Josh in his basket...

...along with Snoopy, baby, other snoopy, several books...
This is my favorite...he's trying to cram all this other stuff in, while still being in the basket, himself!


Nite-nite!

Washing the dog

On Wed. afternoon it was supposed to warm up, so AJ planned to wash the dog that afternoon when he got home from work. Of course, Josh wanted to help. I put on his rain poncho and rain boots, naively thinking that would keep him fairly dry. However, they were all pretty wet when they came in. Oh, and incidentally, it didn't warm up like it was supposed to...it was in the 50's probably while they were out here...and the sun was setting, so no warmth from it, either! Brrrr!!




This is a pic of Gus waiting for AJ...he does this almost every day...and there's a nasty dirty spot on this windowsill from his nasty drooly chin sitting on it all the time. But he's really cute sitting and waiting for AJ to come home from work...


A couple of videos of Josh "helping" to wash Gus...

Potty News

Just wanted to share the news that Josh kept his big boy underwear dry all day!
We did, of course, go through two diapers at nap time, as he usually saves his pooping till then, and I have to change him before he'll lie down, but after nap we put his Elmo underwear back on him, and he went potty twice this evening before nap and bedtime diaper! We have never done this before, so it's noteworthy. I let him put a sticker on his potty chart whenever he's made it to the evening with the same pair of underwear all day. I'm super excited, and am hoping this won't go away when AJ leaves on his next trip.
I'll keep you updated, and I've got more cute pix from tonight and a couple of days ago to post hopefully sometime this weekend or so. So keep reading!

Pictures...finally!

OK, here are some more pix and a video for you...maybe we'll actually get some comments on these, since I never get any on my other blogs! (**hint hint**)

Josh playing with his train set...he loves to do this!


Josh and I built this track the other day...he was so excited to have Mommy play trains with him!
Before bedtime...naked Josh in a blanket
"Who, me?"
Licking the brownies spoon
There's chocolate on my nose...


Yum!
Daddy flying his "bug" in the backyard




Daddy knocking his bug out of the tree he flew it into...
Josh showing me the mud he was playing with...
Mud, Mom!
Josh sleeping in his frog tent
Josh waking up after me using the flash for this picture. I used the opportunity to put a blanket under him and to cover him up with another one.

News on the Potty Training front...

Sorry, y'all...once more, no pix...but wanted to post an update on the potty training.
We had been stagnating, with Josh wearing pullups and going to the potty pretty well, but not getting any better about it. So I decided to switch him to real underwear except for nap and bed time.
I went through 3 pairs of underwear just after nap! This morning went great! We went to Rolly Pollies this morning, and he went in their potty twice, sitting on it three times in the course of the hour we were there! We came home with dry pants, and went potty at home...after which, I put him in his diaper. He got to play awhile after lunch, and came up to me with a poopy diaper just before I put him down for his nap. I changed him, put him in bed (once!!!) and he slept for about 3-3.5 hrs.!!! This is the longest (and only) nap for him in awhile...so we were really excited about that!
When he got up, we went and sat on the potty, but of course, he'd gone in his diaper during/after nap, so he didn't go. I put his same underwear back on him, and we went on as we had this morning, with me constantly asking him if he needed to go, and occasionally taking him to sit, even when he didn't wnat to. He did ok for awhile...then, just before AJ came home from work, Josh left the living room, went to the library, in the front of the house, then came back...with poop in his underwear! I was pretty disappointed, but we took care of it, while I talked with him about how we need to tell Mommy BEFORE we go poop or pee in our pants, and that was that. After AJ came home, he was playing toys, I had just taken him to sit on the potty a few min. before, and all of a sudden, he said, "Mommy, peepee in floor!" I thought he was kidding, as he's said this before, but nope, he had peed on his mat, the floor, and then on a metal cookie sheet I've given him to play magnets on...I picked him up and cleaned him up, while AJ cleaned the floor, and we had the same talk again.
Unfortunately, for those of you still actually reading this, you'll realize that's only 2 pairs of underwear gone through...yes, he peed in the last pair a little before dinner, and AJ finally got fed up, and put him in a pull up. Which he didn't wet...I think there was a tiny wet spot when I finally changed him to a diaper for bedtime after dinner and playing another hour...
So...hopefully it will get better...this is our normal pattern, however...doing really really well in the mornings, then falling apart after nap. Not sure why...but we'll keep trying.
Thanks for all the books/suggestions/prayers/encouragement from everyone. We appreciate it!

Better this morning...so far...

We're off to a better start...for one thing, I woke up feeling much better and more rested than yesterday. I also had some advice from my friend yesterday...(thanks, Shannon)...it was a plan I've already more or less used in the past, and thought I was still...but I get into these little funks, where I've started doing some things that I never would have done normally, but got in the habit b/c of some event, and it started a chain reaction, and for some reason, in my brain, I didn't realize what I was doing.
All that to say...I think when Josh got sick, and was sick for a good two weeks, and lost the binky on top of everything else, I felt bad, and wanted to make up for it. So I started making excuses for his behavior and letting him run things more or less. I've fallen into these little ruts before, and it takes something like yesterday for me to wake up and get out of it.
So, slightly saner (this morning, at any rate), I've decided to try to get back into my no tolerance of bad behavior policy...starting with breakfast when Josh tried to throw a tantrum over what I gave him for breakfast and what cup I put his juice in. I gave him one chance to straighten up, and when he didn't, I got him down, and told him he could go sit on the stairs (his time out spot) until he was finished with his fit and ready to come back and eat his breakfast. So he did, and after a couple of min. he came and told me he was ready for his breakfast. I told him how glad I was that he'd decided to make a good choice and obey Mommy this morning, and he was very pleased with that. Ate two bowls of cheerios/milk, and when he started playing with the last few and making a mess, he got down, but I didn't get angry, just told him that he shouldn't make a mess and made him pick up the cheerios on the table. Then we wiped him and the mess on the table (from the milk) up, and we've been doing ok since then. We'll see how things go on, but it's such a better start to the morning!
Please keep praying for me, to be able to keep my cool when dealing with his little frustrations and him not being able to do things the way or as fast as I'd like them to happen. And pray for him to have the desire to obey us...we've been harping on that phrase pretty hard lately. Anyway...thanks again, to Shannon for pulling me out of my current rut with her advice...and thanks for all who read this and are still with me! Sorry it's so long. I'll try to put up some more pics later!

Demonic two-year-olds...

OK, does anyone know: is there some age when two-year-olds become posessed or something? Josh will switch from moment to moment from being his normal lovable energetic fun sweet self to being some sort of monster who defies everything (even what he himself says/wants) and everyone and pitches the kicking screaming unresponsive-to-anything tantrums. I'm just curious...is this something I can do something about, other than pray for it to end, and attempt to deal with rationally, or just a phase that children go through that I just have to try to live through? Could it be a reaction to something or someone? Nothing has really changed in the past week, but he's gone from "normal" two behavior, to possessed psycho Josh...and like I said, it's anyone's guess from moment to moment what it will be. He's also been whinier, clingier, and grumpier than normal. He had a molar come in, but it's in...poked through a few days ago, and he's still doing this mess...
Today we spent almost 3 hours trying to go down for a nap. He was in bed pretty much that entire time, not like some days where he'll get up and play for 30 min. before becoming loud enough for me to hear him. The reason I was so insistant on a nap today was his behavior before I tried to put him down...the above mentioned whiney and tantrum stuff. This is not normal for him...until the past 3 days or so.
Please, if you have suggestions, or want to commiserate, or console or whatever, please leave a comment, even if you normally don't. I'm not really sure how much longer we can do this mess. This weekend wasn't SO bad, b/c AJ was home, but today I had to do it myself, already feeling tired/sick(ish)/blah. It didn't go well...obviously.

OK, that's me ranting and being emotional for now...I'm done...I should go eat, low blood sugar could have something to do with my state of mind.

Random Christmas Pictures

These are just some pictures that didn't make it into other posts for one reason or another, but are cute, I think. Enjoy!


Josh and his Daddy drinking eggnog
Daddy chose a green boot
Josh got a bear mug...I picked it out especially for him...not sure whether he was born yet, or not...
Cute Josh and doggie pictures...Josh sure does love Gus!!
AJ is reading the Christmas story...Josh is paying a lot of attention, obviously.
Our Christmas lights...pretty
Josh "helping" Daddy put up lights
This is what our house looks like
Josh is introducing you all to "Baby Bruver Pham" as he's named this baby doll. This was my first doll! Pretty good shape for her age, huh?

Josh posing in front of the house.

Sunday Morning--Houston Christmas Trip

We went to Faith Family Baptist on Sunday morning, as we always do when we're in town. It's the church we were married in and had a personal hand in building...we miss it, and our Pastor when we're not there, but have so much fun going back to visit, although the children there grow at an alarming rate!!

Anyway, this morning they were having Jesus' Birthday party in the preschool department, and parents were invited, so we decided to go and take Josh. It started with one of the teenage helpers reading the story of Jesus' birth, with a live nativity. Jenny was Mary and Sophia was Baby Jesus. Some of the preschoolers got to be the angels, shepherds, etc. I'm sorry, I didn't get pictures, but it was cute.

Then we went back to Josh's class and they made nativity pics (colored them and glued "sticks" aka popsicle sticks on the roof) and decorated sugar cookies. I had to step out for a few min. and left Beth with Josh...when I came back, he was COVERED with frosting!! He was also the only kid in the room...the others went outside to play, but Josh wanted to play with the toys!! And his Aunt Beth...

Anyway, after they were done with that hour, we were supposed to go to service to hear the special Christmas musical thing, but were needed in the nursery...there were a LOT of babies, and several were criers, so we ended up staying...I had my camera so I took some pictures! Josh apparently finally noticed we were gone about halfway through, and started fussing, so they brought him down to us in the nursery as well. So it ended up being my Dad, me, AJ, Beth, and one other volunteer who showed up. We had Josh and Sophia in there as well, so it was kind of like a Burchfield family show!! The lady working with us joked about this, and Dad offered to adopt her, so she didn't feel left out!! It was fun. Just like old times...mostly. The afternoon post is after this one...or would you say before? I posted it this morning, but had too many pix to do both together, which was my original intention. So if you haven't read it yet, you can continue to it next.


Daddy and some of "his" babies.
Awww...Beth had the magic touch with this little one...she fusses a lot, and finally went to sleep...I just thought this pic was too sweet.
I was holding Sophia, until she also went to sleep. What a sweet girl!
The crew
More of the crew
The little boy that AJ is holding is the son of a friend of ours...we were in Orchestra together for years at Forest Cove Baptist, and were pretty close, but when we changed churches, we kinda lost touch. He's gotten himself married and had a baby since we last communicated...weird!! I didn't even know he went to Faith Family!! So having him walk in to hand us his kid was supremely surreal! But so glad we caught up with each other...and this kid was awesome...funny and very well behaved! And yes, he does have a mohawk...his mother's doing, Andy said...
OK, this was taken as we said goodbye to Josh to leave his class at the end of the hour...he barely even looked at us, so when they brought him in saying he was crying, we were a lot surprised!!
Yummy cookie that he decorated
"Say, Mom, this is pretty good. Why won't you let me do this at home???"
Shaking the sprinkles on with Daddy's help
Making his nativity picture
More sprinkles
Wanted to eat it as soon as the frosting was on it!!
Spreading his own frosting...Daddy ended up helping, which really means doing it for him, since he didn't really care to mess with it...just wanted to eat it!!