Auburn Celebration

We ventured down to Auburn last Saturday for their National Championship Celebration in the stadium. Will did about as well as we could expect a 2 year old to do. The 30 minutes before it started, he was fine listening to the music and spotting Aubie. When it started, and the speeches started, he got a little bored (unlike his daddy who was hanging on EVERY word). He was VERY squirmy for about 20 minutes. Let me tell you, it is not easy to contain your child in a pretty packed stadium when all he wants to do is climb stadium steps and eat random people's popcorn. We thought we might have to leave several times. He wasn't being bad....just 2. Finally with about 15 minutes left he passed out. And when I say passed out, I mean completely dead weight-nothing woke him....not the loud music at the end, not the cheering, not the walk back to the car, not undressing him out of his winter get up so that he would fit into his car seat-he didn't wake up until we were in Sylacauga. We wore the little guy out! It was pretty cold and the wind made it worse. We were sitting in the shade the whole time, so that didn't help either. But we had fun. This was Will's 2nd time in the stadium. His first was last spring for A-day.
After it was over I wanted to take another picture of Will and John in the same spot where John introduced Will to all things Auburn when he was only 2 weeks old, but considering my child was out and so was my camera battery, we will just have to do that another day.
I think this past Saturday has finally caught up with him. I am home with a sick little guy today. Just pitiful! This should also explain why I have been on a blogging roll...3 in one day...I've had a little extra time. I could get used to working 4 day weeks...laundry gets done, blogging gets done, extra snuggle time with Will...lets just hope we aren't in for another rough night.

The Potty

I'm pretty sure when my mom bought Will a potty to sit by the real potty so he could just get familiar with it (no worries....haven't even thought about potty training), she didn't expect it to get used like this.Every night when we get him ready to get in the bath and he is stripped down, he will either sit on the potty or point to it and say "poop." So I guess he at least has the concept, but using the actual pot for a hat is WAY more fun! And for those of you cringing because you are wondering how sanitary this could actually be, the potty has NEVER been pooped or peed in.

TWO cute!

I just had to share the first matching outfit that I bought for my TWO boys. It still sounds SO weird to say the "boys!" My friend had a Kelly's Kids party. I love their stuff-so well made at very reasonable prices. Anyways, John says that Will can't wear anymore "outfits" now that he is two. It is a good thing I have another baby on the way to dress however I want :). I know they will be almost 2.5 years apart, but I think there will be times when it will be cute to dress them alike! The shorts are obviously for Will and the bubble is for Alex (now that really sounds weird-and makes it so much more real now that he is named!!)

The Name

We have a name for Baby #2. While John still says we will refer to him as Rocky until he makes his appearance, his official name is...

John Alexander

We'll call him Alex. The John of course is after my husband. I knew I wanted to incorporate his name somehow. Alexander comes from John's cousin, Alex, who went to be with Jesus way too young. With the exception of his sister, Stephanie, all of the other children in John's family are boys. John grew up very close with his 6 boy cousins-they are all doorsteps. Every childhood story that I hear involve at least one of his cousins....and all of them make me extremely nervous about having 2 boys considering some of the idiotic, crazy things they did!!! At any rate, Alex was 2 years older than John. It turns out, Alex had a rare heart condition that they were not aware of until he passed away in high school. Since we have been married, John has always mentioned that he would like name one of our son's Alex in honor and memory of his cousin if given the chance. We are blessed to be able to continue Alex's legacy in this way.

Worth The Wait...

First of all, let's get something straight. Anyone that thinks the championship has gotten the least bit old, hasn't been around John. I think he will be like this for the next 11 and a half months until there is a new reigning champion. Anytime an Auburn fan calls his cell phone, he answers "Hello my fellow national champion..." Cracks me up every time!!
So back in the middle of the season when Auburn started really showing potential, John mentioned to me that he wondered if this would be the year...I had no idea what he was talking about so I said, "The year for what...."
He looked at me as serious as he could be and said..."The year I could order THE Sports Illustrated Commemorative Edition Championship package."
Little did I know that he had been waiting for this moment since 1993. John said that when the Chicago Bulls won the NBA Finals against Charles Barkley and the Phoenix Suns, he saw commercials for the commemorative package. He always wanted one for Auburn. Well get excited everyone, because our Sports Illustrated Commemorative Edition Auburn Championship Package is on its way...By ordering the commemorative package, not only is he subscribed to Sports Illustrated for one year (he really could care less about this), he gets 1) the hardcover commemorative book and I quote "Relive all the action and emotion of the full championship season with SI's amazing writing and photography..." 2)BCS Championship DVD and 3)A championship football exclusively from Sports Illustrated, officially licensed!
Does it get any better than that folks??? As soon as Auburn won the game, I looked at my husband and announced that his wait was over-no matter what it cost, he WOULD have his Sports Illustrated Commemorative Edition Championship Package....17 years later.

TWO

I cannot believe that today my little boy turned 2! The day came and went, and flew by much like the past 2 years did...I feel like just yesterday I cam home with this little guy...and now he is this handsome, precious, hysterical, opinionated BOY. What happened to my baby??Will and I both played hooky from school today. We had birthday plans. We baked this morning (pink and blue cupcakes for a very important announcement he was going to make later...), then made a trip to Academy for some new shoes, met Daddy for lunch at Chick-fil-A and even got to ride the Hot Dog Truck (Galleria-we can't go without riding it!).Later our families came over for a birthday dinner with Will where Will had his very own giant cupcake again this year and he was allowed to dig in! We lit the candles and when we were finished singing, he knew exactly what to do-he started blowing which was the funniest thing you have ever seen! Spit was flying and he was trying so hard his face turned red...but he blew both candles out by himself!

Right now....
-the child is obsessed with trains or in Will language, Choo Choos. He talks about them all the time, usually has one (or three) in his hands, sings the theme song to Choo Choo soul, if TV is on he wants to be watching Chuggington...hence the reason for the choo choo birthday party :)
-he is still attached to his paci. This is my fault. I said we were taking them away at Christmas and just couldn't do it. He is such a GREAT sleeper. I worry that it may mess him up somehow, especially his naps. I don't know why I am such a scaredy cat...I've just got to break down and do it!!
-he says all kinds of words. More than I could sit down and take the time to make a list. He is still not Mr. Conversation, but he gets his point across and is communicating with us much better which makes day to day life much easier! His favorite words are no, uh-oh, choo choo, koko (train from chuggington), tatoo (airplane....no clue where that came from), and nilk (milk).
-He loves books and loves to be read to...Right now a few of his favorites are The Gobble Gobble Mooooo Tractor book, Hop on Pop, Dooby Dooby Moo, and Polar Bear Polar Bear What do you Hear?
-Baths have become much more fun since Santa left color tablets and bubbles in Will's stocking! When he hears the bath water running, he comes running, get the tables and bubbles out of the cabinet and anxiously awaits for the time when he can drop them in. If you give him a choice, he will request "blue wa-wa" most every time!!
-His favorite foods are pasta, grilled cheese, cheese, pb&j, hot dog, chicken nuggets, fruit snacks, crackers, blueberry waffles, bacon, applesauce, bananas, strawberries, and most any vegetable. This is pretty much all he eats...we are working on introducing new things but these are our go to foods when we know he just needs to eat!
-He loves to color/draw/paint!!! One wall in our den has fallen victim to his Picasso-esque talents :) It wasn't a lot thank goodness, but it is blue and pretty easy to notice!
-He loves Bentley (or as he says Bay-ey)...he just doesn't understand why Bentley doesn't seem to reciprocate the love. Poor Bent is more annoyed with Will than anything, but is super patient with him.

I really can't remember what life was like before Will. He is so funny and keeps us thoroughly entertained each and every day! I am sure I was much more rested pre-kids, but life with Will is way more fun.

This is why we are super excited that baby #2 is a BOY!!!! We found out today, on Will's birthday. I was a little worried about stealing Will's thunder, but how fun was it to give Will the gift of a little brother on his birthday!
We had our family all choose a pink or blue cupcake...My mom and Stephanie both chose pink...the rest chose blue.
John of course is beside himself with this little Vakakes clan of boys we are breeding :) I am super excited too. I kind of felt all along it was a boy just because things have been pretty much the same as my first pregnancy. However, the closer time gets, the more you second guess yourself! I woke up at 1:17 A.M. and could not go back to sleep until about 4:30 and then Will was up at 6:30, so I haven't had much sleep. I was so anxious today! I am thrilled that Will is going to have a playmate and a buddy for life. John has already thought of all the ways this is perfect: in a few years they can share a room and have bunk beds, they will get to play varsity sports with each other for at least one year, they could room together at Auburn....his list goes on and on. The little stinker seems to already be stubborn though-it took a good long while for the ultrasound tech to figure out he was indeed a he. His legs and ankles were crossed until the very end of the ultrasound. When I saw that at the beginning, I immediately thought it was a girl and she was just being modest :) Baby boy was not as cooperative as Will was at his ultrasound.....he didn't seem to want to sit still long enough to get a decent profile picture. I wonder what that says about my future of trying to get pictures with 2 little boys :) I am SO outnumbered!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WILL!!!!
I have been in love since the moment I laid eyes on you...

All Aboard!

We celebrated Will's birthday with close friends and family on Saturday. Choo Choo's were the theme of the day, and let me tell you, they did not disappoint!!! We rented a train from a rental place here in town. We had no idea if Will was too young for this, how he would react, if it would be a waste of money, etc. All of our expectations were exceeded when we saw Will's reaction to the train. I think he screamed Choo Choo about a million times. He clapped, yelled "All Aboard," and rode and rode until we didn't think he could ride anymore. God totally pulled through for us with the weather! It was chilly, but we could not have asked for a more beautiful January day (especially since snow/ice started falling on Sunday night!!) I looked at John on Friday night and told him, as I was fixing party favors and wrapping ribbons, that I hoped Will enjoyed his party half as much as I enjoyed planning it. I love this kind of thing and it was so fun for me to try and think of ways to make this a perfect day for Will-because he is perfect in every way!
I will let the pictures tell the story of our day...I always wish I could have a zap person at Will's birthday parties. Even though I took about 100 pictures, I still managed to only have 1 with my dad in there, none of my brother....oh well.
We had so much fun...and are still having fun. Will got super lucky as his birthday week got off to a great start with school being closed Monday AND Tuesday. Tomorrow is Will's actual birthday-I have taken the day off to spend the day with him AND we get to find out if he is going to have a brother or a sister. What a fun day!!
*The 2 on the door, All Aboard banner, and RR crossing signs were all made by my mom. I can envision it, but she is the one that makes it happen!! I am so thankful she is talented AND willing :)

BIG day tomorrow!

Tomorrow is my sweet little boy's 2nd birthday party! God and I have chatted each night about the weather and it looks like He is going to pull through for us :) I only hope Will enjoys it half as much as I have enjoyed planning it. I wanted to put his invitation on here as a shout out to my dear friend Shealy. She is so talented and made Will's invitation from scratch. She does this as a little business on the side...here is her blog. Check her out...I am sure she would love to help you design an invitation!

Top 10 in 2010

2010 was a super fun year for us! It brought its fair share of struggles (need I remind you of the start of daycare for Will...), but it was equally full of blessings and joy!
Here are what I think were the highlights of 2010 for us...some small, some big, some just in between, but all were special in their own way!

10. Spending LOTS of lazy days at the pool this summer. As a teacher, I covet this time off and try not to take it for granted, as I know not everyone has this luxury. Spending time with Will at the pool and playing with our neighbors, sometimes staying until sunset and ordering pizza was so much fun!! I was sad to see those summer days go...

9. A super fun beach trip with our dear friends the Pughs that concluded in me turning 27 and Will breaking his collar bone :) Since that trip, they have added a third child, a GIRL, and we will be adding another child come June, so I am already trying to think how it would be strategically possible to do another beach trip with them....4 adults....5 kids. Makes me tired just thinking about it :)

8. Getting Will's school pictures in from daycare. This may seem like a stupid thing to add to our top 10 list, but these pictures are super meaningful to me because they are sort of a reminder of our struggle and survival of starting Will in daycare. My heart broke for almost a whole month every single day. This picture reminds me of the love we have been shown from his new school and also of the adjustment Will made (even if it took 2 months!) And if nothing else, I laugh every time I pass it in its frame!

7. Auburn's perfect season. I would be remiss for not mentioning this...even if I am an Alabama fan. This has been a great fall for our marriage...thanks Auburn! I love seeing my husband so excited and hope this perfect season will carry on into this month!!

6. Our anniversary trip to Charleston. We figured every 5 years we should do something "bigger" than usual for our anniversary. We decided to jet to Charleston for a long weekend. It was really fun exploring a new place together...really I just cared about the sleep and the food....but the extra time spent with John wasn't bad either. Our hotel was amazing and we were greeted with champagne and chocolate cake when we arrived at 2:30 A.M. (the drive was the only bad part about the trip....it was LONG!)

5. Our "Happy Graduation to John" trip to Disney World. Early in January we made the decision to cancel our Mediterranean cruise we had booked. We would be gone 12 days and just weren't sure if we could leave little man for that long. It is a decision I still question, but something I am certain we will book again someday (10th anniversary maybe, hehe). We decided to stay a little closer to home and be gone 4 nights instead of 11. We flew this time which was the way to go! A shuttle from the airport took us directly to our resort. For those who know us well, we LOVE all things Disney. We played and played for 3 days in the park until we couldn't hardly keep our eyes open for fireworks on the last night. I know we would have had fun in Greece, but we had a blast at Disney!!

4. Finding out we were expecting baby #2!!! This is something we were planning, but it is still very surreal and exciting and scary all at the same time when it actually happens. I will never forget telling our families with Will wearing his "I'm going to be a big brother" t-shirt. It was very fun and I was so glad that Will was involved, even if he had no idea what was going on or how drastically his whole world would be changing in a few short months

3. Experiencing Christmas through the eyes of a child!!! Will was almost 1 last Christmas and it was really fun, but nothing compared to this year, and I know it will only continue to get better. Everything was exciting to him. His eyes filled with amazement every time we saw Christmas lights, Ho Ho, etc. Definitely made Christmas so much more meaningful this year. John and I kept saying how we could have cared less about presents this year-it was so much more fun to watch Will get excited over his!!

Well....maybe this is going to just have to be the top 8 from 2010...I know plenty of other things have happened...they just aren't coming to mind at the moment!

2011 is already proving to be an exciting year as we have a jam packed few weeks coming up. This Saturday is Will's birthday party, we find out if Will is going to have a brother or a sister on Monday (Threatening snow better not make us miss our appointment!!!), the Auburn game is Monday night, and Will's 2nd birthday is Thursday. Wow!

I didn't really make any resolutions this year. I guess if I were to think of something I wanted to make sure I did this year it would be to just soak in every single moment with my little family. These past two years have flown by and I know it won't be long until we are sending Will off to Kindergarten. I am really going to make a conscious effort to not worry so much about the dishes and laundry and toys that are EVERYWHERE (don't think that will be very hard) and focus more on the little things! I have an excellent excuse to build really cool things out of play-dough and steer choo choo trains all over the house!