Steph's Weblog

WHOA! It's Been A LONG Time.

2007-10-12T14:53:00.001-04:00

Sorry. It's been way to long and a lot has happened. For starters we've moved...again...and hopefully we will stay put for longer than 3 years. We packed up our stuff (donated a lot too) in Grand Rapids and moved to Kalamazoo. It has been nice being closer to my parents and in a city I already know my way around.
We installed a new tv in our family room. For those of you who read Matt's blog "home theater project", and are wondering, Matt and I are still talking. I got to be quite tense a few times but an accomplishment, nevertheless.
Jacob is still an only child--no new news on that front.
He is quickly becoming a 2 year old and making sure everyone knows it. He is not as easy to distract, quiet, or subdue in the grocery store, Target, the playground, in the car, in the stoller, well, you get the point. One place he LOVES to go is our Kindermusik class. Once a week, we go sing songs, play instruments, and dance around. At first, Jacob was nervous and shy and cried the whole time but now he looks forward to going. What a relief.
So in a nutshell, that is what has been going on.

it's a small world...

2007-03-11T22:44:00.000-04:00

Ha, Ha...now you are singing it, too. We just returned from a short but wonderful vacation at Walt Disney World and I will have Matt post the pictures on the website soon.
Matt was fortunate to have to go to a conference for work over the weekend and it was held at Disney. So Jacob and I decided to make the trip as well.
Jacob loved playing in the pool, swimming and quacking with the ducks and riding some of the rides. He hated the heat and waiting in line but daddy's slurpy made it all better. We spent one day in Magic Kingdom and we all highly recommend making the trip. Watching Jacob's face filled with awe and wonder as we made our way through Small World, his curiousity with making Dumbo fly up and down, and his lack of shyness around Donald Duck and Mickey were all priceless from a parents perspective. I can't wait to go again.

It's Almost Here

2006-11-19T11:11:00.000-05:00

Lots of things are quickly approaching and two of my favorites are almost here. The first is Christmas, well the entire holiday season, and the second, while still new, is Jacob's birthday.
What an amazing time of year. I feel like a little kid again. I am excited for the Christmas tree, Christmas lights, Christmas music (already been playing for the past month) and Christmas presents. But the reason for all my excitement has changed from years past. This year I get to see it from a one-year old's perspective. The Christmas tree, although gated and off limits to baby hands, Jacob's eyes will be filled with wonder, amazement and a little confusion. Christmas lights... Jacob's fascination with "ights" will be entertainment for him as we drive around town. Christmas music is the best! Enough said. And finally, Christmas presents. I have never been more excited to give a present to someone and watch him rip the paper off as I am this year. Last year, Jacob laid in his bouncy seat and slept most of the time. This year he will crawl all over them, rip the paper, eat the paper and then play with the box. Oh well, eventually he will play with the toys, right?
Well, I wish you all a wonderful, happy and joyous Christmas season from our family to yours. Take time to enjoy the season with family and friends and don't forget the real reason for this blessed season-Jesus.

Changes

2006-10-31T11:32:00.000-05:00

I sit here in amazement at how much Jacob has changed and in so little time. His little brain blows me away. There is more going on in there then I give him credit for. Everyday for the past week, he has learned something new. He knows where is piggies are, gives kisses, waves, plays patty cake, gives the touchdown signal (strangely never when the Lions are on), knows what a fishy says...WOW.
It is nice to reflect back on the year. One short year ago we could walk from our back door through the kitchen and to the couch without stepping on a Noah's ark piece, a magnet or a stuffed animal. Not only do we have to watch out for those things but also a crawling baby who magically appears at your feet.

Gummy Smile

2006-07-26T14:30:00.000-04:00

Well, we have survived our first bout of teething. I will be honest, I was quite sad the day I realized Jacob was about to poke out his first tooth. No longer would he look at me and flash his big gummy smile. From now on, he will always have teeth. It made me reflect back to when all he did was lay there and occasionally look at his hands with confusion and amazement. It is incredible how much he has already changed. I love watching Jacob explore and learn about the things around him. I want to soak up each day with him and see things for the first time too. So for now my bed will remain unmade, my flowers will not be deadheaded as much as they need and I will lay on the floor with my son and make him giggle.

How Time Flies

2006-05-24T22:25:00.000-04:00

I can hardly believe that just 6 short months ago Matt and I were leaving the hospital with little baby Jacob. Time has flown by. He has started to roll from back to stomach and sitting up with little or no help. This has made play time much more fun for me because now I am not stuck lying on my back as much.
I have been told that these next six months go by even faster. I can't wait.

It's About Time

2006-04-27T14:06:00.000-04:00

It has been quite awhile since I have posted anything. The Christmas season is past, Valentines Day and now Easter. OOPS! I have an excuse...He is 5 months old.
Well...hmmm...Do you want to know what Jacob is doing?
Since my last post, Jacob and I have recovered from a fall, he is reaching for EVERYTHING, he rolls from tummy to back, he has started eating solid foods, and sleeping through the night. It is incredible how fast time flies.

Jacob has survived his first two sets of shots. I think he faired better than his parents did. Thank heaven for Tylenol!!! And at four months he started eating solid foods. I haven't found a food he won't eat. He loves sweet potatoes, squash, green beans, bananas, pears & prunes (NOTE: Don't feed prunes to infants unless necessary--they work). He wasn't too sure about sweet peas or peaches but he will eat them. Feeding him now is so much fun and an adventure.

Ahhh, the sleeping through the night. He still occasionally likes mom to visit at 3:00 am but for the most part he can wait until later that morning to see me. He started this wonderful habit around 4 months old and only did it some of the time. Now (5 months old) he is making it through the night more often. How did I ever survive without 10 hours of sleep? Matt are you ready for baby #2? HA, HA, HA!!!

By my next post, Jacob will probably be walking, talking and maybe graduating high school. I will try to post before that all happens.

Christmas Music

2005-12-28T15:10:00.000-05:00

I love Christmas music. I turn it on in July to get my "fix", but I have a few songs on my list that should never be played again. Heading up that list is "Christmas Shoes."

The first problem I have with this song is that the little boy doesn't say thank you to the gentleman who bought the present for him; instead he says, "please hurry, sir" (after reading the lyrics to this song, I do see that he does say "thank you" at the very end, but that is after he's prompted the guy to hurry up and I had already written this).

Another problem I have with this song is the boy's view of Jesus. Whoever taught this child that shoes will make his mom "look beautiful when she meets Jesus" is full of it. I've tried to find where in the Bible it says something about Christmas shoes making someone beautiful in Jesus' eyes, but I haven't been able to locate anything along those lines.

I have a hard time believing that this boy's mom will appreciate the shoes. I can think of a million different things she would probably prefer if she's on her deathbed. I will list only a few: a pillow, a soft sheet, a warm blanket, warm socks, someone to brush her hair or put makeup on her, a shower, a hot bath, oh the list is endless.

And, finally, in true male form, the boy waits until the last minute to buy a present for his mom. "Please hurry, sir, Daddy say's there is not much time. You see she's been sick for quite some time." Nothing like procrastination.

I've decided to take a shopping lesson from this boy next year. I am going to turn to the person behind me in line and say, "Oh no, I don't have enough money to cover the cost of this Xbox 360. You see, it is for my husband. He has been sick for quite some time and this gift will surely make him smile."

The only good thing about the Christmas season being past is I don't have to hear that song again for about 325 days!

I'm a mom!

2005-12-11T12:02:00.000-05:00

It is still sinking in that, yes, I am a mom and I have a son. I will always be a mom and nothing or no one can change that.
Jacob and I are starting to work out a schedule. He likes to stay awake with little 20 minute cat-naps in the morning and then long 2-3 hour naps in the afternoon. At night he is sleeping 3-4 hours between feedings. I am okay with that for now but I will not lie I am looking forward to when he sleeps through the night.
We had our first doctors appointment on Wed. Jacob checked out perfectly and the doctor was pleased with his progress. We were so happy with the good news that we decided we should visit the doctor again the next day. Actually, the reason was a paranoid mom. Jacob had vomited Wed. evening and then again early Thurs. morning. The doctor said acid reflux and keep him upright for 30-40 minutes after every feeding. He spent a 20 minutes with the three of us mostly calming me down, setting my mind at easy and making me feel that this emergency trip to the doctors office was justified. I decided on the way home we were not going to set foot in there on Friday. I like our pediatrician and don't want him to take out a restraining order against us.
So what makes for a good day for you? Here in our house it is when Jacob, mommy and daddy don't require a mid-day change of clothes because someone (Jacob) has either peed or vomited all over himself or one of us. Oh, the little things.

Step right up and take a guess

2005-10-31T10:01:00.000-05:00

According to the baby countdown on this website we have only 3 weeks and 3 days until the baby arrives. So I thought I should post my prediction on the sex, DOB, weight, and length of this baby and welcome all others to voice their opinion by posting a comment.

Here is my prediction:
Sex: Male
DOB: Nov. 15, 2005 (could be wishful thinking!)
Weight: 8 lbs. 10 oz.
Length: 21"

Just so everyone has the same information that I have to make my guess here is the baby information. My measurements have been average, the baby's heartbeat is from 130-160 beats per minutes, and our due date is Nov. 24, 2005.
Alright there you have it--post your best guess.

Final Countdown

2005-10-27T17:53:00.000-04:00

It is hard to believe we will have a baby in the house within the next six weeks (hopefully sooner than that). I know many of you may be disappointed but I will not be posting my centimeters dilated, effacement or stations. If you really want to know then you can call me. Keep checking our website for updated information. Hint: Matt will probably be the one doing the posting when the time comes so check his blog.

My Second Baby Shower

2005-10-21T08:45:00.000-04:00

I recently had my second baby shower. This shower was a success thanks to my mom, sisters and grandma. My grandma allowed us to invade her house while my mom, Beth and Susan handled the food, decorations and games. The food was delicious (most important when you are hungry all the time). My mom made a wonderful key lime pie with a graham cracker crust. My favorite. I could've eaten the whole pie. Mmmmm.
It was so nice to see my aunts and a few of my cousins. We received very nice and special gifts from my family. The baby's nursery is almost ready and our house is quickly filling up with all sorts of baby items. Wow, they sure do need a lot of stuff.

Baby Shower

2005-09-11T14:21:00.000-04:00

I had my first baby shower yesterday. It was a wonderful day. My aunt, cousin and mother did a beautiful job with the decorations (clothesline theme) and food (and Costco did a great job with the cake). It was very nice to see some old friends and family again. Unfortunately there were a few who were unable to make it and they were missed. Matt, Gracob and I feel very blessed. Thank you.

It was a little overwhelming bringing everything home and putting it into the nursery. It made me realize how quickly the time has gone by and how much "nesting" I have to do.

I will have Matt add some pictures from the shower to this post for those of you who are interested. He won't mind, he will do whatever to get me to write more often.

Go Lions-ROAR

Update

2005-08-20T10:48:00.000-04:00

Well it has been awhile since I have written anything, so here goes...

I am very excited to share with you that my last day of work is
August 30, 2005. Only 5 more working days left. That is a little strange to write and I am not too sure what I am going to do for three months before the baby is born. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

As for the baby, this child is very active (although I have nothing to compare him or her to). Matt has been able to feel the baby move for almost 6 weeks now. Everyday this child has 3 to 4 major "exercise" sessions or attempted escapes. If I am sitting still, you can watch my belly shake like a bowl full of jelly for about 30 -45 minutes each time. Now that is weird.

Pregnancy is going well. I have only had a handfuls of days where I have been uncomfortable, in pain, or frightened. I start my third and final trimester shortly and can hardly believe the baby will be born in three+ months. Guess what that means...Christmas and Thanksgiving are almost here! It is almost time to dig out those Christmas CD's!

Which brings me to my next question...what do you buy a four to six week old baby for their first Christmas? He or she already has new furniture, clothes, toys, and an endless supply of breast milk. What more could a child want?

That is all for now. I will update everyone again shortly (I will write more often if there are comments).

Colorado Trip

2005-07-04T10:58:00.000-04:00

I recently returned from a trip to Colorado. Gracob had his/her first trip to the Rocky Mountains and his/her first experience at 9,000+ feet above sea level. My parents, Beth, Jason, Tori and I made a short trip to see one of our friends Allison McClelland-McDowell married. We were also able to meet my cousins Jason and Tami for dinner and a tour of Boulder. As you can see from the pictures, we had beautiful weather and a nice time together. Click here to see the pictures I took on the trip.

This obsession must stop!

2005-06-19T22:58:00.000-04:00

Okay, I have know for quite awhile now about this blog thing but I don't have much to report. One thing I do have to say is Matts obsession with the website NEEDS to come to an end soon. It has now been at least two weeks and he still goes on it everyday and "fiddles" with it for hours (at least 4 per night). He made me have this blog thing on my page and this is what I have to say for now...
Obsession compulsion disorder????

Welcome to my blog

2005-06-11T03:09:00.000-04:00

Well, actually, I'm Matt, and I'm writing this to encourage Steph to utilize this forum to share her experiences -- primarily with pregnancy. I'm not too sure how well that's going to go over, but I guess we'll see. Alrighty, lets see how long it takes her to notice that this is here and to change it...