So it has been offically a week since my last post. I kinda took a break just because there was so much stuff I should have been doing instead of blogging and reading other blogs, however...I am back.

Not too much has changed in a week. Ryan started his 5 weeks off which is kinda nice, being able to see him during the day. There are some projects he has started, one involving our basement. We decided a few weeks ago that his time off would be a good opportunity to frame in a few rooms in the basement and get them finished. We decided to do this just because if we are still here in September when the baby comes, it would be nice to have more room. Not only that but an extra room/rec room and bathroom would be a great selling point. Hopefully it pays off and we can get this house sold.

With the baby, not too much has changed either. My belly is expanding a little bit which I am not too sure I like yet, but oh well. My "sickness" is getting better I feel like day by day. Some days I guess are better than others but I have managed to keep my head out of the toilet-always a plus. But still...late afternoon to night is always the worst for me. It is worth it tho, and I am sure once I meet my little peanut all the yuckyness of pregnancy will disapear.

Evan is still crazy as ever. Walking everywhere now. It was amazing how fast that went from him being alittle unsure to him just taking off. He is so funny sometimes. With Ryan finishing the basement, the gate is open more often so Evan finally realized we had stairs. He is obsessed with stairs thanks to Grandpa DeVries who taught him how to climb up and down. He is saying SO much lately too. It amazes me at all the words he says. There are some things he can put two words together to form a little sentence. He is such a smarty pants. Sorry to brag-but he is. :)

As far as our house goes, we have had a lot of activity and always great reviews. I always got my hopes up when our realtor would call for a showing but I have learned now not too and just to be excited for a clean house. I know some people hate the idea of making sure your house is clean and having to pick up for showings-but I love it. It forces me to do something I dont want to do and sometimes I need an extra little push.

Anyway--Evan is napping and this is my only time to myself so I think I am going to go read my book. Have a great day!

Evan's Favorite Treat

Evan got a special Valentines Day treat from Grandpa and Grandma DeVries. Seeing how he cant really eat candy yet, she got Evan a treat bag of his favorite Gerber graduates "bitter biscuits" They look to me a bit like a dog treat, but Evan absolutly loves them. Just thought I would post a few pics of what a lovely mess he makes. Although, this is pretty mild compared to what he is capable of. Oh..and by the way...he does own more clothing than the one camo shirt he is always wearing. For some reason, I always seem to take pictures of him when he has that on. Oh well. He is clapping in the last one to show what a big boy he was by eating it all. Silly bugger.

I feel like I am starting to figure out my schedule on feeling icky with this whole pregnancy. I feel like this time around is a little bit worse. Mornings are still pretty good as long as I nibble on something right away in the morning. I have to constantly have my belly full because the minute I start feeling the slightest bit hungry...I get that icky feeling and it lasts quite a while. Nights are still the worst. From around 4 to the time I go to bed. I am thinking this little bugger in me has to be a girl. I just dont remember feeling this way with Evan EVERYDAY. It is quite possible I was the same with Evan, but I guess after you see your little peanut you forget all the horrible things about labor and pregnancy. One thing I know is differnt tho is how much more tired I am. I think the reason for this is because I have a one year old I am chasing all day. He definatly keeps me going, but the minute he is in his bed taking a nap...I am taking one too. If I dont get one during the day, I am spent by 8 oclock. Yes...I am complaining a bit. Sorry for you who are reading this. I know that for sure after the 20 week mark I will be feeling better and then you wont have to read about it so much. :) Hoping it will be sooner than that, but you never know. Have a good day.

More Pictures

Here are a few from the last couple days. The one of Evan sitting on the woodfloor is of him this past week when he was sick. You can see the patheticness in his eyes. And then my valentines day flowers. :-) You have to understand...I think it has been over a year since I got flowers. This is very rare!

Valentine's Day

I had probably the best Valentine's Day I have ever had. Although it didnt start the greatest because I worked all day...it turned out the be awesome thanks to my hubby. Originally I had planned our friends Will and Denise to come over like the so often do. I talked to Denise this week and she asked if we wanted to get together on Valentine's Day or if we do something special. I told her Ryan didnt even get me a card last year, so I doubt he would care anyway. So when I got home from work I was expecting to for one see Evan and 2 get ready for them to come over. Nope. Not even close. Ryan had aranged for Grandma DeVries to take him over night, which is very rare. Evan has only slept at Grandma's once. I got home and Ryan was all dressed up, there were roses on the counter and he said, "Hurry up we have a date night tonight." Ok...to me...this is like the biggest treat ever!!! I havent had a date with Ryan since probably July for my birthday. He took me to our favorite restraunt Olive Garden in Muskegon...and we hit a movie after dinner in Grand Haven. We saw "Taken," which I highley recommend. One of the better movies I have seen in a while. It was so nice to sleep in this morning and not have to get up at 6 when Evan gets up usually. (Sorry Grandma!) It was wonderful!!! Such an awesome Valentine's day. Ryan really knew how to make me feel special!!

Finally Feeling Better!

Finally my little buddy is feeling better. This whole past week has just been aweful for him, and I hate seeing him that way. Just looking at him you could see it in his eyes that he was misrible. After Ryan took him to the ER, the doctor there told him if Evan's fever doesnt go away after 2 days to have him seen, so after the 3rd day in a row of his fever ranging from 101-103 I called again to his pediatrican. At first the nurse I was talking to was telling me he needed to be seen immediatly and to take him to the ER right away, I was about in tears! Eventually after talking to her more she told us to come in the office right away so Ryan took a half day and took him so I could go to work. Apparently he has just a really bad virus going around, and Dr. Zink thought that his fever should break by today. She told us to up his dose of Tylenol because I guess we were under dosing him, and that really seemed to help. By last night he was playing again and acting more normal. Today he is probably 80% back to being our silly little man, he is eating a lot better and finally after almost 4 days, does not have a fever. It breaks your heart seeing your child misrible like that, and knowing there is nothing you can do to make them feel better but hold them. Thank goodness it is just a virus that will pass, and that he is on the road to feeling better!

Paraphrasing From the Message

Here is something I was reading today, and thought was pretty cool. I love getting other perspectives on what the Bible is saying. The Message is a great tool. Thought I would share something that clung to me today.

Philippians 4:4-9
4-5Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!

6-7Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

8-9Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

I have been lacking with the photos lately. I thought I would post a few of my baby. The one of him on the pillow is of today. All he wants to do is cuddle and lay his head on the pillow. So cute, but it breaks my heart when he isnt feeling good.

ER Visit #2

The last couple days I have noticed Evan hasnt been feeling his normal self. Yesterday he was feverish all day, had no appetite, (Which if you know our little man, is SO not him) and just wanted to cuddle all day. Just thought it was a little bug and it will pass in a few days. His fever was around 101-102, and they say not to take them in until it is like 104, (to me is kinda crazy) anyway...we gave him his tylenol, and that helped a little bit, but last night around 11, he woke up just screaming. I wasnt sure what was going on. Screaming to the point where you couldnt get him to calm down no matter what you did. I had two thoughts. Ears, or his kidney. His urologist was always concerned that if he had fevers and flu like symtoms to get him checked out soon because if it was an infection in his kidney, he could loose function of it if it isnt treated immediatly. I unfortunatly was in no state to take him in thanks to my night time sickness. Ryan took him to Zeeland to get him checked out. They did take a urine sample from him by putting a catheder in. (Poor baby!!) but praise God it came back clean. They figured it is his ears seeing how they did see an infection in them. I cant imagine ear infections for little ones. I remember having one last year and it was so painful I cried. I cant imagine my little guy going through that. Thank goodness he is on another dose of amoxy and hopefully it will clear up soon. Another eventful night at the DeVries household.

Spring??

I am loving this weather today! The sunshine and almost 50 degree weather. It makes me giddy for spring. I dont know about anyone else, but about this time every year I start getting the winter blues and just need a pick me up. Looking outside today was awesome, although, I could do with out the wind. It kept me up most the night. But the warm weather is fabulous. We were supposed to go sledding with Evan and his cousins on the DeVries side, but somehow I dont think we will be able to make that work. I wasnt going to sled anyway, Just watch. Ryan would have more fun than me anyway.

Not much is new lately. I spent the last two days cleaning my house for a showing yesterday and another open house today. Talk about tiring. I feel like I am on a slow but positive trend on feeling a little bit better though. Instead of feeling sick all day, I am just getting nauseous at night which is so much better. The all day thing was getting old and definatly draining. Expecially chasing a one year old around. I gotta say though, I have never noticed how many FOOD commercials there were. I was getting to the point where I could barly watch TV with out being completly replused. Steak and Shake commercials. Yuck!

I have great news also. Evan is actually walking!! Last night was really the first night he just decided to take off by himself. He would do well if we stood him in the middle of the room and had him walk to us, but now he will walk from the couch to wherever he wants, all on his own!! He is such a good boy. He is still having a harder time starting out if he is sitting. He cant quite get to his feet unless he pulls himself up, but we are so proud of him! Love that little man.

Well, not much else to say. Just at work right now, not looking forward to the next 5 1/2 hours of complete boredom. Oh well. It pays I guess!

1st Checkup

This morning Ryan, Evan and I headed down to my doctor's office for my first checkup. I'm happy to report everything looks great. Dr. Gerard even was willing to do an ultrasound which was so cool. We got to see the tiny flicker of the baby's heartbeat. I was so happy Ryan could make it, at my first one with Evan my doctor did an ultrasound then too and Ryan missed it, so it was nice to experiance that together this time. It's pretty amazing to think that little flicker was of my baby. Crazy that there is another life inside me. That always fasinates me. Evan obviously is too young to care, but he sat like a big boy and watched Dr. Gerard put jelly all over mommy's belly. Once I have the picture scaned I will put it up. Have a great day!!

It's gotta be the Wolter's in us

I gotta say, there is something in the water lately!! My mom just called me to tell me that our cousins Steve and Emily Dozeman are expecting! The coolest part is that she shares the same due date as me, September 9!!! Everyone always says, "What is with you Kapenga's?" However, I am begining to disagree with that statement. I am thinking it isnt the Kapenga in us, but the Wolter's. I'm thinking it is coming from my mom's side. Crazy!

Weekend

We didnt do a whole lot this weekend which was kinda nice actually. I hate the feeling of going going going, it seems like every weekend we have something every night.

Friday night we just a few friends over, played some cards and ordered pizza. Nothing too exciting but had a good time. The kids were able to play again together which is always nice. They are getting to the age where they can play by themselves and entertain eachother. Always a plus. Saturday I worked all day of course. Ryan had another daddy day with Evan. They just played all day with occasional nap and study breaks. Ryan and I stayed home at night and watched tv all night. I was so excited to see that What Women Want was on so we ended up watching that and going to bed at 9:30. We are so boring. Its crazy, I am so young yet and sometimes I feel like an old married mom. No complaints I guess. Sunday, Today was very nice. We had Ashley our niece's baptism at Noordelos where Corey and Heather go. It was such a nice service and Ashley did so well. What a gift she is and we are so happy to have her in our family. I couldnt help but tear up a few times while they were standing up there knowing that almost a few weeks ago we could have lost her, but Praise God for His faithfulness. Ashley is here and we got to witness her baptism today.

Not much else going on...Ryan is back to work this week. He is on for the next 3 and then off for the next 5. Crazy times. I was reminded today at Corey and Heather's church of the temptation to worry and fret about our life and Ryan's job which is so uncertain. The sermon was on temptation and I couldnt help but feel like God was whispering to me through that message. To trust God and focus on Him during these times. Not only that, but Corey and Heather chose a wonderful verse for today's baptism that saw them through the last couple months dealing with Ashley's health that also spoke to me. Phillippians 4:6-7

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Thanks Corey and Heather for making us a part of you and Ashley's special day!