Our 6 year anniversary!

For our 6th year wedding anniversary, Jordan and I went to Benihana's Restaurant in downtown Milwaukee. I haven't been there before, and Jordan hadn't been there since he was around 12 years old. It was a neat experience. Eight people sit around a grill and a cook comes to cook just for us. The other people we had at our table included a couple celebrating their 44th anniversary and four of their kids, one of which was pregnant, too! It was fun chatting with them and watching our food being cooked right in front of us.

The cook created our chicken fried rice in the shape of a heart...awww....

Jordan and I ate the chicken/tenderloin filet special. The food was so yummy!

Here is my food-no need for forks or knives since everything was in bite-sized pieces.
Overall, we had a lot of fun and ate some yummy food. Maybe one of these years, we will be able to go away for the weekend just the two of us! I am hoping in 2012!

Will's first ER trip...

While Jordan and I were preparing lunch today, Will was playing in the living room. We think he must have either been practicing a somersault or running without looking where he was going again. He must have hit his head on the edge of the wall. Jordan heard a bang and all I heard next was blood-curtling screaming. We ran in the living room and saw Will hunched over crying. We picked him up and saw a huge hole about the size of my thumb print in his forehead. It looked soooo deep, like it never ended. Jordan immediately rushed him into our new van while I turned off the stove and grabbed the diaper bag. I think we drove faster to the hospital than we did while test driving the van, and that is really saying something. Will was in agony and blood was dripping into his eye. We held a cold, wet cloth over it, but he hated every second. I rushed into the ER admissions area while Jordan parked the van, and they took us in right away. The hole was no longer bleeding by the time we got to a room, which is a good thing. The nurses kept saying they couldn't believe it stopped. Will was lucid by very upset. They eventually put a numbing gel on a gauze pad and tapped it to his head. We were in the room for about an hour before they did the stitches. Imagine keeping Will contained in a small room for an hour, and then imagine doing it while he is super cranky and has blood all over! Definitely not an easy afternoon! We did our best with opening and closing doors, flushing the toilet, and turning lights on and off.
When the time for stitches came, I had to leave the room. My stomach was already in knots and with the baby constantly kicking, I thought I was going to either go into meltdown or vomit. Jordan was a trooper and stayed with Will. They put his arms in a pillow case behind his back, and then wrapped him in a straight jacket. He had five stitches put in. He was hysterical when I went back in the room, and all he wanted was to go home. We brought him home, put in a Blue's Clues, gave him his most prized blue chuppie, and within a half and hour, he fell asleep. All he wanted was to be held and snuggled. It was so wonderful holding him, but felt horrible under these conditions. I really envy parents who have children who want physical comfort since Will normally never wants it.
As you can see, he has a black eye and cut under his right eye, as well as the stitches above.

My Poor Baby!

My boys!

This last few weeks have been really fun for me. I get to see Will develop an attachment to a stuffed toy for the first time ever-Blue. And for the third time ever, he fell asleep on the floor! Unfortunately, this time it was around 4:30pm. He just couldn't hold out any longer after refusing to nap earlier in the afternoon.

SOOOO Sweet! Kisses for Blue!

In addition to Will forming an attachment to a character on a movie, my husband also found an obsession based on a character in a movie: Tony Sparks from Iron Man. For some reason, my Dear Husband is obsessed with shaping his facial hair in fun ways. The latest is the Iron Man look. Notice the thinner mustache that doesn't quite touch the goatee? The edges of each are angled slightly. Also, the soul patch is in the shape of an hour glass instead of like a rectangle. I think it looks very similar Jordan's regular goatee, but this new look makes me laugh a little inside. Only my Jordan would think to even attempt to do this. He is soooo sad no one has "noticed" and he has had it for a few weeks. I wonder if people really do notice and are too nice to say anything. At least it is not the Colonel Sanders look! I love you Jordan!

Mother's Day

This is me and my baby girl in May, around 25 weeks. Getting bigger each week! I measured almost 28 cm at my 26 week mark when I went to the doctor. Maybe this means the baby will come either early or on time instead of having to evict her?!?

After a few mommy meltdows before church because Will would not cooperate to take a picture on Mother's Day with me using my subpar old camera, he surprised me after church with two (out of 50ish) cute ones! YEAH! Happy Mother's Day to me!

We spent the day at church, and then had Jordan's parents over for a super yummy dinner. We later visited my Grandma and Aunt Kathy for about an hour. That was the day! One of these days, I think it would be fun to be pampered myself. Maybe when I am a grandma? Jordan built my WONDERFUL storage shelves for an early Mother's Day present. More pictures on that to follow!
Here are my favorite reasons I am a mom, in no particular order:
*I get to have Will in my life!!
*Being someone's favorite person is a wonderful feeling
*Knowing I am responsible for someone else's well-being and survival is an awesome responsiblity and
*It helps me be more selfless
*Heavenly Father finally found a lasting way to teach me patience
*Hearing "mommy" makes my heart melt, especially since we don't take any spoken words for granted
*I met a great group of girlfriends from my MOMS club that I enjoy seeing all the time
*Having a child helps me better understand the awesome love Heavenly Father and Jesus have for each one of us-I could never sacrifice my son for anyone
*Having a child with special needs really helps me understand the enabling power of the Atonement. I could never do it on my own without the strength of the Lord
*I am learning to be more relaxed for the first time in a decade since I am not in control of Will and I really must choose my battles
*My relationship with my wonderful husband has exponentially increased as I watch him become the best father anyone could ask for

I hope everyone else had a wonderful Mother's Day, too!

April

So, as always, I am a little behind on the blogging! ;)
Here is me and my baby girl in at the beginning of April, around 21 weeks. I am showing much earlier and larger this time around. I constantly get comments about "being ready to pop" when in reality, I have quite some time left. Makes a girl feel really pretty, ya know? I actually don't mind all that much because having a(nother) baby is a blessing that I'll never take for granted. I don't care what I have to go through to experience it! My pregnancy this time around is almost as nice as Will's was. I am a little more tired/exhausted mainly due to having to chase around Will this time around, and I am a little more achy, especially at night. Again, it's probably from the added weight and from being exhausted all day having an almost three year old!

Here is my sweet sweet boy! Isn't this such a nice picture? I just loved my new camera while it lasted. Will is looking and smiling, but like all wonderful things, they must come to an end.
At the end of April, Will decided to chuck my brand new, very expensive camera down the stairs. It was not in his reach, but it was also not in the bag since I used it so often. He is my little mission man: If he wants it, it will be his! Who could blame him! All the fun buttons and flash, seeing adorable pictures of himself with the review setting: It's enough to make me want it, too! Probably not being able to turn it on was enough reason to see if it was more fun tumbling downstairs.
After my mommy meltdown about how Will only destroys my things and never Jordan's, we tested it out and sure enough, it had to be repaired. It is currently being serviced, so let's hope it can be fixed for less than buying a new one! Deep breaths and constantly repeating, "I love Will, I wanted Will, I love Will, I don't want to throw Will down the stairs because I love Will" helped a lot through this process. One day he'll understand rules and directions, right?!?

One of my most treasured time of day is tucking Will in. He is such a trooper going to bed. We used to dread it and fight with him, but now he just hops right in after getting jammies on and brushing his teeth. We put on a nighttime diaper, tuck him under the blankets, he picks out a "pootie" from his stash, we say prayers and get kisses (complete with audiable "Mu-ahhhss). We shut the door mostly, and peak our heads through. He says, "bye." We say, "bye." He says, "I YOU." We say, "I love you, too," close the door, and he is out for the count! We are now getting him to fall asleep with his Blue's Clues dog in hopes of creating a new comfort toy so he can move past the pacifier. It has been the only thing his little guy has developed an attachment to, so it is extra hard just taking it away. Doesn't he look like an angel? One that would never ever chuck my camera down the stairs?

My Newest Nephew!

My brother and his wife had their first baby on May 29, 2010 at 9:30am. This is the second Mazur grandbaby on my side...both boys. Kevin can breathe a sigh of relief since he is officially off the hook to carry on the Mazur name! Our daughter and their son will be about 3 months apart! It will be fun when we'll see each other!

Mary had to have a C Section. I had to post this picture since I think it is so funny! It is like he is a little gangsta, "Yo Yo Yo! West Siiiiiide!"

They named him Jackson Patrick Mazur. Jackson was also our #1 boy name, so it is a really good thing we are having a girl. Stats: 8lbs, 6 oz. 20 1/2 inches. Jackson is 9 oz heavier than Will was and the same height. He is healthy and doing well!

He looks like such a big boy but so tiny at the same time! Congrats, Kevin and Mary, on FINALLY expanding your family ;) We can't wait to meet him and shower him with love!

Mary's Baby Shower

My sister-in-law Mary came in from AZ for her baby showers at the end of March. It was soooo great to see her and my braja and her big ol' belly ;) Needless to say, I am THRILLED they are having a baby! It'll be so nice for Will and his little sister to have a cousin! They are due May 27th. I am due August 25th, so the babies will be pretty close in age! I love this picture of us being pregnant together! Both of my pregnancies have been shared by my sisters-law. My first with Jordan's two sisters and my this one with Miss Mary!

Here is a picture of the "Mazur" girls!

The shower was really nice. We had a nice turn out of family and family friends to see Kevin and Mary. My mom took a lot of care with making cute decorations: The clothes line, the three-tiered cake with bear on top that was filled with baby stuff, favors, etc. See the Web Albums on the side for more pictures. Blogger has only been letting me upload 4 pictures. Does anyone know a way around this?
We played a few games: baby word scramble, baby nursery rhyme challenge, name the baby using letters from the parent's name, and Double Prices from the Price is Right. All games were really fun and Kevin and Mary did a great job winning extra gifts!

Here is the future Mommy and Daddy-to-be! Congrats! We love you guys so much!

Milwaukee Zoo day!

Last week we were having BEAUTIFUL weather, so two girlfriends from my MOMS club and I took the kids to the Zoo. It was a beautiful day, but almost got too hot by the end of the time we were there. Will did fairly well at the Zoo. I was nervous since the ratio of kids to adults was 5:3, but with the other two super Moms, I felt supported. Will is quite the handful! While the other kids were looking attentively at the animals, Will just wanted to run and open/close the doors leading in and out of buildings. I don't really blame him; animals at the zoo don't really do anything. They seem bored themselves!

Here is our group~Stephanie is pushing the double stoller with her nephew in the back and Will in the front. Connor, Mason and Ashley are walking as nice as can be while Kajja is pushing one of two double wagons.

The line was too long to wait to go on the train, so we put all the kids on the Carousel. It was Will's first time, and he LOVED it! He especially loved going up and down while looking at himself in the mirrors. When I tried to get him off, he ran in and out of the horses so I couldn't grab him to remove him. We were the last ones out of the gate :(

We had a great time with our friends! I can't image how hot it'll feel to me this summer being so pregnant when the beginning of April felt too hot. Will even had a bright red face and was sweating all day. I think it got to be 85 degrees. Today it is snowing, though...gotta love WI!
Check out the web album on the side for more zoo pics!

It's a....

We just got back from the doctor, and the results are conclusive! We saw the labias, so we are having a baby girl!
We are excited for this news since now we'll both know what it is like to be a Mommy/Daddy to each gender and the experience the different feelings that come with it. We are excited also since girl clothes are SOOOO cute! We are secretly excited since the chance of a boy having Autism is four times higher than a girl. It doesn't mean she won't, but the risk is a little bit less! We are now in the mist of the name game since Jordan and I each have a huge list of girl names we really like. This may be our last child, so we need to be very picky about it!

Will's New Playground

We just got this new playground for Will! Click on the picture for the full size. We bought this exact one with the same colors, only we don't have the frisbee swing and we substituted a regular sling swing for a baby swing. We are super excited for April 18th when it comes and is installed FREE! Jordan didn't really want to build one from a kit since I have a huge list of projects already for him to do. We desperately needed something for Will to do in the backyard, and decided a playground is the way to go since he LOVES going to the park. This will save me on days I have to do chores and once the baby comes. If Jordan has an important phone call for work, he can just let Will outside to play! Will can do almost everything pictured, plus it is fun enough for as he gets older. Anyone want to come over to play?

Playground Fun!

After the Easter Bunny Egg Hunt, we let Will run to the playground that he soooo desperately longed for. These are a few of my favorite pictures from the afternoon. I loved this picture of Will with GREAT eye contact and cracking a smile, but upon closer inspection, I realized he isn't the only one showing a crack ;) Feel free to click the picture to enlarge!

This picture makes me happy. Jordan is such a great dad!! He plays so nicely with Will at the park by going down the slides and chasing him everywhere. Will loves to go down a slide and look behind him to see Daddy coming for him! Will looks so happy watching an over-enthused Daddy coming for him!

Will is getting to be such a big boy. He can easily do most things at the playground, including a big boy swing.

I just ADORE this picture! This is exactly why I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE my new camera. I never would have gotten something this adorable with my other two cameras.

Easter Egg Hunt

We took Will to his second annual Easter Egg Hunt in Jackson at the end of March. Being a little older than last year, we thought he would enjoy it more this year and behave. But, still being the sweet Will we all know and love, he didn't. He didn't want to wait around to start the hunt, so Jordan put him on the shoulders. As you can see, it was still tough getting him to wait. He wanted to go play on the playground instead.

Will actually did do better putting the eggs in the basket. He wouldn't hold the basket, but we placed it down in the middle of a pile of eggs, and he went to town. We still bought along extra ones from home so he would have a chance to keep picking up eggs, but he did well enough with the ones provided. He got seven eggs.

After we picked up our prizes, we attempted the picture with the Easter Bunny. Same result as last year, but still fun to look at!

At least the Easter Bunny was smiling!
Of course, within this next year, we will still hold out hope for the 3rd annual Easter Egg Hunt! He has to do better, eventually, right?!?

New Camera!!

So, I have been QUITE behind in blogging lately, mainly because 1. I have been lazy and 2. I got an awesome new camera for Christmas (thanks to my wonderful wonderful wonderful husband. Did I mention how wonderful he is?) that I am slowly learning how to use. I have taken almost 500 pictures with it since blogging last, so I feel a little overwhelmed now with what to update on. Today I am uploading them and, hopefully within the next two days, putting all of them in my web album so you can browse through our last few months.

Things I LOVE about my new rebel:

1. It INSTANTLY takes a picture. I can capture Will's sweet faces immediatly before he no longer decides he is interested in cooperating. This leads to happier holidays and events. Gone are the days I went into Mommy Meltdown because I couldn't capture a decent picture for the scrapbook!

2. I can take a ton of pictures at a time by holding down the button. This also supports reason #1.

3. The picture is beautiful. The lighting, blurred backgrounds, etc. is exactly what I always wanted!

4. It has a Complete Idiot's Guide book (thanks Kevin!) for easier learning.

5. It has all these special features and icons for how to take the best picture in any circumstance.

6. I have a GIGANTIC memory card.

7. It has a camera strap.

8. I have a great zoom lens and have options to get even more.

9. I feel like a professional!

10. Did I mention no more Mommy Meltdows? The hardest thing for a scrapbooker is to have a child who is anti the camera.

Bubbles in the Tubby!

Warning: Major baby nudity!

Here is a video of Will FINALLY blowing bubbles in the tubby. It seems to have taken forever for him to understand the concept of blowing. Now he can sometimes blow real bubbles with our Gymboree bubble wand!

Here is a video of Will watching the video of him blowing bubbles in the tubby. We liked it since he smiles a lot and repeats the words said in the video.

New sleeping routines...

Gone are the days we used to drive Will around until he fell asleep for a nap. Ever since the late summer, that is the way we have been getting him to fall asleep. It used to work like a charm, but eventually, we'd be driving around for almost 40 minutes sometimes! We decided we'd either let him skip his nap or crash on his own for now on.
And after two weeks of not taking a nap, a miracle occured!

Elmo in Grouchland saved the day! We popped in the movie, put a pillow on the couch, and VIOLA! We came back in the room 10 minutes later to a little napper! Now we play the movie every few days when he think he is tired enough to take a nap. It works about once a week! WOO HOO!
On more sleeping news, guess who goes to bed all by himself, too?
THAT'S RIGHT! IT'S WILL!!!
That started about a week ago. He woke up in the middle of the night, and instead of one of us laying with him, we did our nighttime routine and the both us of left the room, mostly shut the door, and then Will said, "Bye! I U!" We said back, "Bye! We love you, too" and then closed the door all the way. He went to bed without crying! We did this the whole week right away and it is working like a charm! The only problem is we are all supposed to go to IL with Jordan at the end of this week for a work conference. I am very hesitant to go now that he is establishing his own sleeping routine! What to do!?!?