Well this is it....the last month before I have a one year old....although we pretty much already have a toddler on our hands. He walks everywhere, is babbling like crazy, and we've started the process of weaning from bottles/formula. It hasn't gone super well so far, he likes his bottles and doesn't like the cold whole milk we've been giving him. He pretty much skipped the cute little handled sippy cups, as he just wanted the big ones sissy was using. So we bought a few more of them and tried putting whole milk in THEM....hmmm... It's a process.....;)
We are just wrapping up a wonderful holiday season. We had some wonderful family time over Christmas with my family, and just returned home from Carroll yesterday from a few days celebrating with the in-laws over New Year's. As usual, everyone was spoiled and a few favorites were Emma's remote-control Doc McStuffins car and her Disney Princess Clip-Clop stable, Eddie's drum set and his tool bench, RJ got Apple TV and I got Jason Aldean tickets!
Now it's on to 2014 and I'm excited to see what a new year brings for our family! I knew that 2013 would be a big year for us, and it definitely was! We welcomed our second child, our baby boy, into the world and our lives changed forever! RJ got a promotion and new job, I started working at Shear Genius, and the kids started going to a babysitter 2 days a week. So many changes and excitement!
I pray that God will watch over us again this year, guide us, protect us from harm, illness, fear, and doubt, and direct us in the way he wants for our family.
Happy New Year everyone!!!
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Back again:)
April 8... my last post was april 8th.
I had an almost 3 year old and a 2 month old baby boy.
Absolutely crazy how fast time has passed!
Tonight I'm sitting on the couch admiring our Christmas tree, and although I could not be more excited for Christmas with my two adorable kiddos, I'm getting so depressed knowing what's around the corner.... Come January I will be planning a birthday party for my baby: ( I remember getting ready for Emma's first birthday and feeling nothing but pure excitement to continue watching our little girl grow and learn. Now I know how quickly it really happens and I'm desperately searching for a way to freeze Eddie at this exact age....
He is the happiest, cutest, silliest, most ornery little boy:) There's no way I could love him more. He is a true blessing to our family.
And my little girl is growing like crazy too! I can't believe how tall she has gotten the past few months. She is so smart and a crazy memory! She is a very sweet little girl with a lot of fire in her!:) Her blonde curls amaze me and her love for music, dance, animals, and people make me excited to see what her future holds.
I have continued my career as a hairstylist-
now at Shear Genius in Pella. I'm loving the environment and having so much fun:) There have been lots of new opportunities and new friends.
RJ is still at Vermeer, but has changed jobs and departments. He now works in training and development and is doing so well! Lots of new and exciting opportunities for him as well! We are looking forward to our first trip together since having kiddos in February:)
I know I haven't covered much in this post but it's a start on getting caught up again;-)
Happy holidays and good night from the Van Dyke's!!!!!
I had an almost 3 year old and a 2 month old baby boy.
Absolutely crazy how fast time has passed!
Tonight I'm sitting on the couch admiring our Christmas tree, and although I could not be more excited for Christmas with my two adorable kiddos, I'm getting so depressed knowing what's around the corner.... Come January I will be planning a birthday party for my baby: ( I remember getting ready for Emma's first birthday and feeling nothing but pure excitement to continue watching our little girl grow and learn. Now I know how quickly it really happens and I'm desperately searching for a way to freeze Eddie at this exact age....
He is the happiest, cutest, silliest, most ornery little boy:) There's no way I could love him more. He is a true blessing to our family.
And my little girl is growing like crazy too! I can't believe how tall she has gotten the past few months. She is so smart and a crazy memory! She is a very sweet little girl with a lot of fire in her!:) Her blonde curls amaze me and her love for music, dance, animals, and people make me excited to see what her future holds.
I have continued my career as a hairstylist-
RJ is still at Vermeer, but has changed jobs and departments. He now works in training and development and is doing so well! Lots of new and exciting opportunities for him as well! We are looking forward to our first trip together since having kiddos in February:)
I know I haven't covered much in this post but it's a start on getting caught up again;-)
Happy holidays and good night from the Van Dyke's!!!!!
Monday, April 8, 2013
Where Have I been?
Oh, that's right:
Taking care of these 2 beautiful babes:)
I truly feel so blessed to be there mommy and there are moments when I just can't believe they're mine and that God has entrusted them to us to care for and raise!
Emma Rae is in a tough place right now; learning to share mommy, learning patience, being careful around baby, being QUIET so baby brother can sleep, etc. It has not been an easy transition, but I am pleased to say that we are figuring it out! She is learning and Mommy is finding ways to spend special time with her. (As well as how to fix a meal for a near 3 year old while feeding an infant;) And the spring weather is giving this Mama a much needed boost!
Eddison James is growing like CRAZY!! He sleeps generally 7 hours at night with a couple 8-9 hour nights every so often so we are proud....and thankful:) He is very much like his sister in that he mostly likes little cat naps during the day, but every couple days I get a good long morning nap which gives me time to get things done around the house and give Em some undivided attention. He is starting to jabber and coo so much and it melts my heart! He has incredibly infectious smiles, and the most adorable double chin;)
The other day I was recalling the slight anxiety I felt right before he was born and knowing just how full my heart felt with the love I had for my daughter; I wondered if it were truly possible for me to love another little human quite as much....
And after a quick, intense labor and a rough delivery; they laid this little boy on my chest and......
......he peed all over me....
:)
But seriously, I cannot even describe with words the way my heart literally felt like it would burst out of my chest. I felt my heart was beating outside of my body in the eyes of our little boy. And I've never questioned my ability to love since.
I have the 2 sweetest kids in the world and during the hardest of days, God gives me a moment...one of my baby boys smiles or a "You're the best, Mom," from my dear daughter and I'm reminded of the huge way that I have been blessed.
RJ is wonderful and I am so loving watching him with our son. He is so smitten with his little boy and their bond is one that I cannot wait to watch as it continues to grow. RJ has been a huge help to me and is pretty quick to offer me a break while I take a walk, go get groceries, or maybe even just a shower:) He's a great daddy and an awesome husband and I couldn't do any of this without him!
Now for a few more pictures and then I'm going to go try and grab some rest since both kiddos are in bed;) Night all!!!
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
He is here!
BAby boy is finally here! And 10 days old already!
Eddison James was born on Saturday morning January 26th at 8:45 am. He weighed 8 lbs 6 oz and was 20 1/4 in long looking perfect!
His arrival was quick and "intense" to say the least, and he is threw us for a loop right away arriving sunny side up! Needless to say, mommy was very sore but very happy:)
Emma was thrilled to meet her baby brother and loves him so much! She's constantly wanting to touch, kiss, pet, and hug him and is adjusting pretty well.
Eddie does a lot of eating and sleeping at this point but we are excited to get to know our little man's personality more as he grows:)
Eddison James was born on Saturday morning January 26th at 8:45 am. He weighed 8 lbs 6 oz and was 20 1/4 in long looking perfect!
His arrival was quick and "intense" to say the least, and he is threw us for a loop right away arriving sunny side up! Needless to say, mommy was very sore but very happy:)
Emma was thrilled to meet her baby brother and loves him so much! She's constantly wanting to touch, kiss, pet, and hug him and is adjusting pretty well.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
A Waiting Game...
Well, we have reached THAT point where we now just wait for baby!
Crib is up!
Clothes/blankets are washed!
Room is set up!
Bottles/supplies cleaned!
Bassinet/swing/bouncer up!
Big Sister gift is purchased! and
Bags are packed!
Mom has reached 38 weeks, worn out from nesting, and has maxed out her maternity clothes:)
WE ARE READY!
Well as ready as we will ever be for our lives to change forever I suppose...
Emma tells about everyone she sees that she's having a little brother soon, and her little face lit up when I came home from my last Dr's appointment and told her that the doctor said he is big and strong and ready to meet us soon! She has loved helping prep the nursery and baby things and I hope her eagerness to be such a big helper continue once he is here.
The holidays were good to us and we enjoyed all of our family time very much. Emma was spoiled like crazy as you can only imagine and a few big hits/favorites this year for her were her VeggieTales cd/karaoke player, her Doc McStuffins puzzles, and many new books and legos. She will have plenty to keep her busy when mommy is busy with baby brother, let's just hope she transitions well to playing by herself more:)
Daddy was excited to get his new garage door openers, his Whirlypop, and some new Lynnville-Sully gear. (It was time this Carroll boy started sporting some L-S Hawk apparel:)
And Mommy was pleased as punch with her new storage ottoman, cowboy boots, and bathrobe.
But alas, the tree and decorations are down, and it's now the middle of January (the slowest month of the year)! Just a couple more weeks and our wait will be over!!!
Crib is up!
Clothes/blankets are washed!
Room is set up!
Bottles/supplies cleaned!
Bassinet/swing/bouncer up!
Big Sister gift is purchased! and
Bags are packed!
Mom has reached 38 weeks, worn out from nesting, and has maxed out her maternity clothes:)
WE ARE READY!
Well as ready as we will ever be for our lives to change forever I suppose...
Emma tells about everyone she sees that she's having a little brother soon, and her little face lit up when I came home from my last Dr's appointment and told her that the doctor said he is big and strong and ready to meet us soon! She has loved helping prep the nursery and baby things and I hope her eagerness to be such a big helper continue once he is here.
The holidays were good to us and we enjoyed all of our family time very much. Emma was spoiled like crazy as you can only imagine and a few big hits/favorites this year for her were her VeggieTales cd/karaoke player, her Doc McStuffins puzzles, and many new books and legos. She will have plenty to keep her busy when mommy is busy with baby brother, let's just hope she transitions well to playing by herself more:)
Daddy was excited to get his new garage door openers, his Whirlypop, and some new Lynnville-Sully gear. (It was time this Carroll boy started sporting some L-S Hawk apparel:)
And Mommy was pleased as punch with her new storage ottoman, cowboy boots, and bathrobe.
But alas, the tree and decorations are down, and it's now the middle of January (the slowest month of the year)! Just a couple more weeks and our wait will be over!!!
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
The Countdown is On!
Less than 10 weeks and we will have hopefully met our little man! I CANNOT wait! We've started getting things ready now; washing up some bedding and clothing, new dresser for his room, and mommy has hit the stage of feeling Very Pregnant:)
Tomorrow marks the dreaded glucose test and the last of my monthly appointments as I will now be going in every other week. So exciting! Scary and exciting at the same time:) He is proving to be just as active as his big sister was and mommy is convinced that he will be a track star or soccer player as his little legs can move at lightening speed!
Miss Em continues to make me laugh, warm my heart, and completely wear me out....she is just so much life squeezed into one tiny little person that it is often overwhelming. But she continually reminds me of the fragility of life, give me purpose, and teach me more and more about myself. I have no doubt that this next little one will do just the same and more!
Emma has been making more strides in the potty training department; it's been about 6 weeks since she's worn a diaper/pullup and I will admit that we've had a couple little accidents and a few moments where I've wondered if we have any idea what we're doing, but all-in-all I'm very pleased with our progress and I'm proud of my little girl for how quickly she's learning!
We are all getting so excited for Christmas! Last week we put up the tree and Emma "helped" decorate;P She was loving every minute of it and has since taken to "decorating" the house with every random paper/toy/items of clothing/dish....whatever she can get her dirty little hands on. It's so funny to watch and so much of a pain to clean up;-D She's loving seeing all the Christmas lights and is so excited for Santa to come...I can't wait to experience this Christmas with her and soak up my time with just her before we become a family of 4!
Tomorrow marks the dreaded glucose test and the last of my monthly appointments as I will now be going in every other week. So exciting! Scary and exciting at the same time:) He is proving to be just as active as his big sister was and mommy is convinced that he will be a track star or soccer player as his little legs can move at lightening speed!
Miss Em continues to make me laugh, warm my heart, and completely wear me out....she is just so much life squeezed into one tiny little person that it is often overwhelming. But she continually reminds me of the fragility of life, give me purpose, and teach me more and more about myself. I have no doubt that this next little one will do just the same and more!
Emma has been making more strides in the potty training department; it's been about 6 weeks since she's worn a diaper/pullup and I will admit that we've had a couple little accidents and a few moments where I've wondered if we have any idea what we're doing, but all-in-all I'm very pleased with our progress and I'm proud of my little girl for how quickly she's learning!
We are all getting so excited for Christmas! Last week we put up the tree and Emma "helped" decorate;P She was loving every minute of it and has since taken to "decorating" the house with every random paper/toy/items of clothing/dish....whatever she can get her dirty little hands on. It's so funny to watch and so much of a pain to clean up;-D She's loving seeing all the Christmas lights and is so excited for Santa to come...I can't wait to experience this Christmas with her and soak up my time with just her before we become a family of 4!
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
26.5 Weeks!
I find myself in so many different frames of mind these days that it's no wonder I'm always tired!
Part of me is in disbelief that in 3 months we will be welcoming a new baby! Another part of me is already fatigued of pregnancy and another 13ish weeks seems like a lifetime away:P
I am so tired most all of the time and yet feeling so much more productive and on top of things than what I had been feeling the first half of this pregnancy. I feel huge already and cannot imagine the size of my belly once we get to the end of this journey! I also feel incredibly blessed as our follow up ultrasound 2 weeks ago confirmed that all is well with baby #2's little spine and that (Praise God!) my placenta moved upwards on it's own and is no longer a concern at all. This will hopefully allow for a smooth and uncomplicated delivery; although I know that things do not always go as planned.
I am also happy to report that we are making great strides in the area of potty training:) She has been wearing big girl undies for a little over a week now and only 2 accidents to report so far! We had still been putting her in pull-ups for naps and bedtime;P But as of 2 days ago we ditched those as well! So far with wonderful success.... It's probably much too early to declare this process over with but I am thrilled with our progress. We have tried several other times and frustration would set in quite quickly, for her and us. It appears to me that she is finally ready to accept the challenge and it was just a matter of timing. My ultimate goal was to be done when little brother arrived and we seem to be even a bit ahead of schedule:)
We are currently getting ready for trick or treating here in Sully and I don't want to miss any of the fun, so unfortunately this post will have to be, to be continued.......:)
Part of me is in disbelief that in 3 months we will be welcoming a new baby! Another part of me is already fatigued of pregnancy and another 13ish weeks seems like a lifetime away:P
I am so tired most all of the time and yet feeling so much more productive and on top of things than what I had been feeling the first half of this pregnancy. I feel huge already and cannot imagine the size of my belly once we get to the end of this journey! I also feel incredibly blessed as our follow up ultrasound 2 weeks ago confirmed that all is well with baby #2's little spine and that (Praise God!) my placenta moved upwards on it's own and is no longer a concern at all. This will hopefully allow for a smooth and uncomplicated delivery; although I know that things do not always go as planned.
I am also happy to report that we are making great strides in the area of potty training:) She has been wearing big girl undies for a little over a week now and only 2 accidents to report so far! We had still been putting her in pull-ups for naps and bedtime;P But as of 2 days ago we ditched those as well! So far with wonderful success.... It's probably much too early to declare this process over with but I am thrilled with our progress. We have tried several other times and frustration would set in quite quickly, for her and us. It appears to me that she is finally ready to accept the challenge and it was just a matter of timing. My ultimate goal was to be done when little brother arrived and we seem to be even a bit ahead of schedule:)
We are currently getting ready for trick or treating here in Sully and I don't want to miss any of the fun, so unfortunately this post will have to be, to be continued.......:)
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