What we've been up to

So what have we been up to the past couple weeks as my vacation blog updates have been posting??

Let's just say I've said the word "potty" more in my life than I prefer to!  ha!

This kid is so.stinkin.funny.

Only Andrew would wear Elmo slippers (that are about 3 sizes too small) around the house when it's 90 degrees outside.

Oh, and he wants to sleep in them too.

Anyway, the potty thing.  By far the hardest part of child rearing thus far for us.  I won't give you too much info, but let's just say I'm tired of cleaning up my carpet!
One thing I've learned is that if they're not ready, there's no forcing it.

 We always know when he has to go #2 because we'll sit him down and he'll say "Go away!"  Ha!  It is so funny.  Then he wants his Elmo Potty book and he's all set!
I'm feeling pressured because I go back to work in a couple weeks and he's not totally trained yet.  He's getting there, but he still needs time.  It's been about 3 weeks and he's just now finally started telling us when he has to go.  But it is still very inconsistent.  As with everything in his life, Andrew likes to do things in his own time.  So this has just been another hurdle to jump over.

 In other news, my good friend Lisa from high school now lives in Phoenix but was back for a visit and we got to introduce our boys for the first time.  Are these not the cutest 2 little boys ever??  I just want to squeeze them!

We had fun watching Andrew and Javi play.  I wish we would have gotten a picture of us with them, but they were keeping us pretty busy!

Daddy and Papa rode RAGBRAI for one day.  Craig is looking so studly in his biker gear, isn't he??  Ha!  He is eventually going to start making me run these updates by him before posting them!  Oh well, I'll get away with it while I can!  Ha!  Anyway, they went through Clear Lake this year so it worked out perfect.

Because Ga Ga, Andrew and I got to ride the boat while Daddy and Papa biked!  I think we got the better end of the deal!  Ha!  He was laughing here because he was making us dizzy going in circles!  Ha!

It worked out okay because we went to pick them up and they were ready for a boat ride!  They rode 53 miles in one day and it was super hot!

This picture makes me laugh because even though it was blazing outside, it still feels great when you are on the lake!  Andrew was even cold when he got out of the water!

For the longest time we've been trying to get Andrew to steer his Gator he got from Santa.  We took him to daddy's school a few times so he could have free reign and not have to stay on the sidewalk.  Nothing seemed to work and he was all over the place!  Well the other day we took him out and he was a pro!  He totally got it!  Something just clicked.  We think when we let him steer the boat it has helped him get the hang of it.  He drives all around the neighborhood now and loves it!  This picture of him cracks me up.  What a funny kid.

We've been having fun hanging out together the last few weeks before we start school.

You know, painting our toenails with marker and all.  Ha!  One day I checked on him and this was what he was doing!  I could have died laughing.

Chillin watching Scooby Doo.  Does he look relaxed!?  Ha!

Seriously.  This kid is pure comic relief!  Again, wanting his Thomas slippers this time.  Seems like he always wants slippers on his feet.  Reminds me of his grandpa Bill!

Along with his skinny little bird legs!  Ha!

The other day Craig called me downstairs to see what our son was doing.  He had dumped out his bins of dinosaurs and animals and decided to sort them all.

He was very precise. Ha!  I love how all his McDonalds Shrek toys are in a separate row!  He is totally sorting!  I'd say he could skip preschool, he's already a genius!  Ha!

We've been having lots of fun in the sprinkler and at the pools this summer, too.  One day I think we went to the pool 4 days in a row!  Andrew loves the water and has really taken off with swimming.  He swims all by himself now (with his life jacket on) and kicks his legs and back floats.  He enjoys the waterslides at the pool and goes down them all by himself.  We've really noticed how much he's grown up this year already.  He is just getting to be such a big boy!

On another note, I'd like to ask your prayers for a couple of new heart moms I've gotten to know through blogging.  Kirsten is currently expecting a baby boy, Ewan, who will be born with the same heart defect as Andrew, Tetralogy of Fallot.  I just remember when we were pregnant with Andrew, blogging was still so new and we knew nobody who had been through this before us.  I am so glad that their family can now be surrounded in prayer by many other heart families and other supporters!  Please visit her blog and offer some encouragement!


Another new heart mommy, Jill, is expecting baby Joshua who will be born with HLHS.  She is scheduled for induction on August 16th and his heart surgery will be soon after.


I know both of these mommies would appreciate your support!

Thank you, and happy last few weeks of summer!
**Side note: If you received an email update from Memorial Day, I apologize!  I have no idea why it sent that out!  It was an older update.  Blogger better not be starting to give me problems too!  Lol.