Just some pictures

Let's see what Jonathan has been up to for the last few weeks.

Me and my friend Logan playing in a box maze contraption built by Logan's dad.
Crawling around inside the maze.

My favorite place to play with Dad's iPod......in the laundry basket! How weird.
Fun time playing at Bicentennial park during my family reunion. This is the night after I slammed my finger in the car door cutting it pretty bad. Notice the band-aid if you can on my right thumb.
Teaching great-Grandpa how to use an iPod...he still has no idea what to do with it.
CAn you tell he loves his Chef Boyardee?
Definitely has Matsunaga blood, loves playing on the tractors at Lowe's.

Swagger Wagon

So, this weekend marks a new high point in our lives. Kristen has been talking about the need for more room in her car if she is to be able to nanny for more kids since she has to do a lot of picking up and bring home. Originally she always thought that when more kids came, we would get something like a Honda Pilot to replace her CR-V that she loves so much. Well the need to have more seats came before the time to upgrade the car and she has been tossing around the idea, begrudgingly might I add, of getting a mini-van. She was also only willing to get very specific makes and models because she is so picky about her car.

Well, she started looking and found one she wanted to look at. We went to look at it on Saturday morning and that afternoon we bought the car. So now we are the new owners of a Swagger Wagon. Check out this commercial we saw tonight. Its hilarious. Its not a Sienna, though we like it and are excited at the possibilities our new Dodge Caravan will bring our family. Here's to the new soccer mom.

Our Hero

This week the 7-14th is Congenital Heart Defect awareness week. Aaron and I feel passionately about this cause because of our own experience with our son Jonathan. It was actually 2 years ago exactly today that we found out that our yet to be born baby boy had a heart defect called Tetralogy of Fallot which is actually one of the most common heart defects that a baby might be born with (to learn more about Tetralogy you can go here http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=11071)
We were blessed to have found out while still pregnant and we able to prepare and so we knew what to expect for after Jonathan was born. We were also extremely blessed because Jonathan had a mild case and did well and we got to take him home for 2 1/2 months before he had to go into surgery. In Jonathans case they fixed the hole that was in between his to Ventricles and they were able to help fix his Pulmonary valve without cutting through it. This means that Jonathan now has a 50/50 chance of not having to have another open heart surgery whereas if they had cut into the valve it would have been certain.
Here are some pictures of our little Hero!


This was taken the morning of Jonathans surgery. The last picture of his chest without his zipper scar


This one is just a few hours after coming out of surgery.


This one is a couple days later with almost everything removed.


This was the first time that we actually got to see what his chest looked like without all the bandages covering it. It was not as scary as we pictured in our heads.


Finally awake! This was bittersweet to us. We hadnt seen him awake in 4 days but they still wouldnt let us hold him.


This picture will probably forever be my favorite picture that I have of Jonathan. They finally let me hold him on the morning of day 5 after surgery! It was like getting to hold him for the first time all over again and he was so happy that I could hold him!


If you can believe it they let us come home about 24 hours after the first time I got to hold him again so in case you are trying to keep count that was 6 days total in the hospital. This picture was a week after we came home and the day that we got all his stitches removed.


You can barely even see his scar anymore unless you are really looking for it! Jonathan is an amazing little healer even his Cardiologist comments on how good it looks!! And obviously if you know me at all you will know that Jonathan gets his healing powers from his father not from me. :)


Today Jonathan is a regular 20 month old boy into everything and endlessly curious. He is a blessing not only to me and Aaron but to his Grandparents, Great Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins. He is a loving and sweet boy. He is amazingly strong and very little fazes him. We know that Jonathan was sent to me and Aaron for a reason and we feel incredibly humbled to be entrusted with this special little boy.

Pumpkin Patch and Halloween!

This year we took Jonathan to the Pumpkin Patch with Grandma and Grandpa Christopherson and almost all the Aunts and Uncles came to play too! It was lots of fun! Jonathan especially loved going in the bounce house with Uncle Jared! They were so funny to watch.

Jared would bounce Jonathan and he would crack up! You can see Jareds feet as he was landing in front of him! But Jonathan didnt only get to fly with Uncle Jared! Uncle Jason came over too to play another favorite game of Jonathans! Toss the baby!

Its a good thing we trust him so much! :) Then Uncle Jason found a pumpkin almost as big as Joanthan. He loved it and tried to pick it up. And was very pleased with himself when he could with Uncle Jason helping just a little.

Of course Aunt Leann got in there and helped too! Her and Jonathan found a cool wheel barrow to play with!

And a big congrats to Uncle Adam and Aunt Brittney who celebrated their first Halloween together! We love you both!

This year Jonathan actually got to wear a costume for Halloween! We actually found this outfit in a store in Morro Bay when we were there this summer. We thought it was cute so we bought it.

When Kimmie and I were little we had little outfits like this one and its fun for Jonathan to have one now too!
It had a really cute little hat that came with it but Jonathan has no patience for the hat so we only got a couple of shots with it on.

You cant see it in the pictures but it had a little braid on the back of the hat too! It was really cute. Thanks Grandma Julie for fixing the hat so it would fit on our little boys big head! ;) We didnt take Jonathan trick -or-treating we just made the rounds to visit all the grandparents and great grandparents. But we still had a blast and are looking forward to next year when Jonathan might actually want to go trick-or-treating!

Jonathan 1 Daddy 0

Jonathans favorite time of day? When daddy gets home of course which coincidentally happens to be mommy favorite time of day too! :) Jonathan is all boy and loves to rough house with daddy and wrestle around on the floor. I watch and shake my head and give constant reminders to be careful (to Jonathan cause daddy is so old ). But last night we had our first accident that left me with 2 crying boy and one of the them bleeding!

Thats right daddy came away with a wound. Poor Aaron. Jonathan and Aaron were playing on the floor when they bumped heads. Aaron was laying on the ground and Jonathan was standing above him and they both moved toward the other and smack! So basically what happened was that Jonathans two front teeth collided with Aaron nose.
As you can kinda see in the picture he has two perfect teeth indents on his nose. Its a little bruised and sore but daddy was a very good sport. I love them both and am so proud to be Jonathans mom and Aarons wife! He is an amazing father and husband and provider. We are so lucky to have him!!
P.S. This my love is revenge for posting the throw up picture of me! :) Love you!

The Big Fresno Fair!

I live for this time of year good weather and the Fresno Fair!! I love the fair I have forever! Whats not to like good food and lots of fun?!? This year we were really spoiled and we went twice! We went on Saturday night with my Parents and then Jason and Cynthia were able to come and meet up with us there! But first we played for a bit. For the last few years they have really been developing the side of the fair over by the livestock and it is amazing! So fun for the kids a huge tree house that connects to a Pirate ship lots of things to play with and slides! Fun! Jonathan even found a little part of the tree house that was just his size!

He Loved that he could open and close the door by himself and was very pleased that there was only enough room in there for him!

There is a big waterfall that you can find up in the tree house too and Jonathan of course thought that was amazing! He loves water and was so excited and he could reach out and touch it with Daddys help!

It was so fun taking him this year and watching him walk around and enjoy everything! I can only imagine that it gets better!!

As it got later Jonathan went home with my Parents and we got to stay and play with Jason and Cynthia! It was so much fun. We basically shopped through the commerce buildings and Cynthia and I got to play dress up!! LOL! We are really enjoying having them back in town!

The second time we went was Monday night. It was much less crowded and still lots of fun. This time we got to go with my Parents and to take my Grandparents too! Its always fun to take my Grandma shopping and get them out to play. They enjoying being around Jonathan too!

Jonathan getting a ride with Great Grandpa in his wheel chair. We also got Grandpa a new hat! Nice huh?

Me with my Grandpa Benny and my Grandma Mae! I love them both and am so glad we were able to go with them! Its a fun tradition going with them every year!

Jonathan and Charlotte!

First I want to say sorry to Holly for the picture but it was the only one I had when we were both pregnant! Anyways I know that we have been bad about updating lately and I am making a goal about being better starting with a blog about two of my favorite kids Jonathan and Charlotte!!! I was watching her today and loved watching them play. They get along so well and are so funny to watch! I cant believe that they are both toddlers!! I remember Holly and I being pregnant together! We were so excited and wanted our kids to be best friends! Look how far they have come!



Jonathan was only a couple days old here and Charlotte was about 4 months.
This was taken shortly before we moved out of the apartment complex! I miss the days when we could run up and down the stairs to find a sitter and friend!
But even though we moved out Jonathan and Charlotte were still able to see each other!
Now we have two big kids!! They run everywhere and are into everything! But they are still good friends!
You cant see it here but Charlotte has a book and they were looking through it together!
I cant believe that they are so big! I remember when Holly brought Charlotte home from the hospital and when she came to visit me in the hospital after I had Jonathan! Im so glad that Jonathan can have such a good little friend and that Holly and I get our wish of having our babies be such good friends!