Duval Family Update December 2009

Merry Christmas! 

I hope this Advent Season finds everybody doing well and enjoying the hustle and bustle of Christmas-time.  I know that I am enjoying trying to explain Christmas and the Nativity to little Paul (although I don't think he gets ANY OF IT).  It's still fun to try, right? 

Well, I don't think I have written since before we went back to the States.  Our trip, while extremely busy, was a lot of fun!  Guido did an EXCELLENT job walking down the aisle at Aunt Danielle's Wedding.  I hope you all saw the pictures because he sure was a stud-muffin in his tux.  I was so proud of him!  The other highlight of our trip to New Hampshire was going apple picking with Aunt Danielle and Uncle Jimmy.  I've never been apple picking before but it was a lot of fun!  Something that I would love to be able to do every fall with our family.  It is there that we learned that Paul has no problem eating an apple whole!  I think that child ATE his way through the orchard.  He was quite sticky by the time we got home. 

Atlanta was also full of activites and busy days.  The biggest event was Catherine's Baptism.  She looked beautiful in her gown until she decided to pitch a fit right before it all started.  Oh, how stressful when you have 40 people looking at you!  We also hosted my whole family at my parents house for a small reception.  Again, I gained an enormous amount of respect for my mother.  How she pulled those get-togethers off so well is a mystery to me!  I thought I was going to go CRAZY!  All in all, it was a fun day and I enjoyed seeing all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins.  My other favorite part of visiting Atlanta was letting little Paul play with his cousins!  This is the first time we'd gone to Atlanta since he's been older and boy did he have fun!  He and my nephew, Alex, spent their time chasing each other.  It was really funny. 

All in all, our trip was a lot of fun.  It did make me realize that no matter where home is, there really is no place like it!  There was a huge feeling of relief when we walked back in our door and things were as they were supposed to be. 

After our trip to the States we had Thanksgiving.  My brother Eddie and two other seminarians came down and I cooked a feast for the guys.  I was really proud of myself because I figured out how to cook Thanksgiving and not be stressed out the whole time.  It all came together PERFECTLY. 

Aside from Thanksgiving and our Christmas preperations, not much is going on.  Paul, my incredible husband, has completed another semester in school and has already begun another.  I am really proud of him for working so hard to complete his degree in a few months.  I cannot wait to watch him walk this summer at graduation!  Aside from school (he is taking 4-5 classes every semester), Paul still manages to keep up his daily workouts/rides, work all day long, and still be home by 6 to be an AWESOME husband and father.  He is also the treasurer for his commands First Class Petty Officer Association, still lectoring at Church, and doing financial advising for his command.  Seriously, I don't know how he does it. 

Both kids are doing wonderful.  We are currently teaching little man sign language.  Since he's not using words, we are trying to teach him that you have to communicate to get what you want/need with signing.  We have only been doing it for about a week and he already uses the signs for more, eat, juice, all done, milk, baby, and a few more on a regular basis.  Their brains really are like sponges.  It has definitely relieved a bit of tension from his lack of communication before.  Catherine, my 19lb 2oz 5 month old, is doing GREAT!  She has turned into the sweetest baby ever!  To be honest, I might even go out on a limb and say that she is more interactive and smiley than Paul was at this age.  I don't know what happened but she is a new baby from two months ago.  She is now rolling over and getting around.  Her favorite toys are still her johnny jump up and her walker.  She and Paul sure do love each other, too.  They are so sweet together.

I am also doing very well.  My everyday battle with my house continues but I know that I will eventually conquer it!  I decided last week that I needed to set a bigger goal for myself outside of my house so I will officially put it in writing...I am RUNNING the 5k at Easter.  Running has never been my thing but I am hoping that I can learn to like running.  Paul and I went out with the kids yesterday for my first training run.  I was only able to run about 1/2 a mile but I'll take that!  I was very proud of myself and the kids loved going that fast in the stroller.  I'll keep you updated on my progress.  Aside from that, I am just cooking and baking my way through the holidays.  Something about watching the movie Julie and Julia makes me want to adventure out of my same ol recipes for some new cuisine.  We'll see if it happens but I am feeling the urge! 

All for now, this is long enough.  I hope you are doing well!  I hope to hear back from you!  MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Love,
Jeanne 

Halloween 2009

Happy Halloween!!!

We hope you enjoy this pictures more than Catherine did taking it!

Love,

Paul, Jeanne, Little Paul, and Catherine

Duval Family Update September 2009

Good Morning!

I hope this e-mail finds you doing very well and enjoying some beautiful fall weather!  It has been gorgeous over here.  We even got our first storm since MAY last week!  It was AWESOME! 

Well, we are doing much better since the last time I wrote.  Catherine has settled down quite a bit (although I think she will ALWAYS be high maintenance).  She loves to lay under her activity mat and sit in the swing.  Of course, her activity of choice is to be held, but we all know that can't happen all the time!  Besides that, she's still sleeping well!  Her norm is from 9:15ish-5:45AM, wake up eat, and then she goes back down and wakes up around 9-9:30AM.  The only downfall to her sleeping schedule is her brother!  haha...he has been waking up at 6:30AM recently so basically, my day starts at 5:45 when I get up with Catherine.  I haven't done that since I was in High School but boy do I sleep well at night!

Anywho, besides that, she's smiling, laughing, and cooing all the time! I held her in the back during Mass this weekend and couldn't stop staring at her.  She was just smiling and laughing the WHOLE time.  It was so cute.  For a baby that can be so darned angry it sure is a nice relief when she's sweet like that.  At her 2 month well baby appointment (2 weeks ago) she was 15 lbs and 24 inches long.  I can't take her anywhere without people commenting on how big she is...it's a riot.  She, like her brother, LOVES the bath.  When you lay her down on her towel to undress her she gives you the BIGGEST smiles!  It's AWESOME! 

Next on the list is my ragamuffin, Paul.  Man, I think he has entered the stage where he can find dirt to wear ANYWHERE!  I can't keep him looking clean to save my life.  I've even been really on top of the house lately but he's still finding stuff EVERYWHERE!  I wouldn't be surprised at all if the bath water is black by the end of his baths.  My goodness.  He FINALLY goes down the slide by himself and wow, does that make him so proud!  Lately, he has been quite the laundry helper for me!  If there is laundry to do, he is great in bringing it out the living room to let me know.  When I am doing it, he likes to help me put the wash into the dryer (and then try to climb INTO the dryer).  I'm pretty sure when people say "he's all boy", this is the kind of stuff they are refering to.  Not a day goes by where he doesn't make us laugh out loud...a boy after my own heart, huh?

My soon-to-be 26 year old husband, Paul (Sept. 29), is doing wonderful as always!  He has recently sold his beloved Volvo 480 (the ugliest car you will ever see), for a simple honda accord coupe.  I know he is relieved that he won't have to spend half as much time working on the honda.  Paul is also chugging away at school.  He is about to start, get this, 5 CLASSES, all at once.  He's reserving his lunch hour and possibly an hour after work to get his schoolwork done.  We'll see how it goes.  Paul has also signed up for his first triathlon here on base.  It's a 450-meter swim, 15k bike ride, and 5k run.  That takes place this Saturday morning.  I'm getting my cheerleading team together to cheer him on!  You can be sure that we will have pictures!  Besides that, he is still working hard at work and playing hard (okay, working hard) at home. 

As for me, I am doing well.  I am a new member of FLYlady.com.  She is my saving grace!  I don't know about you, but I am one who needs structure to succeed.  Since having Catherine, one of my BIGGEST struggles has been my house!  So, I found this site that walks you through everything and sends you a checklist of everything you need to clean/de-clutter for the day, always ending in shining your sink at the end of the night.  It's been amazing.  This weeks 'zone of the week' is the master bedroom.  So, over the course of the week, I will spend 15 minutes a day de-cluttering/cleaning the master bedroom (along with my daily routine chores).  This site has really helped me to get on top of things and not get too overwhelmed doing it.  Aside from conquering my house, I am still doing my self-defense class.  It's a great outlet for me and I am learning a lot (so far we have direct punches, hammer punches, and we just started snap kicks...oh yea, don't mess with me!).  I have also made that day my grocery shopping day so I can get that done as well!  Thank goodness for my babysitter! 

We are getting more and more excited about coming home in a few weeks for Danielle's wedding and to introduce our baby girl.  We have come to learn that she does NOT do well with groups of people so we are are hoping to keep things simple while we are there so everybody can see her sweet side.  Let's just pray that the flight goes alright and we'll be set!

Well, thats all for now.  Little man decided that nap time was coming an hour early today so I need to get on my FLYlist!  Keep in touch! 

Love,
Jeanne                    

Duval Family Update August 2009

Greetings from the Duval Household!

I hope this e-mail finds you doing well.  With the school year starting, I am sure that everybody is trying to get into the swing of things and create a new routine. 

We are still in the process of finding our new routine.  I have to say, God has definitely given me a run for my money with this little girl.  I must not have been praying enough before because He sure has found a way to bring me to my knees.  Scratch what I said in my last e-mail about Catherine being laid back…it’s not true!  She is very high strung and very attached to her mom.  My family keeps laughing and telling me that I was the exact same way as a baby…Mom, Dad, Patrick, Earne, and Eddie…I am sorry!  All I can say is that I think I turned out pretty well so hopefully she will end up doing the same...haha.  This is one of the harder things I have done in my life but with every day, I think I might be learning a little bit more (or at least becoming a bit more patient or flexible…maybe?).  A few weeks ago, after a particularly rough day, I saw this quote and it has remained with me.

Let nothing disturb you. Let nothing frighten you. All things pass. God does not change. Patience achieves everything. Whoever has God lacks nothing." ~St. Teresa of Avila

On a lighter note, I brought Catherine to the doctor today and was in complete amazement when I put her on the scale and it said, are you ready, 13 LBS AND 10 OZ!!!  She’s ENORMOUS!  The corpsman started laughing when I told him that she was only 6 weeks old.  Despite her ‘high maintenance’ demeanor, she is a good sleeper and seems to be getting better by the day.  Last night she slept from 9:30-5:10 and then 5:45-8:20.  WONDERFUL!  I am praying that by October, she will be a bit more even keeled in gereral…we’ll see. 

Little Paul is still having a ball being a big brother.  He sure does love helping (even when the help isn’t needed).  Lately, he has been the official ‘dirty diaper throw-away-er”…ha-ha.  He takes GREAT pride in helping us out.  His listening skills are greatly improving and he is up to 12 teeth.  I can’t believe that next month he will be a year and a half!  MY GOODNESS!  It truly is amazing how fast they grow up!  I am SO excited for him to be able to play with his cousins when we visit.  I know they will have a blast!

Paul is also doing well.  Thankfully, he is finally on a normal schedule getting home around 4:50 every day.  He has started riding his bike into work every morning.  I know he has enjoyed getting in more riding time (as well as the extra exercise).  We found out last week that his jaw surgery will take place between February and April of next year.  We didn’t realize that it was going to be so soon but in order for him to be medically released from this base next year, he has to be fully recovered.  The surgery sounds like its going to hurt pretty bad but somehow Paul doesn’t think it will be a big deal.  BOYS!

Lastly, me.  I am doing pretty well.  I started a women’s self-defense class this week.  While it was supposed to be a whole class, nobody else signed up.  Therefore, I am getting personal one-on-one self-defense lessons.  I told Paul that he had better not make me mad…I’ll punch his lights out!  Taking this class is something that I have wanted to do since I was a senior in high school so I am very thankful for this opportunity. 

I think that’s it for the Duval household.  I will continue to update pictures on Phanfare so you can see my growing children.  Have a wonderful end of summer and keep in touch!

Love,

Jeanne

Reflections after Catherine's birth

Dearest Family and Friends,

First and foremost, we want to thank you for all of the e-mails, phone calls, and notes we have recieved since Catherine's arrival.  I apologize if I have no returned your call or written back but life has been a little bit crazy over the last few weeks. 

I have been so excited to tell you about the last few weeks but for some reason, every time I have attempted this e-mail the words have not come together.  The last three weeks have been filled with many highs and lows but I can say that I am so thankful for every minute (well, maybe not EVERY diaper change).  Our story begins the day my mom arrived on July 5th.  When she arrived she brought a gift with her from a family friend of ours.  Mrs. Umemoto is the mother of a middle/high school classmate of mine and is probably one of the Holiest people I know.  The week before my mom left to come over here, she ran into Mrs. Umemoto at church.  When mom told her of her upcoming travels, Mrs. Umemoto quickly pulled out a tiny little pouch and asked her to give it to me.  Inside the pouch is the smallest statue of Mary.  When my mom gave me the pouch and statue I was flattered but went onto other things.  Little did I know, it would be the thing that would help me the most during labor and the days/weeks to follow. 

When I finally went to the hospital on Friday night, I grabbed the pouch on the way out the door and put it in my bra strap knowing that it would remain with me the whole time.  Honestly, I forgot about it until around 1:45AM on Saturday morning when things were getting tough.  I hung it around my middle finger as a reminder to talk to Mary, as she had already gone through this whole process and done it...well, perfectly.  I think my nurses and doctor thought I was crazy because I kept talking about talking to Mary.  We were just having a few 'girly' conversations.  Well, those conversations got me through the hardest part of my evening and BOY DID I NEED THE HELP!  I did not remember labor being that hard!  She remained on my finger until I was able to get up and shower and then Paul probably knew that I would lose it and put it somewhere for safe keeping. 

Upon arriving home from the hospital, life got a little hectic.  I wasn't COMPLETELY prepared for two BABIES and got a little bit overwhelmed.  When I got into bed on the second night home, I went to turn off my bedside lamp and saw that Paul had hung the pouch on the lamp switch.  Little did he know, it was the perfect reminder to pray before going to sleep.  Additionally, it keeps me reminded of what Mary and I have in common in motherhood. 

Over the following three weeks, our poor family was plagued with every sickness under the sun!  I had a sinus infection and a flu bug, Paul had a stomach bug and the flu bug, Catherine had a little cold and a TERRIBLE diaper rash, little Paul also had the cold, and mom had sinuses/allergies the whole time she was here.  Every day was quite the adventure.  Thankfully, my mom acted as the glue to our little family keeping the laundry going, all of us fed, and Paul entertained.  Seriously, she worked her rear end off!  With everything going on, we never really knew WHAT Catherine's disposition was actually like.  All we knew was that she fussed A LOT more than Paul (when she was awake or not eating).  In addition to that, little Paul decided to let his temper shine bright.  I have to be honest, I was not liking being the mother of two children there for a few days.  Every night, I would go to bed, start to turn off the lamp and see my Mary statue hanging there as my reminder to talk to her Son and beg her for wisdom and strength as a mother.

After a few E.R. runs and doctors appointments we, more or less, got all of our illnesses under control and little Paul is beginning to learn his boundaries.  We have learned, in the last few days, that Catherine is actually a very laid back baby.  She has adjusted to a eating/sleeping routine BEAUTIFULLY and only wakes up once a night as long as we do our job of keeping her awake between 7-10PM.  During her morning and evening wake times, she simply sits in her chair and looks around.  THANK GOODNESS!  She is growing by leaps and bounds.  As of Tuesday, she weighed 10lbs 12oz and was 22 1/2 inches long.  Her newborn pictures are scheduled for next week but I am afraid she won't look like a newborn at all!  We shall see!

Little Paul LOVES to kiss his little sister.  He basically washes her hair with spit on a daily basis.  Any time she fusses or cries, he is the FIRST to respond!  He either runs to her chair or to her door and then showers her with even more kisses once she is near his level.  Yesterday, he even brought her a pacifier and put it in her mouth!  It was so cute.  I can already tell that he will be a very protective older brother!           

All in all, we are getting used to our new normal.  The last three weeks have not been easy at all but things are finally starting to balance out.  We are already looking forward to introducing her to you all in October (just don't be surprised if she has teeth, weighs 20 lbs, and has hair to her feet by then...).  Thank you again for all of your thoughts and prayers over the last few weeks.  We will continue to put up pictures of our growing family!

Love,
Jeanne

She's Here!!!

Dear Family and Friends,

Big brother Paul is so excited to announce the birth of his sister (and our daughter), Catherine Riley Duval.  She was born on July 11, 2009, at 2:57AM (Italy Time).  She weighed in at a whopping 9 lbs 5 oz and is 22 in long.  Mommy and baby are doing great!  Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers and we will post more pictures on phanfare soon!

Love,
Paul, Jeanne, and little Paul

Duval Family Update June 2009

Hi Family and Friends!

Well, 4.5 weeks and counting!  I really cannot believe that we are this close to welcoming our new little girl into the world.  It is truly astonishing how much faster this pregnancy has gone compared to last time!  Wasn’t it just Christmas!?!?! 

As you can tell, my pure excitement is starting to overflow.  Give me two more weeks and I will be ready for anything.  We went to the doctor on Friday and all is wonderful!  She’s head down and ready to go but luckily that is the only progress we have made.  We did have an ultrasound to double check that she is actually a she…SHE IS!  Haha.  After Nana sent us the fruits of her baby girl shopping trips, I sure would have felt guilty if she had turned out to be a boy!  No worries!

I am still feeling well!  Paul is trying to teach me the definition of NOT overextending myself.  I have had A LOT of trouble with my hips over the last few months and definitely pay for my bad judgment calls by mid-afternoon.  He has been so awesome in helping me out as I battle these wonderful joints of mine!  You should have seen me at Mass last night…such a pretty dress with NIKES!  Lookin’ good!

I hope you have all seen my graduation pictures on phanfare.  While many of you knew about the surprise, my dad SHOCKED me and flew across the pond just to be here for the big event!  He so politely called me 15 MINUTES before arriving at our train station and asked me to pick him up.  I about died.  What an awesome dad!

The next event in our house is getting the boys off to the States next Sunday.  I know Paul is really looking forward to seeing his family and friends and I think his family is about to bust with excitement over seeing both of them!  I have to admit, while I am definitely going to miss my boys, I, too, AM SO EXCITED!  I will have 8 days of uninterrupted time to rest and nest.  My husband has given me stern instruction to rest as much as possible but I have to be honest, I cannot wait to get this house cleared out!  In the off chance that labor occurs, you can rest assured that I have a plan and my mom will be on the first plane out!  We’ve got it under control!

Paul and I were able to go up to Rome on Friday for a “date day” and we really enjoyed leaving the house without a stroller, 36 diapers, snacks, and all of the other loot you need for traveling with a toddler.  We ate a delicious lunch at Hard Rock and visited with my brother for a bit.  I’ll post pictures on phanfare soon. 

I think that’s about it.  Besides putting the crib and changing table together, washing pink baby clothes, and finding our swing, bouncy chair, etc., we are just a rockin’ and a rollin’ over here!  I hope you are doing well and enjoying your summer!  We look forward to hearing from you!

Love,

Jeanne