not so zen momma

Pretty soon he'll be tweeting. Just like his momma...

Let's play Eye Spy! What do you think it missing here?

It's Van's changing table pad. Yup, he's officially too big to use it. Not too big to be in diapers – it is just too hard to try to change a big kid on a little dresser. So, a few days ago, I packed away his 18 month clothes, changing pad, numerous baby blankets, and all the burp cloths. No need for them anymore. *sigh*

For some reason, it has been very difficult for me to put away the clothes that he has outgrown. I remember tears rolling down my face as I boxed up his newborn and 0-3 month clothes. And now, almost two years later, I still can't accept that he's getting so big so quickly.

But in turn, we have been having so much fun; this is definitely a great age. Van has his dad's personality, but his mom's desire to be a professional communicator. Yesterday he decided to play Dr. Doolittle while he was on a zoo field trip with Derek's family. He thought it was perfectly polite to talk to every single animal, whether they were listening or not.

He has also been saying some very cute prayers, I'm sure God gets a lot of amusement listening to them. He is extra thankful for his blanket, and wants to make sure God knows that all his favorite friends and family members – Chayton, Isaiah, Lincoln, Seth, Alexis, Anna and Colt – are safely at their homes, which is apparently a very important detail.

And furthermore, he has graduated from a diaper bag to a snazzy Elmo backpack. A nice accomplishment for a growing young man.

Very rarely does Derek voice his opinion on matters of fashion. In fact, he has recruited his sister who works at Kohl's to be his own personal shopper. Don't worry, his sister actually enjoys it!

Yesterday, we were in Babies 'R Us purchasing a baby shower gift - who do I know that has a baby shower next weekend? - and Derek fell in love with this outfit for Van. So much so, that Derek is now on the hunt for a matching vest. Do you think he can pull it off?