We're alive!

Hi everyone! I just wanted to assure you that we are all still alive and kicking. I know it has been a while since my last blog, but I promise an awesome update very soon!

Big Boy Bed and a little bubbles

Over the last 2 years, we have had a very hard time getting Oden to sleep in his own bed. It's safe to say that he pretty much always has slept in our bed. Occasionally we would let him fall asleep in our bed, then transfer him to his bed/crib with hopes he would sleep through the night. After uncountable failed attempts with that method, and numerous attempts at implementing other routines, there was a point about 2 months ago where we just gave up. He was in our bed, and neither Jess nor I had the energy to try and change it. Then we realized, soon there would be 4 of us in one queen sized bed if we continued down this road. Bravely, Jess decided about two weeks ago to start transitioning Oden into his room. Jess made accommodations for himself by bringing in the TV/DVD player (he can't sleep without the background noice/light). I swore that I would not bring a TV into my kids rooms until...... well never! I really don't see the need for it. In this situation, when Jess was going to be completely uncomfortable during this new process, how could I say no? We pulled out the futon in Oden's room and that is where Jess and Oden have been sleeping up until 3 nights ago. This is the most uncomfortable futon you will ever come into contact with. It was very inexpensive, and we definitely got what we paid for. I would compare it to sleeping on a wooden board padded with paper towels. I think sleeping on the floor might have been more comfortable for them both. I do commend Jess for sleeping there so so long, I know I would not have been able to handle it. One day Oden's auntie Olivia was over and I was telling her the story when she mentioned that there were two twin beds in the basement at The Hogan house, and we could probably have one. Sweet! So Jess made arrangements with Papa Joe and Grandma Honey, and the bed was delivered with love this past Friday. It is perfect, and it looks great in the room! So this was the first weekend that Oden and Jess slept in a 'big boy bed'! I had planned on picking up some cheap sheets and a blanket for the bed over the weekend, as the sheets they were using we borrowed. While Jess and I were working on Saturday I received a call from Papa Joe and Grandma Honey (who were watching Oden). They asked what my plans were for blankets and stuff because they were on a field trip at Target and spotted some Thomas bedding. I told Grandma Honey (Laura) I had planned on getting something over the weekend but they were more than welcome to give me a head start, if they wanted to. When we all arrived home a few hours later, I was completely surprised when Jess started unloading the car and the entire Thomas bed set. Oden was attached to it immediately! He wouldn't lay down for his nap until we took it ALL out of the packages and piled it on top of him! From there, it was quite a task getting everything washed. Oden freaked out anytime and piece of the set was out of sight! After a few wash loads, it was time to put everything on the new bed. I have one word for the event....priceless. I don't think I've ever seen him so excited. It started with the pillowcase on the pillow. I didn't witness this part, but Jess says he was shaking with excitement. Then with the sheets and the blankets, he went into periods of OOOH's and AAAHHH's, followed by hysterical laughter. It was so fun to watch. Hopefully this new bed with Thomas and Friends will encourage Oden to stay in it. We are now working on phasing Jess out of there, but I think we are headed in the right direction! I just wanted to thank Joe and Laura for all of their help with the bed, and the bedding. And generally for their kindness and generosity. We all appreciate it!! Enjoy the pictures and videos of this momentous occasion :)

That's one happy boy!

Just leave me alone already, I'm ready for bed!!

I love the end when he;s jumping and saying, "Tommy Bed!" at the same time

We made a pit stop on Sunday and Papa and Odee got to play with some bubbles.


This video is just so dang cute!

Starting the spring out right

The spring air persuaded us to take a trip to the zoo today. What a wonderful day it was! We decided to invest in a family pass for the Brookfield Zoo, which will last until June 2011. We are very excited to take Oden and the new baby to the Zoo as much as possible, as it is one of Jess and my favorite places. Oden was very excited about everything, except the monkeys. For some reason he was actually afraid of them! Interesting..... His favorite animals were probably the lions and tigers. It was awesome to watch him recognize the animals and just watch them. We also went into the family zoo part. It was free today, so it was very crowded but what an amazing place. Oden learned how to 'mist' plants with a spray water bottle, which he LOVED. He also loved running around in the tunnels that were in there. On our way out, Oden was given a plastic piggy bank and has been attached to it all day. For the last hour or so he has been putting coins into it and taking them out, transferring coins into cups, back into the piggy bank, and randomly attempting to put coins in other items as well. He is so cute. I think this is going to be a great year for the zoo!

It was a great time, from the beginning....

Learning to spray the plants, this little boy decided that Oden looked green I guess.

"I'm having so much fun!"

Checking out those big cats.

An exhausting day at the zoo warrants a big bowl of sherbert :)

Terrible, Horrible, Unbareable Two's

I just noticed that it has been over one month since my last post. OOPS! I blame these babies completely. Oden is definitely is his terrible two's (times 10). He has been the craziest, most horribly behaved boy ever! I just don't even know what to do anymore! I'm hoping that he's just going crazy from being in the house all the time. Hopefully, the weather will warm up soon so we can go outside to get rid of his energy. Right now, everything is a fight. From changing diapers, to sharing toys, or even sitting down to eat. He fights me at every turn!! I have not found an effective punishment method yet. He will not sit still for time-outs, I don't spank, I don't like to yell, I've tried putting him in our laundry room alone, I've also tried his bedroom for time-outs. All with no avail. I've had quite a few people tell me that he just knows how to push my buttons. I recite the serenity prayer to myself multiple times daily. I can't imagine that throwing an infant into the mix is going to make things better. I have a feeling that this is going to be 'the crazy house' for a while! On a side note, Oden's speech has been developing at a rapid pace. Majority of his language only Mom and Dad can understand. He is very vocal about everything now. It is fun to just sit and watch him play. He's constantly babbling and you can almost see the gears turning and his imagination working! He also has very good manners. We have been very persistent with him, saying please and thank you, and it is paying off. For example, yesterday Papa Joe and Grandma Honey (Laura) came over to give Odee a Valentine's Day gift. He was given two new books. He said thank you to both right away. Then, when he was playing with them later in the night he all of a sudden said, "Dane You Papa Grama!" It as very cute. It makes us very happy to be raising a polite boy. Hopefully the craziness with fade in time. The baby in my tummy has been moving around a lot lately too. Jess finally got to feel it the other day. That was very exciting. I tried getting Oden to hold still and put his hand on my tummy, but he just can't seem to stay still for that long. Perhaps having a sibling will calm Oden down and make him the world best big brother?! I know it's doubtable, but I can dream can't I?!

Valentine's Day family picture

Oden coloring in his new WonderPets pajamas!

I love the cape! He can be the forth WonderPet member!

Dad and Odee getting ready for a car ride.

Oden is wearing Jess's hat. Yes, Oden has a huge head!

Snap Shots from my phone

Here are some random pictures that I have been taking on my phone over the last couple of months. A lot of times it is easier to just grab my phone, then to pull out the camera.

This picture was a day or two after Christmas. Oden received a Black and Decker tool set from his Aunt Maggie. After several attempts and demonstrations by Dad, Oden finally decided that he was ready to become Oden the Tool Man! It was very cute. I kept telling him that he looked like one of his favorite Disney characters, Handy Manny.

This picture was taken the the day after Christmas. It is clear that Oden has a mild case of OCD, just like his Dad. He likes to line up all of his trains and just admire at them. Also notice the amazing Thomas train table in the background. Yes, Thomas has taken over our house!!

I found these pajamas for Oden on the clearance rack at Kohl's. They are an imitation of super hero uniforms, and on the left chest they read "Dad's Lil Sidekick"! They have become an absolute favorite! This night he took Dads alarm clock cover and put it over his eyes like super hero glasses. He is our little super man!!

Oden really loves our cat. On this particular day he really loved the cat's bed. He was in and out of it all day, and of course covered in white hair. I think he was imitating the cat.

For those of you that haven't seen this picture yet, it's from the infamous baby powder incident. One day while Oden was watching his morning Thomas, I ran upstairs to get ready for Maddie to come over. I figured he would be OK by himself for 10 minutes while he hung out with Thomas. After getting ready I was heading down the stairs when I noticed the faint smell of baby powder. I had just used it on Oden before heading upstairs, so I thought my pregnant bionic nose was just kicking in. Then after rounding the stairs I saw Oden shaking baby powder all over the ground! And not just the ground, a lot of his trains and train tracks. I gasped for a second, then I looked at him and he smiled at me, and I just started laughing. I quickly snapped this picture before the clean up process began. Baby powder is not the easiest thing to clean up. Let's just say we were cleaning up the fine dust for weeks after. It was a priceless moment though. How can you be mad at that face?! I must not have closed the powder after using it because he has tried to shake the baby powder container since then but can't figure out how to open it (thank goodness). I will never forget this moment though. Priceless.

Oden's 2nd Birthday

Oden's birthday festivities started on his actual birthday, which was this past Wednesday. He has pretty much been spoiled rotten since the weekend before Christmas! On his birthday we went to Chuck E. Cheese, compliments of Gramma and Grampa Dee Dee. It was really fun! He was running around the entire time. I barely got him to stop long enough to eat a few bites of pizza. That's the story of his life though, always running!! Then, midway through the Chuck E. Cheese excursion he received a present of 3 bath tub Thomas toys, which he carried around with him the rest of our time there. Keep in mind that he is not a mutant baby and he only has two hands. So you can just imagine him, and us, juggling Thomas toys all night! It was his day so we let him do whatever he wanted to do!! Yesterday we had his big party at Bouncin Bonkers. This place is really neat. It's brand new and it's basically a brightly colored, slightly upgraded, sectioned warehouse with a cushioned floor and those outdoor blow up apparatus' inside! There were 8 kids total there, but a lot of big kids too! Everyone was able to take advantage of the fun, if they chose to do so. It is the perfect place for Oden, because he can just run! That's exactly what he did too! He was running back and forth between the playroom and the room with his huge Thomas cake in it. It was a perfect birthday celebration! Something tells me that this year is going to be a very busy one. I almost wish that someone bought us a heavy dumbbell so that we could tie it around him to keep him still for a moment! I am not currently a fan of his constant movement but overall I would have to say we have an awesome, happy boy. We look forward to many, many, many more birthdays!!

Birthday party and cake #1! He blows out his own candle!

He loves this merry-go-round

Having fun with Dad at party #2

Wild Thing!

Just like I said, always running.....

We forgot candles so he blew out 2 lighters...LOL!

Surrounded by a mountain of gifts!!!

Christmas 2009

Here are a few pictures from Christmas this year, which was amazing! It's great to see Oden become so interactive with EVERYTHING that is Christmas. From baking cookies, to opening presents, to talking about Santa, he understood it all this year. We really had a lot of fun. Oden, was of course, spoiled rotten. I really think that he appreciated all of his gifts. He has played with everything he received! His favorite toy is his new Thomas the train table. He plays with it for hours everyday. As if we didn't need a bigger house already, now we really need some extra space (just for all of his toys)! We really had a great time with all of our family this year too. All of the Christmas parties were great, and the new traditions that we started will hopefully be lasting :) Thank you to everyone in each of our families for making this Holiday Season one to cherish forever!!

Oden in the coolest hat ever!!

Opening presents, by the end of them all he was a professional!

Riding his new tractor!!

The Thomas the train table!!!

Oden and Santa 2009

Oden went to visit Santa this past Sunday with Grandma DeeDee. Thank goodness she wanted to take him, otherwise he was just not going this year. Starting a couple of weeks ago, I had been trying to prepare him for any Santa encounters we might have this year. I bought him a Santa book and started reading it, and talking to him about Santa. He has a new obsession with sale flyers. He will find any flyer with a toy section, lay it out on the couch, point at what he wants (mainly trains or Handy Manny), put his hands together and say, "Please?" I started to tell him that he had to ask Santa please for the toys he wanted. Then he started pulling over our little rug with Santa on it, placing it next to the flyers, and saying please. It was so funny! I had to tell him not that Santa, the REAL Santa. Thankfully Oden is fully bribeable, for the most part. If you have candy, or tell him he can have something in exchange for good behavior, he will normally comply with your request. I told Grandma DeeDee about this, and suggested she used the bribery tactics. So she told him if he sat on Santa's lap they would go and get a Thomas train. She said he did good in the line, probably distracted by the kids and Christmas things. He held a sales flyer the whole time, to show to Santa. Then I guess the story goes, as soon as he got on Santa's lap he started balling! Poor Oden, he's just got ready for that scary, red guy yet! Then, Grandma DeeDee tried to go to the KayBeeToys in the mall and it was closed! She spotted a stand in the mall with a train in it, but it was for some stupid store that you have to order it and it comes in the mail. I guess Oden freaked out because he couldn't have it. She said it was a complete meltdown. They then headed for the toy section in Sears but found another stand where you could actually buy the Thomas toy presented and get it the same day. Overall, I think it was a fun experience for all involved. I think Oden even believes it was worth it, he has been attached to his new toy for the last 3 days. :) Maybe if I start preparing him now, by next year we might actually get a picture of him (and his sibling) smiling!

Christmas Monkey

As brutal as winter has been already, it has also brought some great Oden moments. This is the first year where we can actually talk to Oden about what's going on and he understands. From Christmas decorations, to the snow outside, he gets very excited about all of these seemingly new things. A couple of weeks ago when it first snowed at night, Oden and I were out visiting friends. We happened to walk outside as it started to snow pretty good and Odee shouted out with glee, "OOOOHHHH!!" To which I replied, "Yeah, pretty snow!" It was such a cute moment. Then I let him touch the powdery snow on our car. He looked and me bright eyed and said, "COLD!" It was such a cute moment. I will never forget it. He is also doing surprisingly well with the Christmas decorations. His only real interest is the Shrek candy canes on the tree. He is pretty much obsessed with Shrek, so when we saw these candy canes at the store I knew he would freak if I even attempted to put them back. I think he appreciated that purchase and my understanding, he held the box all day before we put them on the tree. This Christmas season has already been so exciting and memorable, I cannot wait to see what new memories the coming weeks will bring. I'm not sure if we will be taking him to see Santa this year. Two hours in a line at the mall for a $20 picture of Oden screaming his head off hardly seems worth the effort, or the trauma!! But we will see....

Here are some pictures of Oden in my favorite Christmas jammies ever! My baby monkey in baby Christmas monkey pajamas!!

Oden kissing his Christmas moose.....
.....Oden deciding the moose looks tasty.

Turkey Day 2009

I know I can speak for all of us when I say, we were very thankful to have such a wonderful Thanksgiving this year!

Our schedule of jumping from house to house this year worked out perfectly. I felt like we had a chance to spend quality time with all of our families. On Monday we went for a little Thanksgiving at my Mom's house. That was nice, and convenient for us because it meant one less place we had to rush to on actual Thanksgiving Day. So then on Thanksgiving, we started at Grammy Mary and Grandpa Scott's house. Grammy made an absolutely delicious breakfast for us! It was a breakfast of champions! Then we all gathered around the TV and watched the parade in New York. No one was in a rush, which was a really nice change. After that we went to Uncle Mike and Aunt Linda's house to hang out with the family and Grandpapa Joe and Grandmama Laura. They laid out a feast for kings! The food was so good, Jess was a little upset when it was time to leave. From there we headed to our final destination, Grampa and Gramma Dee Dee's! It was nice to see a bunch of my family that we don't get a chance to see often enough. And of course it was nice to get some of the Furr Family's famous Giblet gravy! YUMMY! By the end of a couple of hours there we were all exhausted!! But, It was overall a fabulous day!

We are so so thankful to have such wonderful people in our lives. We love our families so much, it's hard to put it into words. Each one of you brings such a special light into our lives, we would be lost without you. Thank you, for just being you. And thank you for loving us so unconditionally. WE ARE SO LUCKY!!!

Oden in his folding table fort.....

Trying to get some new profile pictures for Grammy.....

Save me Grandmama!!

Our second annual family pic at the beautiful Hogan house.

It was worth the wait, I hope!

I am very sorry that I haven't updated the blog in a while. We have been very busy, and I think you will understand if you can make it through this blog!

For those of you who have not yet heard, we discovered about 3 weeks ago that Oden will have a sibling mid-June 2010. We are very excited! I remember my pregnancy with Oden being mildly difficult. In comparison to how I'm feeling so far in this pregnancy, it's not really comparable at all. I'm miserable. My exhaustion has hit record levels. I try to save all my energy for Oden everyday. Everything else gets put on the back burner. This blog has been saved as a draft 3 times already!

Oden is doing great! Although, We did have a scare with him a little over a week ago. It was Tuesday the 20th. Oden woke up and was just not himself. He pretty much layed around all day (this NEVER happens). From the morning on, I noticed he had a fever. It was around 101-102 on our thermometer. I was in contact with the doctors office several times throughout the day, and they basically said to monitor it, give him aspirin, and if the fever reached 103 to take him to the ER. We decided to try to run some errands after his first dose of Tylenol. After about 15 minutes in the car, he puked everywhere!!! It was so horrible. So when we got home after that, I did not feel like the medicine was helping his fever subside. He took a nap, that was longer than normal and then took his temp again. This time I compared Oden's temperature to Jess's temperature, Jess's temp was 95.6, and Oden's was 101.7. We thought that his breathing had gotten somewhat shallow so at that point, we decided it was time to go to the Emergency Room. When we arrived, we were given a mask to put over his little face and about a minute after that the nurse came over to check his breathing and ask about his symptoms. They took him straight back to admittance where his temp was 102.9 (I had given him Tylenol 1 hour before), he continued by freaking out and puking everywhere. All over his clothes, but thankfully into a garbage can also. They got all of us into a private room where they gave him a suppository, a steroid shot, a breathing treatment, followed by a series of tests. He was swabbed through the nose a couple of times, and then he had chest x-rays. By this time, Grandpa Joe, Grandma Laura, and Auntie Maggie had arrived with new clothes for Odee and some emotional support for all of us. After about 3 hours of being there, Oden started to perk up. He was running around the room, causing chaos as usual so we decided it was time to go. They prescribed us a bunch of medicine as well as a nebulizer. By the next afternoon, he was 100% better! Thank goodness! It wasn't the swine flu! He has had no symptoms since :)

Halloween this year was amazing! Oden went dressed as a monkey. I decided this because I call him my crazy monkey all the time! He was so cute. We were able to visit almost everyone (Sorry Grammy and Grandpa Scott!), and Oden was loving it. He didn't mind his costume at all, which really surprised me. We ended up taking him trick or treating at Grandpa Joe and Grandma Laura's house. It was very cold, but we were able to go to a few houses. He can't say trick or treat yet but he said, "PLEASE?" for almost every house. After the first house he sat on the ground beside his wagon in awe of the candy in his little bucket. Then, at the 5th house he got a Blow Pop sucker. This was his favorite treat!! We just started letting him have dum dum suckers every once in a while, so to him, this was the king of suckers!! He was thrilled!! He was pretty much done after he got that one, he chewed on the stick all the way back to the house. He also got to meet his newest cousin! Little Taylor Rose (only 6 weeks old) came to visit in her little pumpkin costume. Whenever she was out of sight, Oden would run around saying, "BayBee!" It was the most memorable Halloween yet!

Also, Jess and I got engaged on Halloween! He came home after work on Saturday and told Oden to bring me something. Oden was being slightly bratty so Jess had to continue his proposal without Oden's help. After a very touching speech and a few tears, I accepted whole heartedly. We will be setting a date very soon! So you see, we have been busy bees!! I will try my hardest to keep up on the blog from now on.


Here are some pictures from this Halloween season:

Oden did so good holding his little basket!

Trick or treating with Dad

Enjoying a Halloween treat.....Cheetos!!

Helping sort the candy for Grandma

He still remembers his baby toys

Working out with Grampa DeeDee!

My baby monkey!

Fun at the pumpkin patch

Of course he would fins the only train sign! LOL! We went on a train ride too!

Hi, Dora!

GO!! Having fun with Gramma DeeDee!

He's always on the move!

He was no help finding pumpkins, he just wanted to run.

KITTY!