Baby Dean

On Saturday, I had the busiest day! I attended a doctors apt. first thing, then a birthday party for Coles cousin Gabe, then a baby shower for Kim and Baby Payton, then New Kids On the Block pre-party! i was so beat last ngiht! Anyways...Kim is due in about 10 weeks with her first baby! Kim looks awesome! If only I can contain my apetite like her the next time! ha! Anyways, Heather through Kim a fabulous shower and we had a great time! Thanks Heather! In the picture, Kim and Laura are both pregnant in the middle, then Heather and I on the outside. We are old High school buddies!

Marching to the Beat of Our Own Drummer!

I swear we have had more fun this week playing pretend things with Cole than ever before!He loves the Upside Down Show in noggin. So there was a recent episode with a marching band. Well, Cole had to get out his old baby drum that came with all the instruments and assign us all a part. Well, along the way I picked up his train whistle, and Dan joined us with his duck call and it got way out of hand. Cole was drumming to some ruckus, then I started in with the train whistle, and Dan then made up some crazy duck call beat and we marched around the house, and I truly thought I might pee my pants! The best part was I had taught cole how true rockers can twirl their drumsticks, so he was doing it! Dan taught him to say "God bless and goodnight" to end the show! The best is all on video but heres a few pics of little drummer boy!

The Pirate Takes Over St. Johns

In the waiting room at the dr. office!

I had a doctors apt. on saturday morning, so naturally, Cole slept in his pirate gear, woke early ready to play and then, yes...for the first time as a mom, I had to take my chld somewhere dressed up....not on Halloween! But really, he looks so cute I dont even care! There was another boy in the waiting room and cole gave him some of his "getup" and they played together in the waiting room! Its was hysterical!

Better Pirate

Sailing away on his ship!


The real pirate!


Captain Hook!


Slaughtering captain stinky!

SO if you read a couple of blogs ago, you will have seen our pretend play of the pirates. Since then the obsession has increased, and we have moved on to bigger and better pirate things. No longer are we wearing homemade paper eye patches, but now we have a real patch, hat, hook arm, jewels, sword and telescope! HIs imagination gets better everyday and we are becoming professional pirates by the minute! We have been assigned pirate names as well! I am now "pirate bones", the dog is "captain stinky" and dan is "captain toot" (go figure) and cole of course is "captain hook!"

Prayer Warriors

I am asking for your prayers! I have a friend of a friend of a friend, who recently asked for prayers. The email went out explaining that 31 year old Stephanie had been diagnosed with CTC lymphoma, and within 3 months now, has made peace with God, her husband and 2 kids (3 and 8 months, and is waiting for healing or to go be with the lord. A friend of the family has set up a blog for her that they update daily. I have become "addicted" to checking on her daily and praying for her more often than that. She was sent to the MAYO clinic in minnesota due to the rarity of this type of lymphoma called Gamma Delta. Unfortunately, chemo and drug therapy have not helped and she is slipping away. I pray that you will add her to your prayer list or thought each day to give her peace and comfort and to lift up her husband to endure it all! I will try to add her link to my blog so you can read her story.
What has really drawn her to me, is that CTC lymphoma is also what my Dan has. Dan has been blessed that his is slightly different and grows at a much slower speed. Instead of being CTC lymphoma GD, his is CTC lymphoma MF. Hers is a much more aggressive form and is taking her life entirely too soon!

Imagination

Cole has really gotten in to pretend play...which is the coolest thing ever! Pirats are his big thing right now. We talk in pirate voice so much that my throat is actually raw! Tonight, we had our swords and hooks adn made a ship with pillows. Hank the dog was the bad guy trying to take our gold.We had no eye pathces, so we made some and colored them, and used curly ribbon to tie them on our faces. COle is now using terms like "matey", ahoy, walk the plank and his name is captain hook! We had a ball tonight! Here are some pics of us! Excuse my loks...i was in my bedtime gear!

Surprise Cole..Its Thomas!

The Bertinos with Sir Toppem Hat


LEts get washed!


THeres Thomas pulling the train!


The Ghetto!


COle ready for the surprise!

On Saturday, we surprised Cole and took him to see the "real" Thomas the Tank Engine! Cole was super excited when we pulled up to the track and there was Thomas on the rails! They had all kinds of tents set up (not as nice as I'd thought) so the kids could play trains, see Sir Toppem' Hat, get
washed" like a train..etc. The highlight was riding on a train pulled by THomas. For me, the highlight was the tour through the ghetto to get there! I mean...the ghetto of East St. Louis...yes for those not in Missouri, it was ranked #3 most violent citites or something!
Anyways...we had a ball...for those of you who watch John and KAte Plus Eight...they definately had an upgraded tour!