "Owie Momma... Owie owie!"  And I know he's so tired but in so much pain!  :(  Luckily the Lord lets us go through that when we don't remember ;)

Today I got to play a wedding with my Dad.  I always like playing music with him!  He is so gifted I am amazed everytime we play together.  And pretty much I like spending anytime I can with him because he's the coolest ;)

In a week I have my first OB appointment.  Could be good!  Gaetan is still convinced that we're having twins... will keep you updated on that. 

JVG

Today

Today was my first rehearsal for an orchestra I joined conducted by my old high school orchestra director!  It was really nice to play again with other musicians.  The music isn't too challenging but I just like being in the atmosphere again!  I think it's gonna be a lot of fun!  :)

I still pretty awful.  On top of that I think that I legit caught a cold from all the travelling.... :(  So I am definitely getting enough sleep (thanks to my wonderful husband and baby) just have to work on the rest.

JVG

Home sweet home

Well... as I've been saying we have been doing a lot of traveling lately!  I am sure glad to be home though!  We did have a lot of fun in Rochester, NY at CM Carcara's batizado... and we got to see some great friends, but there is no place like home.  Bugga did very well in the car (as normal).  There were a few times that I could tell he was unhappy to be in the car, but I could very much sympathize!

We did make it home safely early this morning which is a huge praise!  We usually drive through the night so that he can sleep in the car, and have less traffic, but then we are usually tired when we get to our destination or home!  But he was a trooper and definitely let us take a nap when we got home ;)

I am very much looking forward to getting home and used to my schedule!  Gaetan went back to work last week so it was a little harder.  He's got more hours during the school year than in the summer, so that was an adjustment, and I still am shaky on how I feel at any given moment.  But I think that it will get better and that once I'm used to this new schedule that will help as well! 

I know that there have been lots of prayers said on my behalf and by others on my behalf!  So thank you!  My wonderful husband is so supportive even when I'm a chore of a woman...

I'm glad that we got to have a travel companion this weekend also!  :)  It's always nice to get to know a friend more... thanks Breaker!

JVG

Oh baby

Well... there have been some interesting things going on lately!  It seems that we are crazy busy on the weekends with capoeira!  This next adventure... Rochester, NY.  This will be the 3rd time we've been to NY this year... crazy!

However, I think due to all the being busy and moving around and stuff being pregnant is a lot harder than I remember it.  Maybe the novelty of the first time kept me in better spirits when I didn't feel well, I dunno... but I definitely don't remember feeling so lousy... Keep us in your prayers also.  I think everything is OK but I had to have some blood work done today just to make sure.  I'll keep you updated on the findings!

I am looking forward to going to NY to see fun people and learn lots of great things in these workshops, but am also dreading a bit all the work that it takes to mobilize a baby for a weekend!  I really don't think its a big deal if we forget something for us, but for him its a little different.  I'm so blessed to have a good traveling baby!

There are many many things that I am grateful/thankful for.  My husband is the most wonderful man ever!  I have a son who adores being with his Momma even when all she can do is lay on the couch and semi read books to him.  Air conditioning.  Long naps with my Lovebug.  Air conditioning.  Having a washer/dryer inside our apartment... makes cloth diapering doable.  And the fact that God deemed us worthy enough to have another baby.  :)  Makes me feel like we're doing something right.

Also... playdates.  We've been spending more and more time with a high school teacher of mine's family... they have two little ones that Tristan adores playing with.  They're 6 and 4... but they are great for him to be around.  I love their influence and how they interact as a family.  It's really nice to be able to go someplace like that and not worry about what toys, music, language or anything like that when we go and play.

Must sleep now.

JVG

New Momma Feeling

Ugh... I don't remember feeling so lousy with my first baby, but I hear that all pregnancies are different!  I have been lucky enough to have Gaetan home for the past two weeks so he could help me out big time when I wasn't feeling so hot.  I am lucky enough to not get sick, but feel pretty icky...

I think I'm having a girl.. hhaha.  I feel extra strength crazy most of the time, but can hide it pretty well... depending on how much sleep I get!  But I have my first appointment at the end of Sept... and I Hope we can get an ultrasound of the baby bean!

I am very much looking forward to having another little one... and can't wait to get into the 2nd trimester to hopefully feel better!

We have been ultra busy with a lot of capoeira stuff also... and it takes a lot more energy out of me having a baby in my belly and having a baby to take care of and pack for!  But I love it, and we're doing just fine.

Another weird thing happened this weekend... it turns out that one can forget how to use disposable diapers!  We put Tristan in them because we were staying overnight someplace and I didn't want to have to use their washer/dryer, and he peed/pooped through all his outfits I packed!  I thought disposables were supposed to be easier... hrm.  hahaaha.  I'm so green! :P

JVG

Momma Status

So the other night in bed I was getting ready to go to sleep and my pillow was extra lumpy... I figured it was Gaetan's arm/hand underneath it (because that's how he likes to snuggle up with me) but it was pretty uncomfortable!  So in the dark I lifted up the pillow to see if it was and I thought I saw his hand... so jokingly I go to give it a high five.  Well... it wasn't his hand... in fact it was furry and squishy... I kinda gave out a gasp and grabbed my phone so I could use the screen as a light.  It turned out to be one of Tristan's toys he had left in our room from an earlier Momma/Bugga nap.  I was laughing to myself because I felt like a true Momma then!  hahaha.  I was glad that it wasn't other things.  :)

We were lucky enough to be able to go on a date night tonight.  My Mom graciously watched Tristan so we could go to the movie theater right by our house that we drive past everyday, but haven't frequented in the 1.5 year that we've lived here.  It was nice to have some us time, but I am definitely still very attached do our little dude!  I think it's gonna be harder for me to let him do things then it will be for him... ;)

JVG

Bday pics!

Traditionally we put things out in front of him and he chooses and it's supposed to determine his future...His first choice! money!  He will be rich!

His second pick:  book... he will be intellectual!

Enjoying his rainbow rice cake

American birthday cake made by Grandma

Blessings

So I had an opportunity this past Monday to do some temp work for a friend... nothing real exciting... stuffing CD's into their cases.  But we get paid piece-wise, and since I'm ninja fast it was worth my time.  It was good that Gaetan had that day off also so he could stay home with Snugga! 

Anyways... I'm not sure if it's the baby in my belly or what but I was EXHAUSTED by the time I got home.  Even though it wasn't a lot of physical labor I was just pooped.  I wanted so badly to just come home and play with my boy but I ended up crashing on the couch...

OH this is also the day our car pooped out.  BUT... this experience really made me thankful and glad that I don't have to be a single parent.  I don't know how they do it, but I give them many many props.  I'm sure that if it came down to it that I would be able too, but I am just thankful that I can stay home with my dude and get to know him so well!

I can definitely say to date that being a stay at home Mom is the best job ever.  :)

JVG

Car trouble

So.... our van had been making some funny noises for the past couple of days and I wanted my Dad to listen to it (well, because my Dad knows everything ;)  Anyway, we were gonna go over there so he could change the oil and the car wouldn't start... like nothing happened when you turned the key... stink.

So I called him and he was luckily able to come over with Mom and a spare car in case we needed to bring it into a shop and all that jazz.  We are so completely blessed to have my parent right there and so willing to help out!  I don't know what we would've done if we were some place that we didn't know anybody... I am very thankful that we can be close to them!  :)

Lucky enough for us it was just the battery... so it was a fix that we could do and afford :)  thank you Jesus!

JVG

Traditional Korean 1st Birthday

Whew!  We threw Tristan a traditional Korean first birthday.  Traditionally children mortality was high, so if they made it to their first birthday it was cause for celebration!  Another high note is their 100 day...

I was lucky enough to have a teacher-friend help me out.  I am very interested in learning more about my heritage and be able to teach my children about it.  We made bulgolgi, which is like a Korean BBQ, kimchee, cucumber salad, seaweed and of course rice.  We also made a traditional rainbow rice cake... which was a lot of work!  But also had some American finger foods also.  We had a ton of friends and family over to celebrate with us.  We got Tristan a traditional boys hanbok also... SUPER cute.

I will post some pics soon.  But we were very excited to do this and be able too!

JVG

Happy birthday to my Baby Bug!

It's Tristan's birthday today!  I can't believe that a year has already gone by!  In some ways time has flown... but in other ways it seems like we've had him for so much longer!  I honestly can't remember what life was like before we had our little dude.  We are so in love with being his parents and have been blessed by him every day.  He is teaching us so much about ourselves along side of us teaching him!  We look forward to what the Lord has in store for him!!  We love you little dude!

JVG

Best husband ever

Sorry ladies... but it's fact, I have the best husband out there.  He has been extra kind and sweet to me through the beginning of my pregnancy!  I thought that this was going to be much more difficult... because of being tired all the time AND having a little one to watch so no napping whenever I wanted.  But my wonderful husband is taking such good care of everything.  :)  I am extremely blessed and I count my blessing everyday!

I unfortunately am sick... :(  Apparently I was sick the last time also in the beginning... sore throat and stuff... but nothing real serious.  The other day he let me take this glorious nap and when I woke up there was laundry started and Tristan had gotten up from his nap long before I had gotten up from mine...  but Gaetan took care of him.  So thank you Lord for such a wonderful man!

JVG

Good manners

We have been working with Tristan on doing some simple sign language.  I've heard that doing sign language helps with the terrible two's because they can articulate what they want without having to speak!  :)  The newest thing he is consistently doing is saying 'Please.'  :)  He usually either rubs my chest if I'm holding him, or rubs the floor.  It's adorable.  He's so smart!  Next thing we're working on 'Thank you.'  He says 'milk', 'food' and 'more'.  Looking forward to having him learn more!

JVG

BIG NEWS!

BIG NEWS!  This morning I received some great news!  We're expecting another little one!  I was relieved to find out there was a reason behind all the moody moody madness the past little while :)  We are very excited for our new addition to the family and I can't wait to see how well Tristan does being The Big Brother!

JVG

Monkey see... Monkey Do...

I've heard that little children are like sponges and they will soak up all the mannerisms and things that they are exposed too daily... here are a few instances where they were shown to us recently!

Usually when Tristan falls down or hurts himself we clap and tell him "Good job! you're a big boy!"  And that distracts him and then he doesn't fuss about it... Well, the other day Tristan was playing in his room and tried to make a break for it and Gaetan was in there playing with him.  So Gaetan made a quick move to try to get him and ended up hitting his head on the door and just kinda fell backwards... well, Tristan saw him fall down and he stood up and started clapping for him!  hahaha.  It was very cute...

Another instance was Tristan climbed into the shower when Gaetan was taking one (because he loves water) and Gaetan put his face in the water and kinda shook his face around and then Tristan promptly followed suit and did the same.

Its very exciting to see him mimick but it does show what a big undertaking it is to make sure that we put good thing into our boy!  Garbage in... garbage out.  We are praying daily that we are feeding his heart good things.  We love him...

JVG

Its gotta be like falling in love...

I was listening to this song by Jason Gray the other day and I looked up the lyrics because they really struck me.  There is a particular part in his song that I really wanted to share...

"'Cause all religion ever made of me was just a sinner with a stone tied to my feet.  It never set me free... it's gotta be more like falling in love..."

It really made me think that being a Christian isn't about religion.. in fact it's the opposite.  Jesus didn't create religion... He is LOVE.  And to have a true relationship with Him it's gotta be like falling in love...

What a happy thought!  :)  To have a true love...

JVG

Proud Parents

This weekend we ventured to Chicago to get some things for Tristan's first birthday.  We had to get some specific Korean things, because we are doing a traditional style party for him.  We were lucky enough to find everything we needed and had the pleasure of staying with a dear friend.

Our Saturday night tradition usually involves us going to my parents house for pizza and spending some QT with the GParents.  This night was especially special!  Bug a Bug took his first confident steps... and then some more... and more still!  We are very excited for him and all the new adventures he will have because of his new found skill!  Way to go Bug!

JVG

First Time Blogger

Many of my friends have blogs and I always enjoy reading them... so my brilliant husband suggested that I start one of my own.  I plan on using my blog as a bit of a journal, things I'm learning, things I find interesting and just little tidbits that might come to me throughout the day.  I am looking forward to this new experience!

JVG