11 Months...Let the Real Countdown Begin!

I'm sure I sound like a broken record, but I truly cannot believe it's been 11 months!! This month I am feeling exceptionally nostalgic thinking back to the end of my pregnancy and all that happened in that short time before our baby boy arrived (we didn't even know he was a baby boy then!).

This month we have had some very exciting developments in the world of Van, so I'll get right down to it :)

1) For a couple months now we've been wondering when the little guy would start getting more mobile and to be completely honest were getting a little concerned about why it had not happened yet. Well, we can put all that to rest now. Van is officially amongst the crawling!! He kind of started crawling just a couple days before turning 11 months and on his 11 month birthday he really took off and is now ALL over the place. I am just so thrilled that he's reached this milestone that I don't even mind at all chasing him around. It's the best. I suppose we must get this baby proofing thing going!!
2) Feeding himself. Van has really started wanting to feed himself more and is now willing to feed himself his bottle too (Thank you!!). I have the feeling he could have done it awhile ago but he's smart enough to know I'll do it for him if just waits. But now, he does it all by himself. I love it because it makes life a little easier and I kind of hate it because it's one more step in the independence direction. He's becoming a little less of a baby every day....
3) Talking up a storm!! He is such a chatty little fella!
4) Being a little love bug!! Van is getting very attached and cuddly with mom and dad. We love it!!

I am sure there is so much more I could include but those are the highlights! We love you Van and are so excited to celebrate your birthday in just a few weeks!! Thank you for the best year of our lives!

Double Digits! 10 months...

Logically, yes it has been 10 months since this little monkey made his presence well known, but when I really think about that, it's so hard to believe. What a whirlwind of 10 months it has been! Every day brings new challenges, joys, lessons (for all three of us), and a constant feeling of the deepest love I've ever experienced. All it takes is one glance at that little boy and my heart melts. Love him to pieces.

The past month has been a busy one (what's new) and Van continues to surprise us with how quickly he changes. Here are the latest and greatest developments of this little fella....

1) First airplane ride (that picture is on the plane)! Van took his first airplane ride on the day he turned 10months and it was just the two of us. It was only up to Seattle so I was feeling pretty relaxed about the whole thing. 45min on a plane, no problem. Well that 45min turned into 2.5hours on the plane. After boarding we were told there was a mechanical problem and then spent the next hour and a half sitting and waiting while they tried to fix it. Only to be told we had to get off and get on another plane. Despite this little bump in the road I am VERY proud to say that my baby was the only one on the plane who never cried - or even fussed! He is a champ.
2)More teeth! 4 more to be exact. All on top and Van has had no problem letting us know about their arrival. :)
3) Van can clap now and boy is it adorable. He loves it. He claps to music, when he gets excited, and pretty much anytime he wants attention. Love it.
4) Waving "bye-bye". Van waves at everyone (including the grocery store clerk). He even waves when we just walk up the front door - whether someone is there or not. It's hilarious and a constant reminder of how much those wheels of his are spinning. He is really beginning to absorb the world around him in a whole new way and it is fascinating to watch.

I'm sure there is so much more that I could mention, but I'm a tired mom and more than anything else when I try to think of these things I just constantly see his smiling face in my mind. He is the best. Here's to hoping this next month goes by just a little more slowly - the toddler years are getting a little too close for my liking!

Namesake

This blog is for Van. Hopefully one day (maybe not until he's 40) he'll want to know the stories of himself as a baby and our family as we navigated this foreign land that is parenthood. And if there is one thing I want him to know, it is the story of his name. Van, just like his mama, is named in honor of his Great Grandmother, Katharine Van Hoogen Sweeney. Van Hoogen was my grandma's maiden name and the nickname of her own father, my great grandfather. Words cannot describe what this woman meant to me and our entire family. She was the anchor - and in many ways, even after her death still is.

Yesterday, our family gathered as it was the one year anniversary of her passing. Seems completely surreal that a year had gone by and even more surreal to think of all that has happened since then, mainly the birth of Van. Even now, just thinking about the fact that she hasn't been here for his life leaves me with a giant lump in my throat. And yet, I was reminded yesterday by my Papa of what a gift the time we did have with her was. Six and a half years prior to her leaving us she was given a diagnosis that held little hope for her to survive even six months. Cancer. Cancer, that was so bad the doctors suggested she not fight it and just enjoy the little time she had left. However, being the woman of faith that she was (that is understatement) she fought. In return, God granted her (and us) not six months, but six years. Nothing short of a miracle. I say all this, because while I grieve daily for her and so often feel like we all got the raw end of a bad deal, loosing her so soon and just a few short months before the birth of her first great grandbaby, in reality we were given a true gift to have her for so many more years. For that I am eternally grateful.

There is no way for me to adequately describe the character of this amazing woman and the impact she made on everyone who was fortunate enough to know her. Yet, for as long as I have breath in me I will try to do justice to her life and ensure that Van knows of the incredible person for whom he is named.

9: The Months Just Keep Rolling...

Our little man is now 9 months old! Saying that feels so strange, but it's true. At his nine month check up Van weighed in at 17lbs 14oz (10th percentile) and was 28 inches long (41st percentile). He's still a little peanut but he's definitely a longer peanut. Up until now he's always been around the 15-20th percentile for length. Looks like a little growth spurt occurred over these past couple months! He is the best and we love him. This past month has brought new developments and changes and couple of challenges, but in the end the joy outweighs it all. Here's the latest happenings of our boy, Van:

1) For a couple months now I've tried to work with Van on picking up his food and eating it. Shortly after turning 8 months old something clicked in that little (but brilliant) brain of his and he figured it out! He now loves to eat his little treats all by himself. Another sign that our baby is becoming less of a baby. Now, if I could just get him to decide he wants to hold his bottle too :)

2) More teeth! Little guy has two more teeth, taking the grand total up to four! The latest two are on top and look more like man teeth than baby teeth. It scares me.

3) Loving music. It seems that recently Van has really come to notice more of his surroundings and especially sounds. He now loves all his little toys that make music or noise and when they start playing he looks up at you with the cutest grin ever, like he just accomplished something amazing.

4) I should have put this at number one, because it's clearly the most important, but Van now says "mama"!! Even though he hasn't figured out what it means, it still gives me the most incredible feeling every time I hear it. Music to my ears. Along with that, he is becoming more and more verbal and when he babbles on and on to you it genuinely feels like he's trying to communicate with you. I think we have a chatty kathy on our hands.

5) The social butterfly. For a long time Van seemed like a pretty reserved, quiet, and maybe even shy little man. That has all changed this past month. Suddenly, he has become an attention hog. This kid loves to be the center of attention and will smile for any and everyone. If he thinks he has your attention he will do whatever it takes to keep it, be that chattering up a storm, giving you one of his yummy smiles, or swinging his little arms and legs all over the place. Taking him to a restaurant (or anywhere) has certainly gotten interesting. My son is the flirt of all flirts. I'm in trouble.

6) Little sickie. For the first 8 months of his life we were so fortunate as Van didn't get more than a little cold here or there. That all changed this past month. Poor little man has had it a little rough (and so have mom and dad). He had his first "real" fever a couple weeks ago. His temperature hit nearly 104 for a couple days. It was so sad, but did give mom some extra cuddle time. And now he has his first ear infection. However, given my family and our history of ear infections, I'm pretty shocked he lasted this long before getting one. Despite it all, he is still such a happy boy and never fails to put a smile our faces. We sure do have a tough little guy.

On another note, we received some concerning news at Van's 9 month appointment, I'm not really sure how to explain it, but I'll do my best. Van is not quite as mobile as many of his little friends and I know not all babies crawl but something has always seemed a little off to me about it. He also doesn't stand well on his own (he can with help) and he doesn't take steps (even with help). Once his little feet are on the ground it's like they are glued there. His pediatrician expressed a little concern about this when we were discussing it. She had him stand so that she could see for herself and noticed that his feet are shaped inward and are very flat (no wonder I can never get any shoes on him). She said this is definitely something that may correct itself on it's own but if he is not making much improvement in the area of his mobility in the next couple of months we will need to take him to an orthopedic specialist. I'm not sure what the result of all that would be but we would just have to go from there. I know there is so much worse that he could have to face in life and know of families whose babies have had to endure much more difficult challenges. None the less, this is my baby and the thought of him having to face any hardship truly breaks my heart - especially at such a young age. If you are the praying type, we just ask that you please keep Van and his little feet in your prayers. He is such an unbelievable little person and no matter what challenge he may face we can't imagine life without him and are grateful beyond words to have been chosen to be his parents.

8 months. What?!

Somehow, despite my efforts to slow down time the months just keep flying by. Van is 8 months old - or as his dad put it, 3/4 of the way to his first birthday. This just doesn't seem right. I feel like over this past month Van's personality has really started to come through and he is developing his own little quirks that make him who he is. It's an absolute joy to watch. Here's what our little monkey has been up to lately....

1) Still being his tiny self. Van is such a peanut. He actually had to go into the pediatrician at 7.5 months for a weight check. At the appointment he weighed 16lbs 10oz. So small. But, he's definitely not skinny, he's totally short and chunky. I'm guessing it won't last too long though, considering how tall his dad is!
2) I feel like I need to retract one of the things that I posted in Van's 7 month update because while we all thought Van had a tooth he actually didn't. I know, I'm a really smart mom. However, he does now have TWO teeth! Both on the bottom and both super cute.
3) Hair, hair and more hair. In the last month it seems like Van's hair is really starting to grow in and get lighter and lighter. Looks like we have a little blondie on our hands.
4) Playing games. Lately, Van has been creating his own little games. For example, he'll initiate peek-a-boo with you and pretend to ignore you and then look over and just start giggling uncontrollably. He also thinks it's hilarious to take his binki out and put it in my mouth and then steal it back. It's quite possibly the most adorable thing I've ever seen.
5) LOVING bath time! The little man loves the water (no surprise considering who his dad is). He loves to sit up now in the bath and splash, splash, splash!! It's so fun to watch.
6) Van has become a talking man. His current favorite thing to say - over and over again is "ba ba ba". He will say it all day long - from the second he wakes up to when he goes to bed. And he'll look at you and say it, like he's telling you a story. It's hilarious. No "mama's" or "dada's" yet, but he's definitely getting close.
7) "Stranger danger has hit". Van now definitely knows certain people and responds to them. And on the other hand, when he doesn't know someone he also responds to that. I'll be honest, I kind of love it, because he's finally starting to show a preference for me or Peter and not just treat us like everyone else. It's also so fun to see him react with delight when he sees other people he knows, like my parents. It's so so sweet....

So many changes in just one month! It's unbelievable. Van, you do a good job of keeping us on our toes!! We love you little monkey!

7 months!

And so begins the downward slide to Van's first birthday. It's hard to believe we're at this point and he's been with us for over half of the past year. As always one month brings about so many new developments and changes for this little guy. He continues to surprise us with something new pretty much every day! Here's the latest developments of the Van Man...

1) Eating more and more solids. He has a few favorite foods, mostly the sweet stuff (I guess he takes after his mama). He loves carrots, sweet potatoes, bananas, and pears to name a few. On our way home from a recent trip to Spokane we gave him a couple bites of our ice cream, which turned out to be a bad idea because he LOVED it so much and spent the rest of the time trying to rip it out of my hands. Rockie mistake on our part.
2) Getting teeth! Van's first tooth officially broke through this past month - and he's more than willing to let us know. Strangely enough it's on the top, which seemed weird to me. Just another sign that our "baby" is quickly becoming less of a baby and more of a little boy.
3) Sitting up with ease. Not only can he sit up, he can do it without me sitting right behind him with my hand on his back. Serious progress in this department.
4) Putting everything and anything he can get his little hands on in his mouth. Seriously, that's what it's all about these days!
4) And finally (and most importantly) continuing to teach us every day what it is to love without condition and put someone else above ourselves. It's pretty easy to do for this guy!

We love you and your little tooth Van!

Half Birthday!

Van is officially 6 months old today! There is no way to adequately describe how quickly this time had flown by. Sometimes I feel like we were just at the hospital yesterday, meeting him for the first time and at other times it feels like he's been a part of our family all along. In either case, at this point it's impossible to imagine life without him. He truly is an absolute joy and the love of our lives.

Okay, enough gushing. Here's what Mr. Van Owen has been up to for the past month....
1) Eating solids! Van has enjoyed trying a couple new treats over the past month. At around 5 months we tried giving him rice cereal for the first. He didn't seem too fond of it so about a week later we gave bananas a shot and had much more success. Since then we've tried rice cereal and he has suddenly decided he enjoys it. I put him in his high chair for the first time yesterday morning and he looked like such a big boy. It was definitely a little bittersweet.
2) Van finally found his feet and since then he can't get enough of them! Whether he is sitting in his bumbo, laying on the floor, or getting his diaper changed (makes this one pretty challenging for mom!) he is grabbing at his feet and often trying to get them in his mouth.
3) Giggling a LOT! Lately this little guy is a laughing machine and we love it! He has a couple favorite games and mom and dad are starting to catch on to them. He loves when you intentionally don't look at him and then suddenly do with a big smile on your face. It's a sure way to get a laugh out of him. Pretty much any form of peak-a-boo is a good way to go :)
4) Van is sleeping like a champ for the most part and still in our room. I love having him so close by, plus I think on some level it makes him still feel like my "little baby" but I know this one will be changing soon.
5) Sitting up, well sort of. We're still working on this one but he is definitely getting stronger and better at holding himself up. He can go for a pretty good stretch before starting to tip over.

The number of cute things Van does every day is infinite and to try and capture all of them here is completely impossible. Every day with him just gets better and better.

Happy half birthday little man! We love you!!

5 months

I really wish I had thought to do this during month 1 of Van's life, but alas, I did not. I had the idea recently (probably stolen from someone else blog) to keep track of what Van is up to month to month. If there has been one thing that has shocked me about what it's like to have a baby, it is how quickly he changes! Every day he is a little different, I feel like I can't keep up with him and his development. It is amazing and sad all at the same time. I think back to just four months ago and he was a COMPLETELY different baby. Everyone said it would go by fast, but you just don't realize how fast until you experience it with your own child. Even if he (or his future girlfriend) is the only one who wants to read this, that's good enough for me :)

So month 5......
What Van's up to:
1) Smiling all the time, especially at his dad. This little man LOVES his daddy. Sometimes Peter and I will be talking and we'll look over and Van is just sitting there with a huge grin on his face, looking right at Peter. Melts my heart every time.
2) Rolling over any and every time we lay him down. He mastered this new skill during month 4, but since then you can't lay him down without him flopping onto his belly. He even likes to sleep on his stomach (and side) a lot.
3) Trying solids. We tried giving Van rice cereal for the first time on his 5 month birthday, he didn't seem too fond of it. We'll try again soon and hopefully have better luck.
4) Jumping up and down. It's become impossible to just sit and cuddle with this active little man (unless he's super sleepy). All he wants to do is stand and jump. I think we're going to be in serious trouble in a few months when he really gets mobile.
5) Being the sweetest baby ever! I know everyone thinks their baby is the best (and rightfully so) but seriously we have one well behaved child. He is SO easy going and happy. He does great everywhere we take him. Most of the time, he is just content to look around and observe his surroundings when we go somewhere new. We've now had two pediatricians point out how observant he is and one even referred to him as "wise". Not really sure how a baby can actually be wise, but I'll take it as a complement :)

Van, you have enriched our lives to no end! We love you so much and feel beyond blessed to be your parents! Can't wait to see all that month 5 has in store for you!

Van Owen Johnson

This is long overdue as our little man is already 3 months old (YIKES!) but I wanted to make sure I took the time to share the story of how our sweet baby boy joined our family. Van Owen Johnson joined the world on October 6, 2010 at 2:01p, weighing in at 7lbs 14oz and 20 inches long. He was and continues to be absolutely perfect!

And here goes the story.....I was actually scheduled to be induced on October 6th but due to the way things were progressing my doctor thought our little one would make their much anticipated arrival before then. By the time October 5th rolled around (my due date) I was having pretty consistent (and painful!) contractions every 6-10 minutes. We had learned in our birthing class that you shouldn't go to the hospital until the contractions are every 5 minutes. So I spent the day trying to find any way I could to relieve the pain and anxiously waiting for them to hit that 5 minute mark. By the time Peter came home from work they were about 6-7 minutes apart and we were beginning to wonder if we would be heading to the hospital before 6a, which was when we were scheduled to go in for the induction. I had kind of secretly hoped for the "rushing to the hospital" moment and it looked like I might get it! We tried to go to bed around 10p but I found myself getting out of bed every 6 minutes or so when I would have a contraction. I soon realized that the sleepless nights had begun, there was no way I was getting any sleep that night! At around midnight we started wondering if we should just go to the hospital then, though the contractions were still about 6 minutes apart and I was convinced we couldn't go until they were 5 minutes apart, for fear we would be sent home. Finally, Peter took matters into his own hands and called the on call doctor, told him what was happening and got the okay from him to head in now. So around 1am we grabbed our things and headed out the door. It all happened so fast that I never really had a moment to take in the fact that when we returned we would be a family of three, bringing home our little boy or girl!

When we drove up to the hospital we realized we had no clue where we were supposed to go(smart, I know). We spent a good 20 minutes driving around the different parking lots trying to find an unlocked entrance, all the while I was having contractions! It wasn't fun, though I can definitely laugh about it now. Once we were able to get into the hospital and our room a nurse came and set us up and started monitoring my contractions. She told me they actually weren't that strong (totally demoralizing) but that since I was being induced we could stay. I spent the entire night walking around trying to find any way to ease the pain. The thought of asking to be checked or seeing if/when I could get my epidural (which I knew I wanted, I'm no wonder woman) never entered my mind. I just assumed they would tell me when I could get the good stuff and until then I had to manage the pain on my own. It was not a fun night, to say the least.

Around 6a a nurse came in and induced me, by starting the pitocin. For the next 4 hours I continued to have contractions and they only increased in pain, oh the joys of labor! At around 10a my doctor (who I LOVE) came in to break my water and check me. When she checked me we discovered that I was already 7 centimeters dilated and she did not seem too happy that up to that point none of the nurses had checked me. The only words I could muster out at that point were "can I have my epidural now?", to which she responded with an emphatic, yes! Turns out I could have had the epidural probably hours earlier...oh well, live and learn! She was great at getting the anesthesiologist in there right away. My parents hadn't yet arrived, but Peter called them to let them know things were moving pretty quickly and they got there just a short while after. After I got the epidural I was feeling pretty wonderful, was able to enjoy a delicious grape popsicle and relax a little before the real fun started. I got my epidural around 10:30a and at about 12:3op the nurse checked me and said I was ready to start pushing. It was at this moment that I realized we'd be finding out who this baby was very soon, up to this point I'd either been too distracted by pain or too blissfully happy with drugs to think about this!

After what felt like a very LONG hour and half of pushing (thought I know that's not that long...) I heard Peter yell out "it's a boy!" and there was a moment where it felt like all time stopped and I saw the most beautiful little person I have ever seen, my son!! Side note here, Peter actually decided to announce that the baby was a boy when he had just seen Van's face, before he saw the true proof of this, so he's pretty lucky he was actually right! After Van was born they laid him on my chest and for the next hour I was able to listen to the most wonderful sound ever, my baby boy's cry. That was definitely the most amazing hour of my life. You wait months and months to meet this little being and it is such a surreal feeling when you actually do finally meet. Words cannot adequately describe the experience.

So that's the story of Mr. Van Owen. Since then we have been enjoying every single moment with our perfect little man.