DeWitt Family Blog

1st Cottage Weekend and lots of New Experiences

2011-06-28T15:50:00.000-04:00

We headed up to Big Star for our first weekend of the summer and our first overnight excursion as a family of 5. Everyone in their pj's ready for bed!!

We were happy to wake up Saturday morning at 7:30 without having been up once in the night with any of the kids!! LOVE a full night of sleep!! The next day it didn't take long for the boys to switch from pj bottoms to swim suits! Gotta love summer when the first thing you think of doing after breakfast is putting on your swim suit! LOVE!!!!!

Jason had a few projects to work on in the morning so we let him work and the boys played on the beach until daddy was ready to take Tenley on her first boat ride!!

Deacon and Jacob both wanted to help Tenley with her life jacket.

While relaxing on Saturday Jason actually got a chance to hold his baby girl! He is normally to busy with life to have much time to relax and enjoy our little lady so I had to get a few pictures of the two of them!!

We enjoyed some of summers goodness with some sweet corn. This was Deacon's first time having corn on the cob and he really loved it! look at him getting into it!

After a fun day of sun, sand boating and swimming we had a yummy dinner and enjoyed the beauty of a quiet night by the lake!!

The next day started of with some more fun first including both boys first time on a seadoo. Jacob really liked it! Deacon wasn't a big fan but we will see if next time around he will like it more. Later in the day our neighbors came up to join us for a Sunday in the Sun!!

Jacob enjoyed his first tube ride without and adult on board. He though he was big stuff riding with the older kids! So fun to see him enjoying things Jason and I enjoyed as kids!

After a little fall off the tube Jacob and Claire cuddled up and watched for a while!

The Mom's and some of the kids!

After a fun weekend we had to get one picture of our family of 5! Not to bad for our first family trip! Looking forward to lots more memories with those smiling faces.

What Happened on Wednesday!

2011-06-23T15:39:00.001-04:00

No good name for this post but I love the picture of my boys busy making puzzles!! Both boys have always loved puzzles and it so fun as a mom to watch how the both do things so differently. For a while I thought it was just the age difference but now I'm seeing just how different they really are. So fun to watch their brains work and develop. Reminds me of what I loved about teaching!

Jacob also had his a friend over to play today! we made smore pops and they were a hit. Much easier than the rice krispie pops we made a few weeks ago. I think the kids liked these better too.

Strawberry Picking

2011-06-21T15:32:00.000-04:00

We went strawberry picking for the first time this week and LOVED it! I had never been before but a good friend asked us to go and I'm so glad we did. The boys loved just picking and playing with their friends. We also had went to a little ice cream shop and cafe for lunch on our way home and the kids thought that was the BEST! Jacob has said that this was his favorite thing he did all summer! (It is only June but it was fun!)

Jason and I enjoyed a nice strawberry chicken salad and yummy strawberry shortcake for desert. Someday the boys will realize they are missing out by skipping strawberries! Until then Jason and I enjoyed them.

Deacon, Addison, Ellery & Jacob

Father's Day

2011-06-19T15:20:00.000-04:00

Happy Father's Day to an awesome Dad!! My kids are so lucky to have such an awesome dad! They boys have really gotten so close to Jason since Tenley has been born it just melts my heart. We even have one little boy who wakes up early just to have breakfast with his dad. Thanks for all you do for the kids and me babe we love you!!

The kids are also doubly blessed by 2 super grandpas! We spent most of our day with Grandpa Keith and Deacon even managed a little nap right on his tummy! Sorry dad no pic of you this year!! However the kids love you picture or not! Thanks for all you do grandpas!!!

Jacob has become a little water bug!! So thankful that We have a swimmer on our hands!!

Sweet Treats on a Summer Night

2011-06-17T15:13:00.000-04:00

We made some yummy rice krispie pops dipped in chocolate and couldn't resist sharing the sticky goodness with the neighbors! Jacob loves baking and so do some of his little friends so I had lots of help especially with the chocolate dipping. I'm pretty sure Jacob even had some in his hair!!!

Loved watching the kids devour the sugary stuff. What's summer for but having fun with neighbors and eating lots of yummy treats!!

Deacon washing it down with some water! LOVE those eyes buddy!!

Tenley Paige 2 months OLD

2011-06-17T14:58:00.000-04:00

Our little girl is 2 months old already!! I'm happy to say she has made it through some rough days and it now a real happy little girl! She is also gaining weight! She still adores being held and I love to hold her so that is PERFECT!!!!

New things for Tenley from month 1-2. She survived her first evening (NOT NIGHT) home with just daddy! has been sleeping through the night since memorial day! She had Grandma Mary babysit just her!! She is now in size 1 diapers and is sitting in the bumbo!

Her stats: Weight- 10lbs. 4 oz. 25%

Height- 21 inches. 5% (She hasn't gotten any longer since birth??)

Another little peanut!

The newness of having a baby sister has not worn of for the boys. They are still very excited to tell people they have a baby sister and share her name with them. Only once have they climbed into her crib to give her a paci. Hopefully they now understand it's not safe for them to climb into her bed!!

2 months have flown by but yet I can't truly remember what life was like without her!! I feel blessed as well as overwhelmed with what an awesome gift each of my children are! Praise God for the beautiful gift of children!!

Strawberry JAM!

2011-06-16T14:54:00.000-04:00

We made some strawberry jam this week!! This was the first time I've made Jam since Jacob was a baby like Tenley! Deacon however liked the whole process the most and even had a few extra tastes of the sweet strawberry goodness and we were making it!!

Summer is Here!

2011-06-16T14:37:00.000-04:00

It's June and Summer is here! We are excited to be getting more on the move now that Tenley is almost 2 months!! We are enjoying some summery things these first few days! We went to a WhiteCaps game for my brother and sister and law to celebrate their first date 15 years ago! We also started some extreme swimming lesson. The kids are basically held under and taught to swim but I think it's going to work!! :/ Here are a few pics of these first days of summer!

First Day of Lessons! These are some kids who don't know what's coming!

Deacon with his favorite Toy! Had to put this on here so that I would remember how much he loved this garbage truck. here he is in the car with it!

Yogurt pops with friends. sadly to cool to eat outside!

Memorial Day 2011

2011-06-01T15:43:00.003-04:00

Jacob was in the Memorial Day parade with his 3 school class from Zeeland Christian. It was so cute to see him up there on the float.

We also enjoyed some family time over the weekend. We attempted a swim at the pool by grandpa and grandma Mary's but got rained out on Sunday. Then on Monday we took advantage of the hot and sunny weather and headed to the beach. Jason may have gotten sunburn but the kids have never played so well and for so long together. Tenley also ventured down to the beach along with her tent and bouncy seat. She was good as gold only waking up just in time for a feeding!

Our little lady all dressed up in her RED, WHITE, and BLUE!

We ended the weekend with dinner on the back porch just the five of us! PERFECT!!!

Baptism

2011-05-21T15:16:00.006-04:00

We celebrated Saturday night as Tenley was baptized at our church! We enjoyed dinner with our families at our house before the service. Such a special day for our precious baby girl! We praise God for the gift of her life and the opportunity we have to raise her to know him as her Lord and Savior!

Always need pics of the yummy food and cake!!

Tenley was perfect while being baptized. I honestly didn't even think to be worried about her crying while we were up there until it was over. I guess somethings change by the time its your 3rd. The boys enjoyed being "on stage" a little more than they should have even starting to put on their own show with dancing and spins. I guess to them a stage means its time to perform!!

Grandparents with Tenley

Great Grandparents with Tenley

The little things Tenley wore on her big day!

Beautiful bracelet from Grandma Mary. Her first jewelry!

Tiny little shoes!

Tulip Time

2011-05-19T15:17:00.005-04:00

Once Again we enjoyed the fun of Tulip Time!! We are thankful that Grandma makes the costumes every year!! So fun to see all the kids dressed up!!

Grandpa and Grandma with the 7 grandkids 4 and under!! 3 of them only weeks old.

Jacob and Gabe

The whole family!

Visiting Great Grandpa and Grandma DeWitt

2011-04-26T15:10:00.000-04:00

Tonight we finally made it out to Grandpa and Grandma DeWitt to introduce them to baby Tenley. The boys were super excited to go and read stories, play toys and drink lemonade. It's always good to visit with the Great-Grandparents!

Easter

2011-04-25T14:55:00.001-04:00

Easter Morning was just beautiful! We were excited to go to church and celebrate today! We even managed a self portrait before church. Our only non hospital family picture. After church we went over to Jason's parents to celebrate Easter and Gisele's birthday.

If you look close Tenley is in the sand pail.

Jason tried to get a nice mommy-daughter picture but I guess Tenley decided to cover her face with her hand.

Jacob found a 'real' egg outside and decide he should make and incubator for it. My creative little scientist is at it again! :)

We finished the day off at my parents. My siblings had been there earlier in the day so it was a nice quiet gathering. The boys enjoyed a fun Easter egg hunt and most importantly they got chocolate bunnies from Grandma. Deacon is pretty proud!!!

Saturday

2011-04-23T14:44:00.000-04:00

Now that Tenley is here our Saturday's are looking a little different. The boys are getting to hang out with Daddy at the barn and do special things while Mommy gets some one on one time with Tenley as well as a little peace and quiet to get things done. The boys seem to be loving it and secretly I think Jason kinda enjoys having them along too.

This Saturday after the barn and playing with Norah they headed to DeGraff Nature center for a birds of Prey show. Jacob really enjoyed it however Deacon slept through most of it.

After a little rest, dinner and baths we decided to decorate a few more eggs. We just can't get enough of Easter over here. These were fun shrink wrap eggs. We hard boiled the eggs and then wrapped them in veggie tales wrappers placed them back in the water and they were done. They look really cool but we didn't exactly hard boil the eggs long enough so a few cracked open and were a mess.

1 week old

2011-04-18T14:40:00.000-04:00

Grandma Bouwens made us dinner tonight and to celebrate Tenley being one week old she even brought a cake. The boys thought this was super fun!!

At one week Tenley is doing great eating well and gaining weight like a champ!! She is a pretty happy baby but definitely likes being held more than the boys did. I guess we will just have to hold her and enjoy her!! :)

Tenley Paige

2011-04-15T12:36:00.000-04:00

We welcome with LOVE

Tenley Paige

4/11/11

6lbs. 14oz.

20 inches

Never thought we would be putting flowers and bows on anyone at our house!! SO FUN!!!

A quick reminder of the day she was born. It was a Monday and I was induced after showing no signs of going into labor soon on my own. Funny thing after they had thought I would go into labor early. I happend to have been pregnant longer than I was with either of the boys with my precious Tenley.

Labor progressed rather slowly and we even had thoughts of it taking a day!! Not what I had hoped for. Then with an epidural and a little pitocin early afternoon things were moving again and Tenley was born 5:34p.m. I have never felt the emotion I felt when they put Tenley on my chest. I really don't know if it was the effect of a difficult pregnancy or the bond I pray I will have with my little girl but the emotions were flowing like never before.

I pray I will have a strong relationship with her and be as wonderful a mother to her as my mother has always been to me. My mom holding my little girl simply brings tears to my eyes still. I hope to that my mother will also be close to her granddaughter.

The evening after she was clean up weighted measured and wrapped up took a little scary turn as she had a little trouble breathing during feedings and turned blue for a moment. This delayed our announcement to our family and friends by a bit but we still managed to get grandparents and proud big brothers up to see little Tenley before bedtime!! Thankful Tenley has been breathing well since!!! PRAISE GOD!!!

The rest of the hospital stay involved many fun visits from family and friends!!! Always so fun to see everyone and introduce the new little bundle of love!!!

Love the car seat picture!! such a good reminder of how tiny they are!!

Chickens

2011-04-09T14:29:00.000-04:00

After making lots of trips to Tractor Supply to visit the chickens Grandpa Keith decided the boys needed some chickens of their own. So Saturday morning Jason loaded the boys up and grandpa keith took them to tractor supply to pick out their chickens. The boys thought they were pretty big stuff getting chickens with Grandpa. Theyalso enjoyed showing them off to Norah and Ethan.

Thanks Grandpa Keith for the fun time and the Chickens. We hope they grow big!!

Coloring Eggs with Jacob

2011-04-04T17:11:00.000-04:00

Sunday afternoon Deacon and Daddy took and nap and Jacob and I enjoyed coloring eggs together! Amazing how much less stressful it was this year than last. Nothing spilled and we both really enjoyed ourselves!! Love time spent with my big boy!!

March 2011

2011-04-01T16:46:00.000-04:00

March felt like the longest month ever over here at the DeWitt household. Winter just didn't quite and we felt all cooped up. I was also setting the itch to not be pregnant anymore and my attitude could have used a little help. We did however do some pretty fun things.

Jacob was honored to be Addison date to Madagascar Live! Haley and I had a pretty fun time too. It's always good to see your child without their siblings. Jacob just seemed so grown up!

I had maternity pictures taken for the first time. Never did it with the boys and since this is my last pregnancy I wanted to capture the "cuteness" if that is possible of pregnancy and my boys excitement about the whole thing.

To survive the winter blues we were having we got outside when possible and came in to warm up with hot coca. Deacon's new favorite!!

We also spent lots of the month preparing for easter and making lots of goodies. We know Easter isn't until late April but we still did Easter stuff early!! Including going to the attending the Eggstavaganza at MVP.

Easter Bunny Pic

Jacob the Bunny

Checking out the goods!!

The boys and their MVP buddies!!

Lastly, it wouldn't be March here if we didn't get out to see the butterflies! The boys enjoyed the trip and it was even warm enough to go outside for a short while and check out the outdoor goodness of the gardens.

Jacob is 4!!

2011-03-03T13:59:00.000-05:00

Hard to believe my first born is 4 years old already! We celebrated his birthday on Sunday after church with a Lion King themed party! His daddy was so nice to make him a special cake for the big event! Jacob love playing lion king as well as watching lion king but coming up with party products for such a party is difficult!! We did the best we could and he was thrilled!! Here are a few pics from the party!

Jacob taking a big swing!

Showing off his awesome cap from Aunt Jayme!

On Monday is actual birthday we had a few presents for him and let him do a few things per his request. He wanted to wear spiderman and go to MVP to play with his best buds Reid and Gabe. Reids Mom was nice enough to bring her face paint and paint Jacob's face up like a Lion for his big day. After MVP we headed to the carousel mall for lunch (Taco Bell) and a trip to build a bear. Grandma thought Deacon should get to make something too!

Favorites of my 4 year old:

Eggo Waffles

Lion King

Spiderman

Books

Barnes and Nobel

Vanila Yogurt

Tinga Tales

Crafts

Building Forts

Jacob you are truly full of it! We never know what you might say or do. I'm always excited and nervous to pick you up from school to hear what you have told your teacher. We love your creative mind and pray for God's plan for what you do with all of your ideas. We love you so much! We look forward to the year ahead and all that is in store for you!!

February 2011

2011-03-01T13:29:00.000-05:00

February is a fun month a our house filled with birthday and of course valentines day crafts and treats!! In the winter it seems we do lots of crafting and baking even if it isn't a holiday but its fun to work with a theme. We also attended some Hope College Hockey! The boys love it at first but occasionally the games get a little long for them. Jacob did enjoy making silly faces for the camera while we waited for the game to start!!

One of our heart crafts made with crayon shavings.

Jason turned 30 on the 10th. We had a low-key celebration with my parents and the kids. We went out to dinner at Crazy Horse and came back home for cake and presents. The kids made daddy this beautiful birthday crown out of the packaging for the cake. Jason humored them and wore it for a while.

VALENTINES DAY!! The boys got to pick what they wanted for breakfast. Jacob wanted heart shaped french toast and Deacon wanted heart shaped waffles. Deacon's were pretty simple I just used the eggo waffles from the freezer. Jacob's took a little more work but you can tell he was pretty happy!! :) Later that day we spent some time painting hearts to give away to friends and family. The extras we used to make a heart garland that we hung up in the living room.

BIG BROTHER CLASS: The boys along with their cousins took a big siblings class at the hospital. It was pretty cute seeing the boys try to wrap the doll in the blankets. With boys you just don't see them playing this way. Also they got to see the rooms where we will be once we have the baby and took a peek in the nursery. Can't wait to see how they really do with her.

Favorite things of February:

Jacob's: Reading books by the windows and teasing his brother. :(

Deacon's: Puzzles, Puzzles, PUZZLES, and lion king

Lastly in baby news the boys are working on putting the stroller together for her. It is really fun to push around the house. Deacon is really funny pushing it because it is so much taller than our little umbrella stroller and he can't see a thing.

January 2011

2011-02-01T13:13:00.000-05:00

January was a busy and fast month for us. We returned home from an amazing trip to Disney over Christmas with Jason's family and jumped right back into our busy schedules. We had a first for both the boys in January as they were able to try skiing for the first time when we made a quick trip up to Crystal for Grandma Mary's Birthday. Jacob really loved skiing and did very well. Deacon wanted to try to but wasn't as big of a fan. Hopefully next winter I will be able to ski with my boys!! I have so many memories of skiing as a family when I was a child I hope to do the same with our kids in the years to come!!!

Also in January we had another little scare with the pregnancy as I was having preterm labor so the boys got to spend some extra time with Daddy as well as their grandparents while mommy spend a week or so on the couch. Grandpa Joel even took them sledding out by Like Michigan. They were gone for a really long time. Grandma Bouwens even went out looking for them afraid they fell in the lake. LOL

We also moved the boys together into Jacob's room and Jason moved the crib down for our baby girl. We thought we should get a few things ready just encase she made an early arrival.

Jason really didn't mind helping with this project but might not have enjoyed the picture taking part!!!

Deacon

2010-11-16T03:44:00.006-05:00

My adorable little Deacon you are growing up so fast right before my very eyes. You have changed SO much since we moved back in May. Two major changes for you have been that you started to talk and that you had your tonsils and adenoids out. Both of these things have made your life significantly easier. You can now tell us what you want without screaming most of the time and you are a much healthier little boy without those pesky tonsils and adenoids.

Truck Parade

Deacon you continue to challenge mommy every day with your unique personality and strong will. Mommy reminds herself often in the challenging moments what a gift your strong will truly is. On the flip side of your strong will you are a the sweetest little mommas boy ever. You sit on my lap and cuddle during music class and when we are in many other new and different places. Mommy loves that you feel comfort in her being near.

Riding the Lion at the meusem

Things Deacon loves and is learning right now:

Cars, Trucks and Trains

Lions

Pretending whatever Jacob is pretending

Painting like his big brother

Deacon is enjoying learning many letters with his big brother

Deacon is beginning to say his prayers with us at bedtime and dinnertime (a precious event for a child who a few short months ago had no words) Praise God for Deacons improvement!!!!

Reading with Mommy in his room

"Dinner Time" It is always dinnertime for Deacon it seems ever time he wakes up or comes home from anywhere even Dinner he says it's dinner time and expects to eat. Funny Boy!!

Learning his colors

Snack time with Daddy!

Back to the Blog? Maybe!

2010-11-08T14:51:00.006-05:00

I've been thinking about it for a few weeks and would really like to get back into blogging for my kids sake and to record the memories of our everyday life. So since its been a while I will try to do a quick update on Jacob today and Deacon another day. I'm sure I can't do the last 6 months justice but here's my best shot.

Biggest change for this guy besides the move to our new house in May has been starting school. Jacob is in the Spanish immersion program at Zeeland Christian and LOVES it!! I'm so excited to see him learning about the Lord as well as another language while he is at school!! Other exciting things for Jacob have been that he was on his first organized sports team this fall. Jason coached his soccer team at a park near our house. Jason did a great job and had a lot of Patience!!

The Coach and his TEAM!

Jacob at the Children's Museum

We also enjoyed all of the other normal fall activities including apple picking x2, pumpkin fest, trick or treating, and racking lots of leaves in our new yard!! Anyone who is looking for something to do I'm sure Jason would let you help with our leaves!!!

Things Jacob Loves right now:

Crafts/ Painting/ making things for the new baby

Singing

Playing Spiderman

Climbing

Making Forts

Reading Berenstain Bears

Teasing his brother

Planting Bulbs and Mums with Mom and Dad on a warm Saturday Afternoon!

Easter Festivities

2010-04-05T15:27:00.000-04:00

Family Pic at my parents for Easter Lunch
Boys opening up their eggs

We started celebrating Easter last weekend with Jason's parents by having a little Easter Egg hunt in the front yard. The boys had fun and it was good practice for the egg hunt on Saturday at the gym.
Easter Morning before church

At the gym the kids did a few crafts, hunted for eggs, visited the bunny (Jacob), and had pancakes! Deacon wasn't sure he really enjoyed all of it but I'm hopeful that by next year he will be more adaptable. :)

We also visited the bunny at the mall per Jacob's request. Deacon again wasn't a fan but we have the memory for sure. Friday night after church we colored our Easter eggs another thing Jacob loved and Deker didn't Easter morning we enjoyed a beautiful service at church before lunch at my parents and big naps for the boys in the afternoon!

All the bunny stuff and eggs were fun but the most amazing part was seeing Jacob begin to understand why we celebrate Easter. We watched a neat video that really explained the sacrifice Jesus made as well as read the Easter story in the bible. He also came home from Sunday school with many good questions after our Good Friday service and our Easter morning service. He also learned some new praise song that he loved singing for both his grandparents!! We are so thankful for Jacob's growing love for our Lord and savior as well as for our church that helps him grow in his understanding of the faith.

Disney/Florida

2010-04-01T15:20:00.006-04:00

We did it we took the kids to Disney and boy did we have fun!! I think Jacob loved it the most and his Daddy was a close second!! The weather was chilly but the sun was shining and we were able to do a ton. We spent 2 days enjoying the excitement that Disney has to offer. We spent a half day at hollywood studios and then met up with Grandma and Grandpa DeWitt to see the Animal Kingdom and go on the safari!! We spent the next day at the Magic Kingdom with both sets of Grandparents. It was great having all the extra hands with us in the parks to keep track of the little ones. We also did a character breakfast before we left the last day which was highlight for Jacob!!! He loved having his picture taken with the characters and always wanted to get a kiss as well. Ha Ha!!!

It's a Small World!Lightning McQueenDeacon watching the parade! The whole group with Woody and JessiePlayhouse Disney LiveJacob loving a dino ride with Grandma Mary!I guess they all wanted to ride together because the winnie the pooh ride was so scary!

Jacob in the "Honey I Shrunk the Kids Playground"

After our time at Disney we headed down to Ft. Myers beach for a week were we enjoyed a little time on the beach. The weather wasn't the best but the boys still had a few chances to get their toes in the sand and do a little digging.

Jacob is 3!

2010-04-01T15:02:00.006-04:00

We celebrated Jacob's birthday with a Mickey Mouse party and some of his favorite foods. Cinnamon rolls and Chili!! Jacob was even involved in making the Cinnamon rolls for the party such a fun thing to do with him and the help of a dear friend and grandma B. Jacob got lots of fun toys as well as a big boy bike and scooter to use this spring and summer!!!

Exciting things about Jacob at age 3: ~Jacob still adores reading and loves to hear stories people make up for him even better. His favorite is to think of a subject and have us tell him a story about it. Sometimes this is difficult. (tell me a story about grass, clouds, dirt, etc...)
~Jacob also loves to make believe he is always and animal or building a house, cave, nest. His favorite is probably to play Simba and build pride rock from the lion king.
~Jacob still loves Oatmeal for breakfast and prefers to eat it with his dad.
~Jacob's favorite place to eat is Taco Bell. He really loves going to restaurants. We will be in the car and it's only 10 a.m. and he will say "Mom I might get hungry soon so can we go to a restaurant?" Maybe that means I'm a bad cook.
~Jacob is a baker and a craft er for sure not a day goes by that we can get away with skipping these kinds of activities. He will even turn down a cartoon to do these activities.
~Jacob favorite people to play with are still his cousins.
~Lastly Jacob has decided he is a country boy and would like to be at the barn with his buddy Lucas. At the gym they pretend they are mud running and hunting together. Sooooo FUNNNY!!
Jacob brings Jason and I so much joy and we are thankful for the Blesssing God has given us in him. We continue to be amazed by how much he as grown and what he learns everyday. We look forward to many more birthdays with him.

Happy Birthday Grandpa Joel/ Deacon 17 months

2010-01-14T15:18:00.004-05:00

Today is my Dad's birthday and we are excited to go out and celebrate with Dad/Grandpa tonight. This year the boys have gotten so much closer to my dad and it has been so fun to see how they interact with him as they are getting out of the baby stage. Deacon has always adored both of his grandpas. I often call him my "grandpa boy" because he loves his grandpa's SO much. We are so thankful that they boys are able to live close to and spend time with their grandparents it is truly such a blessing.

Deacon is 17 months today!! Yikes. When Jacob was this age I was 2 weeks away from having a baby! Yikes again! It's truly bittersweet to see my precious baby turning into such a big boy. I can't believe how much I honestly miss having my little baby. He has always been our little cuddle bug and still loves to put his head on your shoulder and just snuggle right in. I know this is one of Jason's favorite things to do with little Deke when he gets home from work!!

At 17 months Deacon wants to be just like his big brother. The boys always have to have the same thing. If one has oatmeal for breakfast the other does, if one is drinking milk out of a nalgeen bottle the other is. It is very cute most of the times however on the rare occasion we don't have two of something there is trouble. Jacob's birthday next month will be very interest!!!

Deacon has a special way of getting exactly what he wants but honestly uses no words. He follows directions like a champ but will not let us know what he is thinking with his words yet. Most people have told me that its because his big brother doesn't give him a chance but I still am very eager to hear what my little guy truly has to say. Deacon does some signing now which is really cute because he has such chubby little hands!!

It has been a very fast 17 months little Deacon Bear. Momma loves you more than I could ever explain. It's so hard to believe what a big boy you are becoming. Everyone told me the second one grows up so much quicker and sadly you have. I'm trying to cherish every minute I have with you sweet baby boy. Love ya!

Christmas 2009 (Review)

2010-01-14T15:11:00.007-05:00

Build-a-Bear and visiting Santa

Deacon hanging out in my rocking chair from when I was a kid.

Jacob and his Crafts: Santa Buddies sleigh, foam ornaments, gingerbread house

Critter Barn Nativity with Ashley, Ryan and Gisele.

Christmas has obviously come and gone but I still wanted to post some pics of the fun we had with family. Jacob loved the holidays!! He was very excited that is was Jesus' birthday and even asked Santa for a cupcake for Christmas to help celebrate the birth. If only we could once again see through the eyes of a child. Deacon also enjoyed the holidays, especially the gift wrap and the goodies he was able to enjoy.

Christmas Parade(s)

2009-12-01T21:51:00.005-05:00

They look so little standing there together! :)

(Addison, Jacob & Deacon)

Yup we went to both the Holland and the Zeeland Christmas parade's this year! They were both fun and we enjoyed some free entertainment with the boys. Sadly we are already sick of the cold/dark weather of winter and are looking for ways get out and do things with the boys at night. The boys loved all the lights and candy as well as spending time with their cousin and friends at the parades. I can't find the camera with the pics of the Zeeland parade but here are a few from tonight's parade.

Once this little guy got out of the stroller he wanted to be right by his Daddy!

Found the camera! Jacob and Gisele giving hugs!!

Stitches

2009-12-01T21:39:00.003-05:00

Deacon took a little tumble yesterday and now has a few little stitches. Poor little guy was trying to climb on the chair of his new craft table he got as and early Christmas present and the chair landed just right on his middle finger splitting it open. I really didn't know one little finger could bleed so much. Thankful our doctors office got us in quickly and stitched him up. Hopefully he will keep his bandage on and the gaping hole closes up nicely. Praying this is the worst injury my little buddy ever has.

Turkey Time

2009-11-25T22:48:00.003-05:00

The boys and I have been gearing up for Thanksgiving by doing lots of Turkey activities. Jacob loves themes, crafts, baking, sweets, etc. We made a few different turkey crafts but Jacob's favorite was definitely his turkey crown. His favorite part was the dangly feet. We also made turkey cookies and had a special Turkey treat from grandpa B. These cute little turkeys were from De Boer baker and were super yummy!! When I asked Jacob what he was thankful for today he was sweet enough to say "You Mommy and spider man underwear and mickey underwear." Yup you guessed it we are attempting potty training with very low expectations!! Hope to really work on it after the holidays. Anyone who has trained a boy and has advice I would love some. Not loving potty training!

Deacon 15 months

2009-11-21T22:19:00.000-05:00

My sweet baby is turning into a toddler way to fast! In the last month Deacon all of a sudden seems BIG. He is doing more and more of what Jacob does. He wont have being left out of anything that Jacob is doing. He is running around the house like he has been doing it forever.

Deacon is starting to talk a little bit more when he doesn't have his paci. Mommy and daddy need to keep working on taking his pacifier away from him!! IT amazes us what he can say if we take the paci out! He has such an expressive face sometimes the little guy doesn't really even need words though. Lately he has been starting the tantrums and has been putting up a little bit of a fight against his brother. He has the saddest little pouty face when things don't go his way. It melts mommy's heart!

We had his 15month appointment and we were a little surprised at just how little he was. We really do think he is BIG. His stats: weight: 22lbs. <20%>75%. I guess Frank the Tank isn't coming back, even his little legs are getting pretty thin.

Deacon also got a haircut this week and now he looks even older. No more baby with the shaggy hair. :(

Florida

2009-11-18T22:00:00.000-05:00

The boys and I enjoyed a little time in Florida while Jason was busy in Iowa and up North at Bitely for the gun hunting opener. Jacob has grown up so much and did and awesome job traveling! No stroller for that guy he was walking and helping out like such a big boy!!!

Jacob loved helping me pack this time. Half our suitcase was stuffed animals but thankful with a washer and dryer you don't need many outfits!!

Jacob took his naps on the beach!! I loved this!! I got a chance to read a book something I don't have much time for at home.

The boys LOVED the beach!! We only had one day of clouds and cooler evenings but lots of fun!! It was so cute to see Deacon walking around on the beach!! Jacob also did a great job swimming! ! He was even in the deep water! Major improvement from summer.

Beach BOYS!

Ashley and Jacob baking Christmas cookies!! Jacob didn't want to miss out on his favorite activities while on vacation!!

Halloween

2009-10-31T17:03:00.000-04:00

We had a fun Halloween weekend. Jason and I even dressed up this year. We a fun night out without kids the night before and then took the kids to a few houses in the cold on Halloween. We also had a few friends over for pizza after trick or treating. It was fun to see all of the little ones together in their costumes. Jacob picked his costume and I got NO say in the matter but I do have to say he ended up being a pretty cute spiderman in the end.

What's New?

2009-10-25T22:35:00.005-04:00

This week we enjoyed the little bit of nice weather we had and spent some time outside as well as inside when the rain hit at the end of the week!! The boys are growing up WAY to fast!! Jacob now has a new big boy bed and it's really BIG! (need to get a pic of this yet!) Along with his big boy bed he is not napping much either. I'm struggling to adjust to this as I'm getting much less done and he if VERY moody without a nap. A couple activities that we did while he didn't nap included planting tulip bulbs, baking cut out cookies and a few crafts...

Gardening gloves and all he was a big helper putting the tulip bulbs in and covering them up!!

Rolling out the dough and cutting out the cookies with Mommy!

Jacob and Daddy helped decorate the cookies after I frosted them later that night!

Doesn't he look like such a big boy!! I don't think Jacob ever filled those overalls out!!

Enjoying some fun on the swing set on a semi-warmer night!!

Deacon is busy walking all over the place and getting into things. He loves to climb as well!! He is really good at getting on top of the Lego table and getting on stools to get things off the counter! YIKES!! He is also talking more and more. His current favorite are "BUCK" and "Moo". He is also getting two of his molars which makes him wake up extra early for his mommy and daddy. I think we had 4 in the bed at 6:30 twice this week. (Not a normal occurrence at our house) Deacon is also a good little builder!! He loves to stack blocks. I think his record is 8 high!! Pretty good for 14 months!

Also new for the boys is a fun train set that Daddy picked out at IKEA a few months ago and put together last weekend!!

We took a fun nature walk this morning and the color was still pretty gorgeous even after all the rain and wind be had Friday and Saturday.

Deacon was a little trooper just hanging out it the stroller except for this one pic!

Jacob was such a big boy he walked and ran around the whole hour and a half we were there. He only sat in the stroller for a minute to have a quick snack!!

Deacon 14 months

2009-10-14T21:21:00.002-04:00

Deacon isn't such a baby anymore. He is starting to walk and enjoying playing with his brother more and more everyday. He is becoming a good little eater enjoying many more foods than his big brother. His favorites are pears, peaches, yogurt, mac n cheese and grill cheese. He is trying to say more words everyday but most of it still sounds like baby babble to most people. Hopefully when he is ready to talk we can hear him over Jacob's constant chatter. Deacon has 7 teeth and has 2 little bumps that I'm sure will push through before we know it. He also adores books, he picks one up and then backs himself onto your lap. This is definitely one of my favorite things that occurs at our house daily! He is still my cuddly bear at night I love singing him "Jesus Loves Me" and snuggle him before laying him down to sleep. Deacon is also transitioning into 1 nap a day. Deacon you are such a blessing in our lives. We are thankful everyday for the gift you are in our lives.

Outdoor Discovery Center

2009-10-14T21:07:00.003-04:00

The boys had their first experience at the ODC and they loved it!! Couldn't have been a better place for little boys who love animals and the outdoors! We enjoyed seeing the frogs, snakes, bunnies, turtles, and an owl as well as doing a few crafts, puzzles and playing a club house. The boys and I are really enjoying all the fun activities of fall that we can do together this year now that they are both getting a little older!!

Pumpkin Fest

2009-10-07T17:41:00.004-04:00

The boys and I made a trip downtown Zeeland to see he Pumpkin fest displays on Friday afternoon. Jacob loved them!! He could hardly talk fast enough to let me know what each one was. His favorite was THE CAT AND THE HAT!! He even needed to be held up for a picture. Deacon wished he could get out and touch everything but until he is a little steadier on his feet we will keep him in the stroller!!

Saturday Jacob and I participated in the Pumpkin Fest run. Jacob did the 100 yard dash with his cousin and I ran the 5k. This was a big accomplishment for both of us. It was Jacob's first race and my first race since 2005. I was content with my finish and would like to do some more road races now that I no longer can use the excuse of being pregnant or having a little baby!!

Lastly we didn't make it to the parade due to the rainy weather and a birthday party to attend. We are thankful for how far we have come since last year after the pumpkin parade Deacon was in the hospital.

Green Lipstick

2009-10-04T20:52:00.002-04:00

I no longer have to wonder what Jacob is doing while I clean up dinner and Jason reads the paper. He's finding green lipstick in daddy's nightstand. Maybe it was a highlighter but he was very proud to tell us he found green lipstick and put it on himself!!!

FALL

2009-09-30T09:40:00.004-04:00

Now that we are officially feeling the Fall weather here is a quick review of what we have been up to! Last week we made a trip to cranes on Monday evening to get some apples and enjoy a yummy dinner at the Orchard. The kids had a great time. Jacob loved the freedom of running and picking the apples and Deacon thought it was fun to hold and gum the apples.

Tuesday we celebrated Great Grandpa and Grandma DeWitt's 70th wedding anniversary and then Grandpa and Grandma were honored at the Winning At Home Dinner on Thursday!!

We also enjoyed the crisp air on Friday night and took a walk downtown Holland. Jacob loves to be downtown to see all the stores and where daddy works! We continue to do lots of crafts with Jacob during Deacon's nap time. A new favorite is painting bread. Jacob loves to paint and this even gets him to eat the bread!!!!

We didn't slow down when the weekend hit. The Huyser's invited us to a Farm in Kalamazoo and we had a blast. They had tons of kids activities: drain pipe slide, hay maze, swing, apple train, big jumping blob, hay climbing hill and the list goes on... We also did a little apple picking and enjoyed some amazing donuts!!! The kids were exhausted for the ride home so we got a little peace and quiet before heading home for some yummy vitales pizza!

Sunday we went to Chicago with Jason's parents, Aunt Ashley and Ryan to the Tigers game!! Jacob had a fun day of being spoiled with so much attention. We left early and made a trip to the original pancake house before the game. YUMMY!!! Jacob also enjoyed a LOTS of treats at the game!! Thanks for a fun time Grandpa and Grandma D!

Deacon also had a fun day at Grandpa and Grandma Bouwens while we were away. Mommy missed him but I'm pretty sure the game wasn't a good place for a non-walker. Hopefully next year little buddy!!

Silver Lake - Labor Day

2009-09-09T10:34:00.002-04:00

Taking a ride in the big red truck up test hill.

Two and a 1/2

2009-08-28T14:21:00.006-04:00

YIKES!!! Jacob is 2 1/2 today!! My little guy is growing up way to fast. With this cold weather wearing jeans and sweatshirts he even looks big!! Jacob is still our little chatter box, talking non-stop to anyone and everyone. Lately his favorite things to talk about are hunting and bear stories. Jacob would sit and listen to bear stories all day if we could think of enough to tell him. Then he go on to tell other people parts of them. This makes for some entertaining stories.

Jacob is also starting to eat a little bit more!!! He now likes more than mac n' cheese. I would have never thought I would be so excited to see my little boy eat a hot dog or a chicken nugget. Also when we eat Jacob loves to help Deacon learn his sign language. It is so cute when he tells Deacon to ask for more or say thank you. Hopefully he will always be so helpful teaching his brother!!

We still do lots of crafts at our house. Jacob's favorite right now is paint. We just got some new paint at the store this week that we are looking forward to making some new creations with. Glue is also high on Jacob's list of fun things to use when crafting. With fall coming I'm looking for fun craft ideas for the little guy so if you have any send them our way.

Other favorite things of Jacob's right now are pretending with stuffed animals, building towers and kicking them over, making forts, trying to drive any vehicle he can get his hands on (watch your keys), jumping and climbing on everything and playing with Deacon. We are also attempting potty training right now. Can't say how its going to go but I would bet we wont be going to far without diapers anytime soon.

Jacob you are an amazing little man. I love you more than I could ever tell you. It just melts mommy and daddy's hearts when you keep asking for just one more kiss or hug. Even when it makes dad late for work or you go down for a nap or bed a few minutes later. You say the funniest things and we always say how quiet it is when you are away for a few hours with Grandpa and Grandma, Aunt Ashley, or your buddies Jan & Kenzie. Love you little guy. We are thankful for the fun we have had the past 2 1/2 years and excited for all the things yet to come!!

AC/DC Concert

2009-08-20T16:18:00.005-04:00

Deacon's 1st Birthday

2009-08-18T13:21:00.004-04:00

My baby is ONE! A year has past since our precious baby Deacon was born. It really went way to fast and I truely do miss having my cuddly little baby in my arms. However, it is so amazing all the new things he is doing everyday. Although he doesn't cuddle as much as he did when he was little he still loves to be by his mommy.

New things Deacon is loving... reading books, playing with blocks, standing, walking behing andything, climbing anything, playing with his new birthday toys, trying to repeat what we say and copying his brother.

We celebrated his birthday on Friday with a party at my Grandma Bouwens cottage. It was so much fun to get family and close friends together to help us celebrate. Deacon was a little fussy for his party beacuse he's getting new teeth but he loved his cupcake and playing in the sand after the party.

Yesterday we went for Deacon's 1 year check-up. The doctor was thrilled that we hadn't been in to see him in over two months. This was record for our little Deacon. We are thankful from a medical standpoint the first year is over and he is hopefully outgrowing some of his little issues. His reflux is improving!!! His allergies are undercontrol. (No dog in the house) He got shots without an allergic reaction!!!

His stats:

Weight: 20lbs. 4oz. (17%)

Height: 29.5in. (45%)

Head: 47.5cm. (>60%)

Deacon is starting to really thin out. He loves to eat but he must have the same metabolism as his big brother!!!

Jason and I are so thankful that the Lord has blessed us with Deacon! We are looking forward to this next year with our little guy. It will be so fun to watch as he learns to walk and talk and do all sorts of new things.

A day at the Zoo!

2009-08-03T14:39:00.003-04:00

A week or two back we went to the Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek. We had a good time with the kids and saw all kinds of animals. Here is a video with some of the animals that we saw.

2009-07-30T10:54:00.004-04:00

People keep telling me they saw my scuba video on facebook, so here it is.

BIG CHANGES

2009-07-15T22:35:00.003-04:00

The month of July has brought on some big changes for our little guy. On the 4Th of July Jacob got a little sparkler burn on his lip causing us to think it was time to get rid of the pacifier. Jacob did awesome with having to give it up. He understood that his lip wouldn't heal if he had his pipe in so didn't fight us. For a kid who was addicted to that thing at bedtime and naps we were shocked!

Then today I found Jacob on the top of his crib. One leg in one leg out about to fall. With wood floors I just knew this would be a bad thing. I told him that he couldn't get out this way and he told me he would do it again later. At dinner Jason and I decided our little boy was getting big and for his safety it was time for a big boy/toddler bed. His crib easily converted to a nice little toddler bed. Jason even made the bummer fit on nicely still. Bedtime came we told Jacob he had to stay in his bed and so far he has. (It doesn't look like he's moved a muscle.) We are praying he wont be up at 2 a.m. or wandering the house tonight. Any tips if he does?????

Also, these new events have caused many tears for mom. I never knew it would be this hard to see your babies grow up.

Big Star Wake Surfing

2009-07-14T10:39:00.002-04:00

Brian and I are new to this but we gave it a good effort. We managed to get the hang of it half way decent by the end of the weekend with some good un-assissted surfs.

Surfing on Big Star Lake from Jason DeWitt on Vimeo.

4th of July Weekend

2009-07-06T22:38:00.006-04:00

We enjoyed a relaxing 4th of July weekend in Spring Lake. My mom and dad came up Friday night to see Jacob swim and then we spent Saturday with some friends by the pool. Sunday we walked the pier and hung out with Ashley before heading to Great Lila's cottage for a birthday party!

Jacob and Norah riding Grandpa Keith's Lion

Liam and Deacon ready for the group picture

Group Picture (Jacob, Liam, Deacon, Norah, Carter)

Wagon ride down the driveway

Taking time to smell the flowers! :)

Wants to be just like his daddy!!

Grand Haven Pier

Jacob eager to help Claire with her cake!

A Hot Week!!

2009-06-29T11:00:00.006-04:00

!!!UNDERDOG!!!

This week we enjoyed LOTS of time in the sun!! We visited Grandpa and Grandma's pool lots of times!! Had fun with the neighbors and visited Mac Legends pool too! However, the biggest excitement of our week was the addition of a swing set in our backyard!! THANKS DADDY!! The boys love the new swing set!!!

Deacon enjoy the splashes from the kids playing in the pool

Jacob and Kenzi playing in the pool!

Jacob couldn't wait for daddy to get the swing set off the trailer with the BIG tractor

Jacob loves riding the tractor with Daddy!

Deacon just thinking

Thought it was fun have the water drip of the truck onto his head.

My little swimmer enjoying a day at the pool!

Mostly Pics

2009-06-07T07:10:00.008-04:00

The last two weeks have been fun now that the weather has warmed up a little. We have been spending most of our days outside! I love it when the house isn't destroyed at the end of the day and Jason normally helps with the outdoor toys at night so that is nice! Jacob is anxiously waiting for daddy to build his swing set in the next week or so. He has also been doing really well with his bike!! Deacon is my speed crawler getting into everything. Wish I could fence him in the yard to keep him safe. He loves the concrete steps, the bark, and the flowers. Jacob has also enjoyed lots of spoiling with overnights at Grandparents and other special treats!! Sorry so many pictures just couldn't pick what to leave out. Helps me remember all the fun we have been having lately!!

Spoiled little boys cuddling up with Grandma before nap time!! Jacob looks like he is in a trance because he is a praise baby trance.

My first trip with the boys and grandma to the beach!!

First front yard picnic lunch! Not as successful as we had hoped. Jacob had a little trouble with the idea of actually eating at a picnic. He did much better spilling his food all over the blanket.

My sweet little Deacon already for a picnic in the front yard!

Visiting with the Berghorst Girls!!

I think Jacob liked the idea of the bunny better than the actual bunny!

Jacob and Jenna are such a funny little pair!! They both are full of fun and just make me laugh!

The girls were so sweet and even wanted Deacon to get a little ride!

Deacon loved snuggling up and showing off for his great Grandparents when we visited last week!

My two helpers ready to spill a few things for me while I make dinner!!

Jacob and Carter taking a ride in Liam's fancy wagon built by his Daddy!

Jacob enjoying a special cinnamon roll made by one of my moms good friends. Obviously he is enjoying it. No need for a fork!!

Jacob 2 years 3 months

2009-05-28T21:41:00.002-04:00

Jacob is just so much fun!!! I love love love having a two year old. Despite the tantrums and strong will Jacob just makes every day so much fun. He is so much more cuddly than he was as a baby. I love to cuddle with my kids so this is a major plus. He is also loving just being home and playing with his brother. This is a major plus for Mommy even if we make it to the gym less and less every week. I keep telling myself I have the rest of my life to be thin, the boys will be big before I know it.

Right now Jacob's favorite things are to play make believe and to sing songs. It's nice for him right now that Deacon doesn't know the difference and will go along with his little games. His favorite thing to play make believe with is his blanket. Sometimes it's a cage for his puppy and other times it is a cape or a scarf. It is so funny to listen to him play. He has a BIG imagination. The other day he was giving my friend Haley pieces of sand that were caterpillars and bugs. How funny is that, seriously where does he come up with this stuff??? Our table is also a rain forest for him and Deacon to play in. Don't call it a table or Jacob may loose control. Jacob also pretends to be animals and that his is hunting and fishing. As long as he doesn't pretend to be shooting the lady at target again I'm OK with it.

Jacob is such a little singer. His favorite song to sing is the ABC song. The only problem is that he is very selective about who he will sing it for. He sings it best for Great Grandma Huyser and for me. Don't know why the little guy is so shy about his favorite song. I hope to video him soon!! He also like the song "When Pigs Get Up In The Morning" from kindermusik. He loves to change the wording and sing when Jacob gets up in the morning.

Jacob's most recent obsession is the girls who live next door. He talks about them and asks for them everyday. If the girls aren't outside he always tells me what they are probably doing. "Mommy, Kenzi and Brooke are probably eating lunch" or "Mommy, Kenzi and Brooke are probably sleeping" It is really very cute how much he enjoys playing with them. They also two of the nicest little girls. They play really sweet together and because they are both a little older than he is they try to take care of him.

That's my little Jacob!! I love him more and more everyday and I'm so thankful that I'm able to be home with him and enjoy his sweetness!! Praise God for the beautiful gift he gave me in Jacob!

My little Artist

2009-05-21T13:41:00.003-04:00

While Deacon took a nap this morning Jacob and I did a little painting! Jacob loves arts and crafts. Mommy also loves all the fun things Jacob is able to do now that he is a little older. We laughed and sang lots of songs as we painted together. Most of the paintings have lots of pink, Jacob's favorite color!!

Thanks for a fun morning Jacob!! I love you buddy you are getting to be such a big boy!!

9 Months and still so SWEET!!

2009-05-14T22:26:00.006-04:00

Deacon is still my snugly little sweetheart! It's hard for me to believe he is already 9 months old. He is our speedy little guy cruising around the house using anything in sight to pull up on to get to what he wants. One of his favorite spots to stand is by our bar stools in the kitchen. Makes mommy nervous as his little feet slide apart on the wood floor.

Jacob and Deacon have been interacting more and more, some good some bad. The cutest is when Jacob pretends Deacon is one of his favorite characters or animals and then Deacon is just so excited that Jacob is being "nice" he just giggles and follows Jacob around the house.

Deacon had his first 2 teeth come in in the last month. They are finally through enough that you can really see them. I guess I should try to get a good picture of them. Deacon still loves to eat but the only table foods he can tolerate are the carbs. just like his big brother. Mommies dreams of her little boys eating lots for healthy fruits and vegetables aren't exactly coming true. Hopefully they will grow out of their reflux issues and be able to enjoy the yummy fruits and veggies in a non-pureed form.

Favorite things at 9 months: Blanky: Deacon basically melts into his blanket. Thankfully my mom found a back up one for half off so we don't have to live in fear of losing it like we do with Jacob's. Club Crackers: Deacon could probably eat 10 of them in a sitting. Thankfully Target had them on sale last week so we stocked up! Outside: If the doors open Deacon is crawling to get out. He loves the fresh air and being outside. He doesn't care what we do he just wants to be outside.

Deacon had his 9month appointment this morning. He now weights: 19 lbs. 8 oz. (40%) Length: 28 inches (50%) Head Circumference 46cm. (75%). I guess we can't really call him Frank the Tank anymore. :( Developmentally he is doing really well he seems to be ahead on all of his motor skills. The Doctor was thrilled that he is crawling as sometimes babies with lots of congestion and reflux have trouble with these things. We need to keep listening for Deacon to become more verbal. I'm sure Daddy will love having to little chatter boxes!!! We praise God for our happy little boy and continue to pray his reflux and allergies remain under control!

Deker Bear I love you little guy! You bring so much joy into my days! I love how excited you are whenever I walk into the room. I know these days wont last forever, soon you will be like your big brother you will want to do lots of things without your mommy but even if just for today I will savor these moments!

Our Little Dutch Boys

2009-05-05T22:16:00.005-04:00

We have been enjoying the Tulip Time festivities with lots of dressing up and eating junk food. We met our small group downtown Sunday night and then went back down tonight with both my parents and Jason's parents. We also made our first every trip to Veldeer tulip farm with the boys on Monday for lunch and to check out the Buffalo's. Despite the price it was a fun little family activity. Jacob loves his costume and shoes making it much easier than last year to get out the door for all the Tulip Time activities. Sorry couldn't decide on pictures so you get LOTS!!!

This is the best picture we could get of the two of them together. Neither of them like to sit :)

Don't they look precious walking together through the tulips!

Grandpa and Grandma with all the grand kids!!!

Lydia was sleeping so we thought we could maybe get them all to lay together. It was funny at the time but it looks pretty silly now!!

Gisele loves to help hold Deacon!!

Thanks Grandma Bouwens for making all the grand kids costumes!!! They all look so cute!!

Teeth,Stitches,Allergies,Flu?,Ear Infection,Reaction

2009-04-28T10:18:00.006-04:00

TEETH
Deacons first tooth finally popped through last week Wednesday! It sooo fun to peek in there and see his little white sliver of a tooth. His bottom right tooth will soon be poking through too.

STITCHES

This time it wasn't Jason getting the stitches it was my little Jacob. He had a slip in the tub and split his chin open. Jason thought he could fix it with second skin or super glue but Mom disagreed when the supper glue came out. Jason instead took him to Zeeland ER and returned around midnight with 4 stitches. Jacob also got lots of stickers for begin such a good patient!! He must have been tired because that little guy never sits still.

ALLERGIES

Deacon had his first appointment with an allergist yesterday and the conclusion is that he is allergic to dust mites, dogs, mold, fresh cut grass and Christmas trees. He did great at the appointment now mom and dad just need to work on making some changes to his environment to keep him more comfortable. The doctor also thinks he may have asthma due to the allergies and reflux so we now have an inhaler for when he has difficulty breathing. Yikes!! Who new one little kiddo could have so much going on.

FLU

Yup! Deacon has the flu again!!! We went for lunch after his allergy appointment yesterday and he went through 3 outfits during the meal. We headed home and couldn't keep anything in the poor kids. Jacob is thankfully staying healthy at my mom and dad's while we get Deacon better again!

EAR INFECTION

Deacon was also diagnosed with a double ear infection while at the doctor today. Sadly at 8 1/2 months Deacon has his first ear infection. We are hoping this isn't a sign of more to come for him.

REACTION

Deacon's ear infection could not be treated with an oral antibiotic because he has the flu so they decided they should give him an antibiotic shot. Bad idea, he had a reactions and his poor little legs got a bumpy red rash within minutes. Needless to say I spent an extra 40 minutes at the doctor due to the reaction waiting to see if it would spread. Thankfully it didn't and he is finally sleeping in his crib for the first time after a little car ride to put the poor baby to sleep.

We are praying Deacon gets better real soon, we are starting to really miss our Jacob but know it's better for him to stay away and stay healthy.

Deacon 8 Months

2009-04-14T14:17:00.004-04:00

My sweet little baby is really growing up way to fast. 8 months old already!! In the last month Deacon has become a speedy little crawler following mommy all around the house. Curiously getting into absolutely everything. He is also beginning to enjoy a larger variety of foods. He really wanted Jacob to share his doughnut at Meijers today. Needless to say Jason called it a bad mommy moment feeding both my kids a doughnut in the store. Deacon really wants to be into everything his big brother is into as well. This makes for a few more challenges for mommy to break up all the brotherly squabbles that occur.

Other changes are that Deacon has been working on getting his 2 bottom teeth, making him a little fussier than normal. Jason also cut Deacon's hair on Easter. It's not perfect but Jason tried hard. Maybe next time Deacon will go to Body Perfections with his Daddy and his big brother. Deacon has also been going through a little separation anxiety making mommy feel bad for leaving him for more than a few seconds. This also makes him have a little trouble getting himself to sleep in his own crib. I guess that means mommy and daddy get lots of extra snuggle time from our little guy.

Deacon has blessed our lives with a whole new pace in life. He reminds us that life is so precious and we should enjoy each day with our beautiful little boys. It gets so easy to just be tired as parents and forget how blessed we are to have healthy children. Having both our kids sick last week allowed Jason and I to really snuggle with the kids and reminded us that someday they wont be this little and when they are sick they wont want us to cuddle them this way. We thank God daily for blessing us with our little boys!!!

Easter

2009-04-12T21:19:00.004-04:00

Happy Easter! We had a very low key Easter this year. Our kids have been really sick all week and are finally on the mend. We optend to make sure our germs were completely gone so we missed some of the celebrations by staying home. Jacob still enjoyed an Easter Egg hunt and calling G & G DeWitt in Florida to tell them happy Easter and remind them that Jesus is alive!!! It's so cute to see what they hold on to form what they've learned about the true meaning of the holidays.

Even though we couldn't go to church we still dressed the boys up in their Easter outfits to get a few pictures. Jacob was thrilled to finally get to be outside again!! Grandpa and Grandma Bouwens also made a suprise visit before dinner to see the boys. Jacob loved showing off all of his eggs and candy. Thankfully the kids have both been feeling better for almost 48 hrs. so we will be able to get back into our normal routine.

He Lives
Happy Easter! Allelujah!

Jesus Christ, He lives!

Serve Him to receive salvation;

Eternal life he gives!

Easter Eggs

2009-04-03T21:20:00.003-04:00

This week we have been talking a lot about Easter. Including the Easter Bunny and Easter Eggs. (The true meaning of Easter hasn't been as easy to explain to 2 year old.)

I have been hiding lots of plastic eggs for Jacob to practice his Easter Egg Hunt skills. It's so funny to watch him look in the same spots over an over. We also visited the Easter Bunny at the mall and have been doing some Easter crafts. It's so fun watching Jacob get excited about each holiday and enjoy all the fun little traditions you can create as a family with each one. We waited to do Easter Eggs until tonight when Daddy could be home to help. Jacob loved watching Mommy and Daddy empty the first set of eggs. Then after decorating them and a few to many broken eggs we decided to do a few hard boiled eggs. Jacob had a lot of fun even though we had to do a lot of the work! Deacon was also a great spectator. I'm sure he would have loved to get his hands on all the bowl of color!

Chicago

2009-03-30T16:06:00.004-04:00

We headed down to Chicago this weekend to visit Aunt Ashley and see Dora the explorer with Jacob. Deacon was lucky enough to stay home with Grandpa and Grandma D. The weekend was lots of fun despite the weather. Jacob enjoyed Dora and Aunt Ashley and Mom didn't mind it either. Dad slept through most of it and claims his favorite part was the monkey bouncing around in a spandex suit.

Besides the show Jacob really enjoyed riding the train. He thought it was Thomas the train.

Ashley also showed us one of her local restaurants before we headed down town to our hotel. We would have liked to walk around a little more downtown but it was a down pour by the time we got there. We settled for a quick walk to the Disney store and dinner at Mike Ditkas restaurant. Unfortunately the Cheesecake factory was too long of a wait.

Sunday morning we woke up to a snow storm so we hung out watch some Dora and read books before having Aunt Ashley and Ryan pick us up for the Children's Muesem.

I think the adults had more fun playing than Jacob!!

Digging for Dinsour bones
Thanks Ashley and Ryan for hanging out with us and showing us around town for the weekend.

7 months and On the Move

2009-03-17T15:19:00.008-04:00

My baby is 7 months old already and officially on the move!! This weekend on the beach my Mom told us that Deacon was crawling around in the tent and we all said sure he's moving forward a little. Well she was right. he is crawling!! Jacob is having fun showing Deacon how he can crawl too. It's pretty funny! He's not real quick on the tile floor down here in Florida but I'm sure by the time we head home Friday he will have it all figured out. He is also trying to pull up on everything. Time to lower his crib.

Other new things for our 7 month old baby including his love of food. I think he would eat anything you put in front of him. He devours everything and has much less interest in the bottle. Kinda of a pain for knowing how much he is really eating when he won't take a bottle but I guess it will make it easy in a few months when we have to break him of the bottle. He is also a loud little guy. He just talks and talks. If he's anything like his big brother Jason and I will no longer need to talk the boys will do all the talking for us.

Were also still having a great time down in Florida. Jacob and Jason went fishing with Grandpa Bouwens this morning and caught a few fish. Jacob also showed off his new found swimming skill for Grandpa and Grandma Bouwens before nap time.

2009-03-16T22:29:00.001-04:00

Watched the space shuttle launch from Ft. Myers. Long was away but I thought it was pretty cool.

2009-03-14T23:09:00.004-04:00

We made it to Florida in one piece and everyone is having a great time in the hot, sunny weather. Jacob & Deacon like all of the attention they are getting from both sides of the grandparents being here at the same time.

Deacon is being a happy little guy like usual and loves the beach, eating sand or whatever else he gets into.

We went to Great Grandpa & Grandma in Englewood to visit for the afternoon. Jacob noticed the fake owl sitting on the dock and grabbed Grandpa's canes and proceeded to shoot it down for about 5 minutes. We were more concerned for the window than the plastic owl, not sure where he got that idea, he doesnt even have a toy gun yet if you can believe that.

Ryan & Linda where there with all of their kidos and they loved playing with Jake and Deacon. Jake wanted to borrow the sandals if you happen to notice.

Jacob is 2!

2009-03-04T04:00:00.000-05:00

We celebrated Jacob's second birthday this weekend. Jacob had some of his little buddies over Saturday night to help him celebrate with cake and ice cream. It was pretty busy with all the little kiddos!! We also had a family party on Sunday and Jacob loved playing with his cousins. The parties were barnyard themed and I made Jacob a cow cake with a little help from my friend Haley!! (thanks haley!!) It was a great weekend and thanks to everyone who helped our little guy celebrate. The parties in pictures:

Jacob and Gisele enjoyed a picnic lunch!!

Most of the kiddos from Jacob's party.

The boys and their buddy Carter!!

Jacob and his girlfriend Addison!

Jacob's buddy Landon helping blow out the candles

Carter and Jacob taking a ride on Shadow

Great Grandpa, Grandpa Keith, Jacob and Gabriel

Also more for myself than anyone else Jacob at 2: Jacob is becoming more and more of a sweetheart with his hugs, kisses, pleases, thank yous and little cuddles. He still has his stinker side not wanting to eat or wear clothes when he needs to. He has strong opinions favorite pj's (jungle pj's that belong to Grandma), coats (camo), clothing (jeans with nautical buttons, big buck t-shirt, hockey t-shirt and sweatshirt) and colors (green, orange and camo).

What he is up to lately: He loves Lego's most of all he is so fun to watch play. He is such a little pretender, it's hard to believe to years ago he was a helpless infant and today he is playing make believe with his Lego barn. He also loves anything about animals, especially watching daddy, grandpa and uncle eric hunt them on video. Jake is also becoming a cute little singer. Sometimes he even sings to his animals or his brother. Favorite songs include: The muffin man, Jesus loves me, Old McDonald and The Wheels on the Bus. Lastly jacob continues love his books and puzzles. I don't think he would be able to choose between the two if he ever had to.

2 YEAR check-up went good today. Stats: weight 23lbs. (not on the charts) height 33 1/2 in. (25%). He is still such a little guy but the doctor truly has no concerns. He encouraged us to really reduce the treats and increase the variety of food he is offered. To be honest we have gotten to a point we don't care what he eats we just want him to eat but knew it wasn't the best approach. Now thankfully my instincts were confirmed it's not going to make a difference in his weight if we feed him fatty junk he will only take in a small number of calories regardless so I might as well offer him healthy stuff let him refuse it until he gets hungry and turn him into a healthy eater. Yeah, sounds easy right. Well I'm sure it wont be but we will try.

Lastly, now that I have you all bored to death. Deacon is having an Upper GI scan tomorrow morning so please pray it goes well and comes back normal. The doctor simply wants to be sure it is just reflux and alergies we are dealing with. Thanks!!!

6 months old!

2009-02-18T14:32:00.002-05:00

Yup, Deacon is 6months old already. Valentines day marked the offical 6 month mark but we didn't go to the doctor until today. Deacon's weight gain is really slowing down. He is no long topping the charts he is more like average at 17.5 lbs. Not a big surprise but he still seems big to us. (Jacob was this exact same size last year at this time, except he was a year old.) Deacon is average for height 26 1/2 inches and it appears he has a large head. I'm thinking that's a good thing, lots of room for the brain to grow and develop.

His reflux is still our biggest struggle. It isn't improving and with the continued sinus drainage we have been dealing with for the last month or so it's causing some wheezing/asthma like symptoms. We are trying some new meds and hopefully can avoid any need for an inhaler or breathing treatments. The nurses and doctor continue to tell us how lucky we are that he is as happy and easy going as he is considering all reflux issues. Praise God!! Even though the breathing issues with reflux are scary we feel blessed that his such a trooper through it all.

Developmentally Deacon continues to do well. He is doing all the normal 6 month old things as well as showing a real interest in crawling. He is pretty speedy backwards!! :) The doctor suggested we try to get him eating some more table foods and using the sippy cup. Yeah more stuff to cart around!!!!

2009-02-11T23:54:00.003-05:00

Jake loves to watch these videos of deer hunting. Whenever dad is around we have to go and find the deer or the leopard video on the computer.

Happy Birthday Daddy

2009-02-10T16:38:00.003-05:00

I told you all this is Birthday Blog!! Today is Jason's 28th birthday. He really didn't want to do anything special so we are listening to him for once and not doing presents or going out for a big fancy dinner. However, I did get up early to make him coffee and french toast for breakfast. Before kids i got up early everyday and went running now I only get up early if it's someones Birthday or Christmas. We met Jason at Franks for lunch and will be having dinner at home before Kindermusik and hair cuts. Exciting birthday for Jason!!!

The boys and I did have an exciting day of visitors at home today. We were lucky enought to be able to watch Carter Meeuwsen for a few hours today while his Grandma went to bible study. He was such a good little guy. He played and slept exactly like his mamma said he would.

We also had a quick visit from Jacob's friend Addison. Unfortuanetly she couldn't stay. The last of our friends to arrive were the bergsma twins. Jacob and Sydney thought they had needed bandaids on their heads. Now Jacob looks like he has a hickey on his forhead. Hopefully it's not their when he gets up from his nap.

Hockey Game

2009-02-09T22:20:00.005-05:00

Grandma B. won some Griffins tickets the other day and thought we would like to take Jacob to his first real hockey game. We got there plenty early and watched the guys warm up, Aaron Downey cme and pounded on the glass a couple times with Jacob, I dont know if he thought it was cool but Dad did. And one of the players tossed a puck over for him to keep, also more than I have ever got at any hockey game.

Jacob wanted to constantly wear my hat and then put it back on my head only to want it back again.

We left at the end of the 2nd period because it was getting late but we all had a good time. Hopefully we will be able to make an entire game soon.

Jacob really likes his new T-shirt, we looked at a jersey but they were a little out of our price range. P.S. this is Jake trying to saw my foot off with his tools.

Happy Birthday Aunt Jayme

2009-01-29T10:10:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday Jayme!! Hope your day was filled with fun!! I know you had to work maybe tomorrow on your day off you will be able to do something relaxing!! Best wishes on your big day. Can you tell Jacob enjoyed his coloring project!!!

For those of you who are thinking every other post is birthday post you may as well get use to it I think we have about 6 more between now and the 2nd of March. SORRRY!!!

Aunt Jaci this bandaid is for you. Jacob has been saying lots of prayers for you today as you have surgery!! Hope everything went well!

Deacon's Vacation

2009-01-27T15:33:00.004-05:00

Last night Jason thought it would be fun to take the kids to the Zeeland East/Zeeland West basketball game at the VanAndel. Grandma Marianne thought Deacon should spend the night at her house instead of venturing out into the cold. Jacob was very concerned when Deacon wasn't with us so instead of letting him think he was missing out on a night at Grandpa and Grandma's we simply told him that Deacon was on vacation. He liked that idea. Thankfully my mom took lots of picture of Deacon's first night away from his Mommy!! Jacob was also very excited for Deacon to come home this morning. Probably one of the most precious moments I have ever seen between these two munchkins.

Pictures of Jacob at the game are on my camera and I'm still having trouble with it.

Birthday's

2009-01-26T07:00:00.001-05:00

This weekend we went up North to celebrate two special birthdays. Friday was Grandma Mary's birthday and Saturday was Great Grandpa Huyser's 80th Birthday. We had the whole family up for the celebration including a sleigh ride, a midnight champagne toast, and a celebratory brunch! Unfortanelty my camera is not allowing me to upload any pictures check out Tim & Jenni's blog for a few pics.

Love Him!

2009-01-21T22:24:00.003-05:00

Deacon 5 months/Happy Birthday Papa Joel

2009-01-14T22:18:00.004-05:00

Deacon is 5 months old today!!! Time seems to really be flying bye. I can hardly believe he is that old already. A few new things he has been doing include sitting up on his own for short periods, eating a few baby foods and interacting/playing with Jacob. I love seeing the boys doing things together. Some of our favorites are reading books and playing with Deacons playmats. Both the boys lay on the playmat together and giggle. Deacon is such a little blessing, however I'm missing the tiny baby stage already. He was such a little snuggle bug. He is getting to be a wiggle little busy body just like his older brother. I continue to hold him more when he's sleeping than I ever allowed myself to do with Jacob. I guess you truly understand how fast it goes the second time around.

Jacob has been such a silly little guy the last few day here are a few pics of his activities.

New tubby paints are so much fun Jacob even colored on Deacon.

Jacob thinks its fun to wear his winter gear inside these days!

Puzzle pieces as cookie anyone????

Thanks to Uncle Dan and Aunt Jayme Jacob is now pretending to be the 5 little monkey's jumping on the bed. This picture of him telling me that the doctor said "NO more monkey's jumping on the bed"

Last but not least HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAPA JOEL!! We love you and Jacob REALLY loved the dessert tonight at your birthday dinner.

My Little Artist

2009-01-06T22:49:00.005-05:00

Jacob was upset when Daddy had to go to a meeting tonight so we pulled out some art supplies he got for Christmas to keep him entertained. Jacob seems to love drawing, painting and playing with the stamps. The crayola paints are a little messy but thankfully completely washable as advertised.

The Holland Aquatic Center

2009-01-06T22:30:00.005-05:00

Monday night we made a big family outing to The Holland Aquatic Center. Other than being frozen with blue lips and blue hands Jacob had a blast! Deacon also seemed to like the water. I think we will be back again soon!!

Cabin Fun

2009-01-05T10:01:00.000-05:00

We made a trip up the cabin for the weekend. This was our first overnight trip all together since Deacon has been born. The boys slept great up at the cabin making for a nice relaxing weekend. We enjoyed time with Grandpa & Grandma DeWitt as well as Great Grandpa & Grandma Huyser. It was sunny on Saturday so Grandpa decided we should take a sleigh ride out to the lake. Jason had cleared a little spot for Jacob to try ice skating. He LOVED it. He didn't want to take the skates off. Jacob also enjoyed helping Grandpa drive the tractor.

Mommy helping the little guy skate

Daddy preparing his future hockey player

Deacon all bundled up for the first time.

A quick family pic.

more sleigh ride

Deacon and the grandma's

Holidays

2009-01-04T21:57:00.000-05:00

The Holidays were wonderful. The boys and I truly enjoyed having Daddy home the majority of the two weeks. We also enjoyed spending time with extended family and catching up with out of town visitors. Highlights of the Holidays included Jacob singing/doing the motions to "Away in a Manger" for most everyone we were with over the holidays, Deacon's first Christmas being relatively relaxing, and the blessing of being able to spend time with the ones we love. We also celebrated mom and dad bouwens 35 year wedding anniversary on the 28th

Jacob loved the bubble wrap almost as much as the presents.

When else in their lives will they all be able to share a chair.
Uncle Dan and Jayme modeling their new aprons. Definitely a labor of love went into those, I hope they don't fall apart.

Deacon modeling his hip new onsie that Aunt Jayme won for him.

NEW YEARS EVE

We enjoyed a kid friendly New Years Eve party at our house this year. Jacob was spoiled with an extra large ice cream sundae. The kids didn't cooperate for pictures and we didn't make it up till midnight. No complaints here. We enjoyed good company and got our sleep.

Mommy's baby is 4 months old

2008-12-17T23:40:00.003-05:00

Deacon was 4 months old on Sunday!! We had his 4 month well child check up today and our little Frank the Tank is doing just great. He is still a big boy rounding out at 16 lbs. and 24 1/2 in long. He met all of his developmental milestones and was very noise but happy for the whole appointment. His reflux is still an issue but we are staying on top of it and giving him larger dosages of his meds to help him be more comfortable, even if it doesn't decrease the volume of spit up. Deacon is also becoming very vocal around the house not letting us get away with letting him go un-noticed anymore. He is also rolling over and putting everything in his mouth. He continues to be my little cuddle bug loving to be held, hugged and kissed. I know it's a cliche but he truly is such a little blessing. I can hardly remember what it was like without him around. He is SO lovable! I just can't get enough of his rolly little thighs and his chubby tummy.

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season. I'm trying to remember to just enjoy it and not get to stressed out. Jacob is so into it! He loves the lights on the trees, candles, and singing Away In a Manger. Thankfully he's only unwrapped a few presents that I've been wrapping for Christmas parties this weekend. I guess what can you expect from a curious little 21 month old.

Elf in Training x2

2008-12-10T15:45:00.002-05:00

Last year I posted Jacob as the Elf in Training and this year to my surprise Deacon aka. Frank the Tank can wear the same shirt even though he's 6 1/2 months younger than Jacob was last year at this time. Crazy how different the two little guys are growing but I still think they look a lot alike!!! What do you think???

It's so fun to see Jacob as he enjoys all the sights and sounds of Christmas.
Deacon also seems to enjoy the Christmas lights!!!!

He's Back!!!

2008-11-30T21:24:00.004-05:00

Enjoying Mommy and Daddy's "pretty pretty" Christmas tree!

Yup, I bet not many of you knew it but Jacob was gone for the weekend and boy did we miss him. We forgot how quiet it is around her with just little Deacon to care for. Jacob was lucky enough to go up North with Grandpa and Grandma DeWitt, Aunt Ashley, Gisele and Uncle Eric. With Jacob gone Jason, Deacon and I were able to get the tree up, do a little shopping and take Deacon's 3 month pictures. Hopefully we will get Deacons pictures edited and printed soon!!!

When Jacob got home today he was so excited to see the tree. He kept saying pretty, pretty!! Thankfully he also has his own little tree to put his ornaments. He doesn't have very many (5) so the two of us had it decorated pretty quickly and now all he can do is sign and say more ornaments in his cute little voice. I guess maybe we can find some cute little plastic ones at the store tomorrow.

Jacob has also been enjoying his "drink" since returning home. I'm not sure what he thinks is in there but he sure likes it!!

THANKS FOR HAVING JACOB TO THE CABIN GRANDPA AND GRANDMA!! I'M SURE HE HAD A GREAT TIME!!

Thankful

2008-11-27T22:39:00.004-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving from our 2 little turkey's!!

So thankful to have these precious boys in our lives!!

Florida

2008-11-19T22:35:00.005-05:00

The boys and I spent the last week in Florida while Jason went to Iowa and then did some hunting in Michigan for the gun opener. Jacob loved the Ocean and was super spoiled by Grandma and Aunt Ashley. Deacon had his first flight and swim, thankfully he continued to be his happy content self and allowed Mommy, Grandma, and Aunt Ashley to get a little sun.

Grandma and the her crazy little grand kids

Fun on the beach with Nolan and Addison

Eating out with the 4 kiddos and 4 adults (Everyone else in the restaurant left)

We thought it was pretty fun that Jacob needed to taker his dolly out to dinner while wearing his big buck t-shirt.

All tired out from a big day at the beach

Deacon (3 months)

My little water bug

Grandma even went and got Jacob doughnuts for breakfast.

Thanks Grandma for a fun time! Jacob already misses the "beach house"

The Dentist and a little bit more

2008-11-05T21:36:00.005-05:00

I thought since I took a blogging hiatus I would do a quick update post on Jacob and Deacon. Jacob has been so cute lately always saying and doing something new. He is such a little copy cat everyone has to watch what they say around him. Jacob continues to be obsessed with Quincy he just giggles and plays with her all day long. Even using her as a chair to sit and read his books on. Jacob also went to the Dentist today for his first real cleaning. He also got to see his uncle tom the dentist.

Melt my heart cute!!

Quincy is such a good place to read books!!

Being silly!

Strollers are more fun to bouncy on than sit in!

More fun with diaper boxes!!

Deacon continues to be such a good little baby. He is getting to be more alert even though everyone still thinks he sleeps all day he really doesn't anymore. He is really getting good at doing his little baby push ups during tummy time and smiling tons. I love hearing his little coo when I talk to him after his feedings. He is starting to get a little bit of Jacob's personality about eating not being a very big eater anymore. Oh, well maybe Deacon (Frank the Tank) wont be such a tank after all. Sorry I only have one picture with Deacon in it since Halloween. I guess tomorrow I should take some of his little smiles.

2008-11-02T22:51:00.003-05:00

Happy Halloween!!! The boys and I had a fun week of getting dressed up numerous times for costume party playdates and visiting great grandparents. Thankfully both boys enjoyed being in their costumes!!! Jacob didn't get to visit with all of his little friends and some of them were sleeping when we did see them. All in all it was a fun Halloween and Jacob didn't eat too much candy!!!

Sunday Night Hockey

2008-10-29T22:34:00.003-04:00

Deacon came to his first hockey game on Sunday night to cheer on his Dad and the rest of the team. We won the game and Dad even managed to score the only 2 goals of the night. Maybe Jacob and Deacon should come more often as these are the only goals I have scored all season?

Martha Claim's she is done blogging....

2008-10-25T17:11:00.005-04:00

I am going to take over the blog if Martha is going to be a quiter. We have all had enough of her girly posts anyways. The boys say moms prayers have come true because Dad shot his buck and now he can be home more. They keep trying to tell her that Dad has a lot of does to shoot now so don't count on it. If you want Martha to post again vote on the poll.

Deacon 2 months

2008-10-15T22:00:00.004-04:00

Deacon was 2 months old yesterday, it's amazing how fast time goes. Today we went for his 2 month well child check up and everything looked good. He is 12 lbs. 4 oz. (60%) and 22.5 inches (35%). He is meeting his developmental milestones with smiling, and tracking objects with his eyes. The doctor said to start listening for him to start cooing soon. Jason was nice enough to meet me at the appointment and hold Deacon for the shots. Deacon was a little trouper and hardly cried.

We also discussed with the doctor Deacon's reflux and his visit to the hospital. The doctor thinks the fever was a fluke and we don't need to worry too much about it. The reflux is now well controlled with all of the meds and rice cereal. We hope to have Deacon off of one of his meds by 4 months. The good news however is that he is gaining weight which is the biggest concern with reflux now that he is no longer choking at night.

In Jacob News: He continues to keep his Mommy very busy and gets into everything. He got his first real black eye last week which he will tell you he got climbing. Climbing seems to be his new favorite pastime. The scariest place I have found him is on the counter. Sad to say but I can barley leave the little guy to go to the bathroom without him getting into mischief.

To keep Jacob busy during dinner preparation I've had to get creative and now that he's sick of "helping" make the meal I now have him playing in the sink with bubbles pretending to wash the dishes. I've decided cleaning up a little water is a lot easier than him having a tantrum or taking out every toy in the living room.

Lastly, we are trying to get Jacob to sleep in his pea pod tent for naps to get him ready for our trip to Florida in November. Today we had our first success he took a 2 hour nap in it and didn't even wake up when I took this picture. Hopefully he will continue to nap in this tent and we can pass the pack n' play down to Deacon.

Thursday night already??

2008-10-09T22:32:00.004-04:00

After our eventful weekend with Deacon at the hospital this week is flying by and I feel like I haven't had a chance to catch my breath. Hopefully this weekend is a little more relaxed. Our last few days in review: Monday was filled with doctors appointments and monitoring little Deacon. Who fortunately is doing much better. Thanks for your prayers! Tuesday we spent time with friends and had a visit from Grandma before she left for Florida. Lucky Grandma!!! Wednesday was Kindermusik for Jacob so we got to spend a little time with my mom after she watched Deacon. Today we didn't go anywhere all day. I worked on lots of little project that Jacob attempted to help with all the while begging to make cookies. In Kindermusik right now were are talking and singing about cookies. Then when Daddy got home we headed out to Cranes to pick apples but because we got there so late we decided to just have dinner and try to get back another time. Here are a few pictures of our week!!

Sydney, Landon, & Jacob having lunch together

Jacob baking his cookies. He didn't even like them when we were finished. :( The picture at the top of the post is Jacob's devastation when he found out the baking meant the cookies had to go into the oven and we couldn't just eat them after we mixed them up. Maybe next time I'll try a no bake recipe with him.

Jacob's first taste of apple cider. (Sorry Uncle Tom it was a treat! Hopefully one taste wont give him a cavity. :)

Poor Baby

2008-10-06T23:18:00.002-04:00

Deacon and I spent most our weekend in the ER. Saturday Deacon was pretty sleeping and by evening we decided to check his temp. 101.9. We talked with our on call pediatrician and headed to the hospital. Jason stayed home with Jacob so I was off by myself until I got a hold of my mom to come around 10:30. Lucky for her all the pokes were pretty much done by the time she got there. They couldn't get and IV so they had to use a scalp vein. So sad for Mommy to see. The only thing they could come up with was that his hemoglobin was really low. They did a recheck later and it improved so we were discharged around 1:30 and told to come back on Sunday. Sunday they still couldn't find a cause for the fever, no virus his white blood counts were all good. They told us to follow up with more blood work with our doctor today. After a rough night of screaming from the poor little guy we were off to the doctor this morning. The doctor is still perplexed by what is truly wrong with the little guy and why his hemoglobin is off. We are continuing to monitor him and pray he gets better on his own. Thankfully it is 11:00 p.m. and nothing showed up on his blood culture so we should be in the clear and we wont have to admit him to the hospital tonight. Please pray our little peanut gets better and that nothing more serious is wrong.

Pumpkin Fest

2008-10-05T09:29:00.004-04:00

This week we enjoyed the big festivities of good old Zeeland and went to Pumpkin Fest. We went downtown on Thursday night with the Meeuwsens and had dinner at Franks. Then the boys and I went to see the pumpkin desplays Friday afternoon with Great Grandpa hoping to get some cute pictures. Yesterday we even braved the cold and met up with the Slaghs at the parade.

Look how much our little Jacob has grown and change since last years pumpkin parade.

Jacob loves his Papa!!

2008-10-04T09:01:00.003-04:00

Friday morning Jacob woke up with one thing on his mind Papa! Specifically Zell Papa, translation Gisele's Papa. So we gave Grandpa Keith a call and he was a little busy but promised to stop by. Later that afternoon he was here and off Jacob went to Papa and Mama's house. To see some pics check out Keith's blog.

this and that

2008-10-01T22:07:00.006-04:00

Looks like its been a week since I've posted anything new, I guess we've been busy. Jason went to Iowa last week Thursday to get ready for deer hunting (check his blog for more info.) so we made sure to have lots of playdates, walks, dinners, and time with family lined up to keep us from missing him too much. While Jason was away Deacon's little reflux cough got worse and just to make sure it was nothing we made a visit to the doctor and had his meds increased. Thankfully that seems to have helped and the cough is still there but has improved. Here are a few cute pictures from the last week. The little guy is getting to be more alert during the day and sleeping great at night. (We are loving the getting more sleep around here.)

On Friday after playing with Gisele at Grandma's house Jacob also got to see Aunt Ashley and help her friend Ryan celebrate his birthday.

Happy Birthday Ryan!! A picture of these three isn't easy to get.

Saturday we had a girls day at my mom's while my dad and brother were at the Michigan game. The boys wore their Michigan jersey's and got a few comments and looks when we went out to the beach to play after dinner.

Maybe we will get all three looking sometime.

Catching more smiles everyday.

Monkey see Monkey do. Bucket on your head anyone?

Still working on a good picture of the two of them together. Maybe one that they are both looking and no ones fingers are in their own mouth or each others.

Funny Boy

2008-09-24T22:08:00.003-04:00

With two boys in diapers I've been ordering my diapers online and today I got one giant boxes of diapers. When Jacob got up from his nap this afternoon he saw where I had stacked the boxes while he was sleeping. He quickly decided they would be fun to play with. First they were stairs to climb, then he pushed them around the house and used them as stools to get into things. Get a better view out the window and use them as a cushion to sit on while he had his milk. He truly had a blast wish I had the video camera as he squealed and played. Jacob is such a joy in our lives it seems like everyday Jason and I say how much fun we are having watching him grow and learn new things.

Deacon is still doing well, his reflux seems to be getting regulated. He keeps things down for about 3 out of every 4 days which is great news! Deacon also slept in his bed one night this week however we decided we still hate sleeping with a monitor and we will let him sleep upstairs in his bassinet a little longer. He sleeps great either place so we can't complain.

Deacons first night in his crib. If you are wondering what he is sleeping on it's a sleep position for his reflux and the hat is because Jason was worried he would be to cold in his room. Our basement is freezing even in this warm weather.

Deacon really isn't this chubby but I thought this picture was too cute!

Jacob woke up from his nap and wanted to give Deacon some love!!!

Brotherly Love, Smiles and a Walk

2008-09-20T15:03:00.007-04:00

Jacob is beginning to show more interest in his little brother this week including wanting to hold him. However, having an 18 month old hold a 1 month old is something of a challenge. Then try catching it on camera. Here are a few pics of how it goes when I try to let Jacob hold Deacon. Doesn't Deacon look scared???

They both seem happier to stare at each other.
Deacon is also doing lots of smiling this week. Grandma though she saw a little dimple on Monday, we will have to catch some more smiles to know for sure. This is the only picture of a smile I have so far but the bright sunshine made him close his eyes. Hopefully we will get one with his eyes open real soon.

This morning we headed out to Millennium Park to do a walk for food allergies in honor of cousin Gabe. Here are a few pictures of the fun!

Getting ready for the walk. Jacob was getting hydrated with lots of water and then giving the main man Gabe lots of love.

Strapped in and ready for the big walk!!

Enjoying a nice lunch at Max and Ermas

The day would not have been complete without a crawling race and a wrestling match. Jacob was so tired from the big morning he fell asleep on the way home.

Living up to his name

2008-09-16T21:15:00.003-04:00

Deacon is successfully living up to his nick name of "Frank the Tank." We went to the doctor on Monday for Deacon's reflux and he weighted in at 10 lbs. 1 oz. He also grew in length as well he is now 21 inches. Deacon is going to be a big boy he is bigger at 1 month than his brother was at 2 months. This past month has flown and we are enjoying having two little boys. Jacob is also showing more of an interest in his little brother. He often wants to give him hugs and know where he is. Soooo cute!!! :)

In other big news I made my first trip to the grocery store with both boys. It wasn't as bad as I had imagined it with Deacon in the front carrier and Jacob sitting in the cart. Jacob only chewed the top off of half a box of cereal. I know he wasn't hungry but I think is teeth are still bothering him, he had been so clingy all day. I carried him around the house today more than Deacon.

Rainy Sunday Morning

2008-09-14T22:13:00.003-04:00

Jacob decided to make the most of the rainy weather and played in the rain for a few minutes this morning. NO Pants required when you are so little.

Baptism

2008-09-14T22:06:00.003-04:00

Deacon was baptised Saturday night and we feel very blessed to have been surrounded by so many family and friends for the special event.

Camera Found

2008-09-12T21:58:00.004-04:00

In response to my husband. I know my camera is on the counter I found it last night Frank had been sitting on it in his car seat for the last day or two. Here are some pictures of the boys.

Frank hanging out in his bouncy seat!! Gotta love the bouncy seat Jacob loved it too.

Jacob being little Mr. Mischief as usual getting into everything.

Boy I wish I could find my camera

2008-09-11T14:10:00.002-04:00

Not sure how my camera went MIA but it is, so no pictures in my post. Deacon is 4 weeks old today. Not sure about why the age ticker on the blog is wrong but it is. Deacon is still such a good little baby hopefully he is past the stage when he can become colicy. (My biggest fear with two so little is a baby with colic.) We think we have Deacon's reflux under control. We've made it two nights with out projectile vomiting and bathing him during the night!!! Unfortunately that means he's on two different meds and he has to have a large amount of rice cereal and Karo syrup at each feeding but he's happy so we wont complain. I'm interested to see what he weights at the doctor on Monday. Compared to Jacob as a newborn Deacon's a chunk. I like to call him Frank the Tank. Deacon's grandma thinks it's pretty mean but I think it's a cute little nick name. Better than what I called Jacob at a month. Jayme do you remember???

After thinking about what Deacon will weight on Monday I realized I neglected to post Jacob's 18 month stats from his appointment last week Friday. Weight: 21 lbs. not on the charts again Height: 31.5 inches 25% Head Circumference 48.2 cm. 55%. Jacob hasn't even gained a lb. in the last three months despite all the trips for ice cream this summer. Luckily developmentally he is right on track and his speech is way ahead.

Deacon will be baptised on Saturday night so hopefully I will find my camera back by then. Hopefully Jacob didn't put it in the toilet or the bathtub.