Hi family and friends,
I hope this e-mail finds you doing well and preparing yourself for a good Holy Week. I cannot believe this week has already come. When I was younger, lent lasted FOREVER!!! Now, it's like a blink of an eye. Its over and I'm not ready! Luckily, Paul is having surgery this week so I will have PLENTLY of oppurtunities to unite my sacrifices with Christ. Isn't it amazing how God works those things out?
Anyways, on to our update. The little Duval family is doing very well these days. Our calendar has been full of trips, appointments, parties, etc. Paul and I were so thankful to be able to get out of Naples ALONE to go to Paris for a weekend. Once I got over the feeling of constantly forgetting something, we had a fantastic time and vowed to make our "Paul and Jeanne" trip happen more often, at least once a year.
Paul was supposed to have his jaw surgery last wednesday but because of a last minute fever it got moved to this wednesday. It worked out perfectly since we both ended up being sick all through the weekend. Now, we're rested, feeling better, and ready to take this on! Paul will be on a COMPLETELY liquid/non-teeth needing diet for the next 6 weeks. If you have any recipes, please send them my way. Please keep him (and our surgeon, Dr. Shoemaker) in your prayers on Wednesday.
The BIGGEST news in our house these days is that our sweet little Guido is about to turn 2!!!!! Can you believe that? I remember sitting in the hospital like it was yesterday. He's going to have quite the birthday this year as his grandparents, Nana and Pepe, are coming to visit, he's having an Elmo birthday party, AND he's getting to eat his first piece of cake. (We've been quite strict about not letting him eat white sugar before his 2nd birthday). It will be quite the week! What's crazy, he has absolutely NO IDEA whats going on. haha.
Sweet baby Cate is also doing well. She continues to grow (up AND OUT) and is HILARIOUS! She is crawling, standing, and cruising EVERYWHERE! She LOVES her daddy and brother like no other and has gotten "da da" and "ba ba" (referring to 'brother') down. The difference between boys and girls is amazing...it's called D-R-A-M-A. Oh my goodness! You would think that the world is coming to an end througout our day if you judged it by Catherine's cries. Wow! Luckily, her brother comes to her rescue covering her with hugs and kisses at these occations. Man, I LOVE the love of my children. It's so sweet and pure.
Lastly, I am doing well. Trying to make sure that the house and family is ready for Paul's surgery and following 30 days of convalescent leave, preparing for Paul's parents visit and travels, and then preparing for our move home on May 8th. I can't believe its ending so soon! In order to keep up my running, I am registered for the July 4th 10K Peachtree Road Race. I figured this was a unique oppurtunity, not being pregnant OR nursing, to finally do something I've always wanted to do.
I think thats everything. For fear of my brother asking for cliff notes to my updates I will go ahead and end this. I hope you are all doing very well. Make sure to live your Holy Week well, especially Friday!
Love,
Jeanne
Monday, March 29, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
Duval Family Update March 2010
Hi Friends,
I suppose I have been in a reflective mood lately but I can't help but think about how our lives are about to change and how I will never get back these moments that are passing us by. As Paul and I look at the upcoming events in our lives (Paris, Paul's surgery, Nana and Pepe's visit, and moving) and how they just lead right into each other I am realizing how quickly the next 9 weeks are going to pass by. At the same time, I just want everything to stop because all is perfect in the Duval household right now. The kids are at AWESOME ages, I'm really enjoying living in Naples, Paul and I are having a lot of fun together, and I've got our day to day life down pat. Why am I opting to change this?
Right now, Paul and Catherine are at my favorite ages thus far. Paul is not going through a rebellious stage and Catherine is just plain funny! I remember when Catherine was first born and I was struggling more than any of you will know. We were introduced to the song "It won't be like this for long" by Darius Rucker. I just sat in the chair crying as I listened to the song. The first verse talks about having a newborn that cries all night and the wife is gently reminding her husband that it won't like this for long. I could relate, although Paul was the one reminding me and my baby wasn't crying all night, she was crying, screaming, angry ALL DAY!!! At the same time, my sister-in-law had written a blog entry about the same song talking about how she wanted to savour every moment with my new nephew Gabriel because things change so fast. I remember reading that and feeling so guilty that I just wanted the time pass as quickly as possible while she saw the silver lining.
This weekend Paul made his 2009 CD. His song to remember Catherine's birth is that very song. When I heard it again it was amazing how the meaning has changed. As I look back on those first 9 HARD weeks its seems like a blink of an eye. It's fast how fast things change and pass by. My baby girl is now almost 8 months old (4 MONTHS FROM ONE!!!) and my baby boy is about to turn 2 in a month! I wish I could set up a video camera and tape every day so I don't forget anything.
So, I have decided that I am going to stop living every day in preperation for the next event or trip. I am missing so much right now. This day will never happen again. My kids are not going to wait for the dishes to be done or the laundry to be folded, they are playing, giggling, and growing now...and I want to be there playing and giggling with them. As they say, "It won't be like this for long..."
Love,
Jeanne
I suppose I have been in a reflective mood lately but I can't help but think about how our lives are about to change and how I will never get back these moments that are passing us by. As Paul and I look at the upcoming events in our lives (Paris, Paul's surgery, Nana and Pepe's visit, and moving) and how they just lead right into each other I am realizing how quickly the next 9 weeks are going to pass by. At the same time, I just want everything to stop because all is perfect in the Duval household right now. The kids are at AWESOME ages, I'm really enjoying living in Naples, Paul and I are having a lot of fun together, and I've got our day to day life down pat. Why am I opting to change this?
Right now, Paul and Catherine are at my favorite ages thus far. Paul is not going through a rebellious stage and Catherine is just plain funny! I remember when Catherine was first born and I was struggling more than any of you will know. We were introduced to the song "It won't be like this for long" by Darius Rucker. I just sat in the chair crying as I listened to the song. The first verse talks about having a newborn that cries all night and the wife is gently reminding her husband that it won't like this for long. I could relate, although Paul was the one reminding me and my baby wasn't crying all night, she was crying, screaming, angry ALL DAY!!! At the same time, my sister-in-law had written a blog entry about the same song talking about how she wanted to savour every moment with my new nephew Gabriel because things change so fast. I remember reading that and feeling so guilty that I just wanted the time pass as quickly as possible while she saw the silver lining.
This weekend Paul made his 2009 CD. His song to remember Catherine's birth is that very song. When I heard it again it was amazing how the meaning has changed. As I look back on those first 9 HARD weeks its seems like a blink of an eye. It's fast how fast things change and pass by. My baby girl is now almost 8 months old (4 MONTHS FROM ONE!!!) and my baby boy is about to turn 2 in a month! I wish I could set up a video camera and tape every day so I don't forget anything.
So, I have decided that I am going to stop living every day in preperation for the next event or trip. I am missing so much right now. This day will never happen again. My kids are not going to wait for the dishes to be done or the laundry to be folded, they are playing, giggling, and growing now...and I want to be there playing and giggling with them. As they say, "It won't be like this for long..."
Love,
Jeanne
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Duval Family Update February 2010
Greetings from Bella Napoli (at least thats what they call it),
Well, it's been quite a while since I sent out my last family update. Between the new year, figuring out the rest of our lives, training for my 5k, and keeping up with two babies, life kind of zoomed by me. All is going well over here in Italy.
At the start of the new year, Paul and I had to really sit down and look at this year as it holds a lot of changes for our family. Somehow, 3 years is already coming to an end and we have to figure out where to go from here. We have some awesome neighbors who have little bit more life experience than we do who encouraged us to keep seeing the world while we are young without children in school. So, we tossed around MANY different ideas such as taking orders to Bahrain (AWESOME), but the navy said no; taking 2 year instructor orders back to VA, but that wasn't a fit; taking 2 year orders anywhere in Europe, nothing out there for us; getting a civilian job in Germany, only a few available; and then finally we came to our ideal decision. God-willing, Paul will be getting out of the Navy and we are hoping to move to Charlottesville, VA. Random, right? Not really. In looking at all of the civilian and government job listings we kept seeing Charlottesville pop up. After looking into it, we found out that the DIA is relocating over 900 jobs there this year (expecting 45% of them to become vacant). With the DIA comes MANY civilian contract companies as well. The list of job oppurtunties seems quite endless and we are hoping that Paul fills one of the many openings.
Aside from the job aspect of our plan, Charlottesville has everything that Paul and I have always talked about wanting for our family. It is surrounded by the mountains which offers endless outdoor activites. The city itself has an AMAZING recreation commitee that offers so many different activities, sports, excersice groups, and classes. It has just enough 'city-feel' to fulfill that need but more or less is set in somewhat of a rural setting. On my end, I have already verified that there is an Ann Taylor Loft, an Outback, a Costco, and a TJMaxx within a very reasonable driving distance...I'm set! Paul is in heaven with the amount of bike shops and ads for mountain biking trails. On top of it all, there is even a pro-life, NFP teaching Family Practicioner in Charlottesville. As far as grandparents, aunts, and uncles are concerned, Charlottesville is about 8 hours from Atlanta and 11 hours from Manchester. Both totally do-able drives.
Obviously, this is still somewhat tentative, although we are willing to go to great lengths to make it work. If you know of anybody who has any connections for a job for us, please let us know. We are not shy to ask for help. So, what's next, you ask? Well, Paul and I have decided that it would be best if the kids and I move back to Atlanta with Grandmama and Granddaddy at the beginning of May. This will make our transition back to the states a lot smoother than if we all waited for our quick transition in August. I will be able to have all of our basics lined up and ready when Paul arrives mid August. So, PRAYING that things go well, thats the plan!
As for the here and now, we are all doing VERY well. Catherine is already 7 months and Paul is turning 2 in April. My baby girl already has 3 teeth coming in and is trying her best to crawl. She is desperate to get moving. Paul is also doing very well. He is such a good big brother and loves his sister dearly.
We are headed out to Athens, Greece next Friday (the 12th) for the weekend and we are so excited to see all of the amazing sites. Seriously, how crazy is it that I can say "We are headed to Greece for the weekend"...my goodness.
Paul and I are also doing very well. Paul has been putting in some EXTREMELY long days at work as he tries to finish up his bachelors degree. Once work is over at 4, school begins. Many nights, he doesn't get home until 7:30-8. I am so proud of him for his hard work and I can't wait for him to be able to walk across that stage as a college grad! He sure has worked hard for it! My 5k training is going very well, as I have already run farther than the needed 3.2 miles. My girlfriends and I have been training together and let me tell you about competition! One runs 2.8 miles, so the next runs 3! Last night, two of us ran 3.6 miles and the other one went out and ran 4! It's a little crazy but SO MUCH FUN!
I think that about wraps it up from the Duval homefront. I have many pictures to put up and will try and get to it as soon as possible! I hope you are doing well and I hope to hear from you soon!
Love,
Jeanne
Well, it's been quite a while since I sent out my last family update. Between the new year, figuring out the rest of our lives, training for my 5k, and keeping up with two babies, life kind of zoomed by me. All is going well over here in Italy.
At the start of the new year, Paul and I had to really sit down and look at this year as it holds a lot of changes for our family. Somehow, 3 years is already coming to an end and we have to figure out where to go from here. We have some awesome neighbors who have little bit more life experience than we do who encouraged us to keep seeing the world while we are young without children in school. So, we tossed around MANY different ideas such as taking orders to Bahrain (AWESOME), but the navy said no; taking 2 year instructor orders back to VA, but that wasn't a fit; taking 2 year orders anywhere in Europe, nothing out there for us; getting a civilian job in Germany, only a few available; and then finally we came to our ideal decision. God-willing, Paul will be getting out of the Navy and we are hoping to move to Charlottesville, VA. Random, right? Not really. In looking at all of the civilian and government job listings we kept seeing Charlottesville pop up. After looking into it, we found out that the DIA is relocating over 900 jobs there this year (expecting 45% of them to become vacant). With the DIA comes MANY civilian contract companies as well. The list of job oppurtunties seems quite endless and we are hoping that Paul fills one of the many openings.
Aside from the job aspect of our plan, Charlottesville has everything that Paul and I have always talked about wanting for our family. It is surrounded by the mountains which offers endless outdoor activites. The city itself has an AMAZING recreation commitee that offers so many different activities, sports, excersice groups, and classes. It has just enough 'city-feel' to fulfill that need but more or less is set in somewhat of a rural setting. On my end, I have already verified that there is an Ann Taylor Loft, an Outback, a Costco, and a TJMaxx within a very reasonable driving distance...I'm set! Paul is in heaven with the amount of bike shops and ads for mountain biking trails. On top of it all, there is even a pro-life, NFP teaching Family Practicioner in Charlottesville. As far as grandparents, aunts, and uncles are concerned, Charlottesville is about 8 hours from Atlanta and 11 hours from Manchester. Both totally do-able drives.
Obviously, this is still somewhat tentative, although we are willing to go to great lengths to make it work. If you know of anybody who has any connections for a job for us, please let us know. We are not shy to ask for help. So, what's next, you ask? Well, Paul and I have decided that it would be best if the kids and I move back to Atlanta with Grandmama and Granddaddy at the beginning of May. This will make our transition back to the states a lot smoother than if we all waited for our quick transition in August. I will be able to have all of our basics lined up and ready when Paul arrives mid August. So, PRAYING that things go well, thats the plan!
As for the here and now, we are all doing VERY well. Catherine is already 7 months and Paul is turning 2 in April. My baby girl already has 3 teeth coming in and is trying her best to crawl. She is desperate to get moving. Paul is also doing very well. He is such a good big brother and loves his sister dearly.
We are headed out to Athens, Greece next Friday (the 12th) for the weekend and we are so excited to see all of the amazing sites. Seriously, how crazy is it that I can say "We are headed to Greece for the weekend"...my goodness.
Paul and I are also doing very well. Paul has been putting in some EXTREMELY long days at work as he tries to finish up his bachelors degree. Once work is over at 4, school begins. Many nights, he doesn't get home until 7:30-8. I am so proud of him for his hard work and I can't wait for him to be able to walk across that stage as a college grad! He sure has worked hard for it! My 5k training is going very well, as I have already run farther than the needed 3.2 miles. My girlfriends and I have been training together and let me tell you about competition! One runs 2.8 miles, so the next runs 3! Last night, two of us ran 3.6 miles and the other one went out and ran 4! It's a little crazy but SO MUCH FUN!
I think that about wraps it up from the Duval homefront. I have many pictures to put up and will try and get to it as soon as possible! I hope you are doing well and I hope to hear from you soon!
Love,
Jeanne
Monday, December 14, 2009
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
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
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Halloween 2009
Happy Halloween!!!
We hope you enjoy this pictures more than Catherine did taking it!
Love,
Paul, Jeanne, Little Paul, and Catherine
Monday, September 21, 2009
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
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
Friday, August 28, 2009
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
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