He'll just stay there for a while and hang out and look around, bend his legs to take a break, and pop back up. I think we're all in for it when he starts crawling and walking! He looks like he's going to be pretty active...
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Ready to Walk?
Ever since he was born, Will has LOVED standing up! His legs are just so strong that he straightens them and pushes his way up, on people or surfaces. He has started concentrating more on it and when he's in a seated position, he'll bend forward until we help him stand up.
He'll just stay there for a while and hang out and look around, bend his legs to take a break, and pop back up. I think we're all in for it when he starts crawling and walking! He looks like he's going to be pretty active...
He'll just stay there for a while and hang out and look around, bend his legs to take a break, and pop back up. I think we're all in for it when he starts crawling and walking! He looks like he's going to be pretty active...
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Moby Time!
A lot of you have either seen me wear Will in my Moby Wrap, or have heard me wax poetic about it, and for good reason! Nick and I are pretty active people and needed a good way to bring him with us to events, meetings, festivals, out to dinner, and working in the new Goose space. Our friends Kim and Kurt gave us the Moby, and it has really been amazing!
Will just loves it, and now that he's getting bigger, we can put his arms out and he can look around. When he gets tired, he just curls up and puts his little head under the fabric and falls asleep. Now some people that use it (or similar babywearing devices) say the Moby doesn't bother their backs, but after a few hours, I can certaintly feel it, but it's not terrible. It does distribute the weight across your shoulders. You can wear babies from premie - 35 pounds in it...not that you'd want to wear your 3 year old around!
Will absolutely loves it, and I do too! They are available at their website, and also on ebay and amazon. If you get one, just know that the instructions online and the ones that come with it are terrible and so confusing.....have someone who knows SHOW you how to do it. (There are also some OK YouTube videos as well.) I would be HAPPY to show you! It's not that hard once you've done it once. And it's so worth it to have a comfortable place for Will to sleep when we're on the go...which is most of the time. I am enjoying having him so close to me when I wear him...I have a feeling once he starts crawling and walking, it will be all over! :)
Will just loves it, and now that he's getting bigger, we can put his arms out and he can look around. When he gets tired, he just curls up and puts his little head under the fabric and falls asleep. Now some people that use it (or similar babywearing devices) say the Moby doesn't bother their backs, but after a few hours, I can certaintly feel it, but it's not terrible. It does distribute the weight across your shoulders. You can wear babies from premie - 35 pounds in it...not that you'd want to wear your 3 year old around!
Will absolutely loves it, and I do too! They are available at their website, and also on ebay and amazon. If you get one, just know that the instructions online and the ones that come with it are terrible and so confusing.....have someone who knows SHOW you how to do it. (There are also some OK YouTube videos as well.) I would be HAPPY to show you! It's not that hard once you've done it once. And it's so worth it to have a comfortable place for Will to sleep when we're on the go...which is most of the time. I am enjoying having him so close to me when I wear him...I have a feeling once he starts crawling and walking, it will be all over! :)
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Will's Whirlwind Trip: Part 2, Grand Rapids, MI
Next, we headed up to Grand Rapids, MI, Nick's hometown and home of Calvin College! We got to meet most of the Dekker clan, including Great-Grandma Dekker, Great Aunts Patty and Beth, and Great Uncle Dan. We also got to see Will's three cousins again, Annika, Abby, and Jacob!
And, even though we headed up north to the Blue state, Will was still showing his Buckeye pride on Saturday...although I don't think it helped the game much.
One thing we know we have been blessed with is Will's ability to sleep anywhere, and even through the night now! I love how he sticks his tiny tush into the air!
As I've said before, Will's car seat is not his favorite place. In fact, I'm pretty sure he's the only baby on the planet who regards car rides as some form of medieval torture. But, we were so thankful that he did exceptionally well during the long trips, and even managed a few smiles for Grandma!
A highlight of the trip was getting to see our friends Brad and Kimberly, and meeting their new little guy Oliver! He was born just a few weeks after Will, and is such a cutie!!! They regarded each other with interest...I think they know they're going to give their mothers a run for their money! :)
Also, our friends Josh and Megan were in town for a week or so from England, where they live and work. It was amazing seeing them!
And one more for good measure:
And, even though we headed up north to the Blue state, Will was still showing his Buckeye pride on Saturday...although I don't think it helped the game much.
One thing we know we have been blessed with is Will's ability to sleep anywhere, and even through the night now! I love how he sticks his tiny tush into the air!
As I've said before, Will's car seat is not his favorite place. In fact, I'm pretty sure he's the only baby on the planet who regards car rides as some form of medieval torture. But, we were so thankful that he did exceptionally well during the long trips, and even managed a few smiles for Grandma!
A highlight of the trip was getting to see our friends Brad and Kimberly, and meeting their new little guy Oliver! He was born just a few weeks after Will, and is such a cutie!!! They regarded each other with interest...I think they know they're going to give their mothers a run for their money! :)
Also, our friends Josh and Megan were in town for a week or so from England, where they live and work. It was amazing seeing them!
And one more for good measure:
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Laughing for Grandma!
On Stop Two of our whirlwind trip, we took Will for his first trip up to Grand Rapids. He got the full experience there - meeting more relatives, enjoying his first trip to Calvin, visiting our favorite stops, much more. Stay tuned for pictures.
He also turned up the charm for his grandparents and great-grandma. One evening he talked and laughed with Grandma Dekker for a good while. Here are a couple minutes of the highlights. Make sure you look at 1:55 for a big, loud laugh!
He also turned up the charm for his grandparents and great-grandma. One evening he talked and laughed with Grandma Dekker for a good while. Here are a couple minutes of the highlights. Make sure you look at 1:55 for a big, loud laugh!
Friday, September 19, 2008
Will's Whirlwind Trip: Part 1, Womelsdorf, PA
We headed out to Womelsdorf, PA on Monday morning (and no, I'm not making up that name), where my Grammie and Pop-Pop live. They are an incredible couple, and have been an amazing inspiration to me for a long time. They celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary this year are are more in love than ever! It was wonderful to see them!
Will is their 12th great-grandchild, and they treated him as if he were their first-born! He loved meeting them and getting some good Grammie and Pop holding time in.
He was a smiley boy most of the stay, and loved Grammie's bright green and red shirts.
Of course, a new baby brings out the family, and Will's Great-Aunt Marsha got to feed him, while my cousin Bevan and her son Liam (Will's second cousin, I think), and his other Great-Aunts Michelle and Melynda and her daughter Gracie came over too!
Will loved the attention and especially loved little Liam. Liam was a bit confused at first because he was prouncing "Will," Way-al and was looking for a cage or aquarium for the first little bit for the baby whale. Once we got that straightened out, he called Will "Mr. Baby" and promised Will he would clean out his little John Deer tractor trailer and put a pillow in it so Will could go for a ride next time we visited. We can't wait for that!!!
Will loved spending time on Pop's lap! He certainly had the touch! And, as you can see, there's a bit more than a fleeting resemblance here...particularly in the ear region...
The morning we left, Will was all smiles for Grammie and he and Pop-Pop shared a special moment as Pop sang to Will as he put his little arm over his eyes and fell asleep.
It was a great visit!
Will is their 12th great-grandchild, and they treated him as if he were their first-born! He loved meeting them and getting some good Grammie and Pop holding time in.
He was a smiley boy most of the stay, and loved Grammie's bright green and red shirts.
Of course, a new baby brings out the family, and Will's Great-Aunt Marsha got to feed him, while my cousin Bevan and her son Liam (Will's second cousin, I think), and his other Great-Aunts Michelle and Melynda and her daughter Gracie came over too!
Will loved the attention and especially loved little Liam. Liam was a bit confused at first because he was prouncing "Will," Way-al and was looking for a cage or aquarium for the first little bit for the baby whale. Once we got that straightened out, he called Will "Mr. Baby" and promised Will he would clean out his little John Deer tractor trailer and put a pillow in it so Will could go for a ride next time we visited. We can't wait for that!!!
Will loved spending time on Pop's lap! He certainly had the touch! And, as you can see, there's a bit more than a fleeting resemblance here...particularly in the ear region...
The morning we left, Will was all smiles for Grammie and he and Pop-Pop shared a special moment as Pop sang to Will as he put his little arm over his eyes and fell asleep.
It was a great visit!
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Hurricane Ike Hits Columbus
I know that the damage in Columbus left by the windstorms on Sunday doesn't compare to what is happening on the gulf coast, but I had to show pictures of a bit what we're seeing here. There are still about 250,000 people without power here in Columbus, and the debris and trees are slowly being cleaned off the roads and yards. Small-town girl that I am, I see one big bonfire as a perfect solution to all of this fallen lumber!
Ike hit us on Sunday and lasted about 6 hours and what is being described as a "dry hurricane" by some. Winds gusted upwards of 70 mph (categorized as hurricane-force winds) and took down giant trees and power lines across the state. The picture above was taken just near where Nick and I used to live - you can see the tree is laying on the power lines. I took this on Wednesday.
The picture above is a house 1 block from us. Some of you might recognize this house as the one Nick and I were originally looking at to buy! Thank you, God! Power was restored in our neighborhood last night at 8 p.m., after 3 days without power. We lost the contents of our fridge and freezer, but our chest freezer (READ: strawberry jam!) was OK!
Maeby, on the other hand, is LOVING the fact that there are sticks on the ground everywhere! She almost looks a little overwhelmed at times. I took her for a walk in the ravine 1 block from our house today, and she just kept running all over, picking sticks up only to find a better one 2 feet away. The pictures above and below are from the ravine.
Strangely enough, it has been and looks like it will continue to be a stunningly beautiful fall week! I'm sure it's helping with the clean up and power restoration, though.
Ike hit us on Sunday and lasted about 6 hours and what is being described as a "dry hurricane" by some. Winds gusted upwards of 70 mph (categorized as hurricane-force winds) and took down giant trees and power lines across the state. The picture above was taken just near where Nick and I used to live - you can see the tree is laying on the power lines. I took this on Wednesday.
The picture above is a house 1 block from us. Some of you might recognize this house as the one Nick and I were originally looking at to buy! Thank you, God! Power was restored in our neighborhood last night at 8 p.m., after 3 days without power. We lost the contents of our fridge and freezer, but our chest freezer (READ: strawberry jam!) was OK!
Maeby, on the other hand, is LOVING the fact that there are sticks on the ground everywhere! She almost looks a little overwhelmed at times. I took her for a walk in the ravine 1 block from our house today, and she just kept running all over, picking sticks up only to find a better one 2 feet away. The pictures above and below are from the ravine.
Strangely enough, it has been and looks like it will continue to be a stunningly beautiful fall week! I'm sure it's helping with the clean up and power restoration, though.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Many Things
So, we're home from our whirlwind trip (pictures to come soon) and arrive home as a new Aunt and Uncle, and to OHIO: STATE OF EMERGENCY after a crazy wind storm named Ike hit central Ohio.
This is basically what most of Columbus looks like right now. Power is coming back slowly, but our neighborhood is still out - it probably won't come back on until this weekend. About 2 million people are still without, which includes banks, restaurants, and grocery stores. My brother works at Giant Eagle grocery and said his store filled SIX giant construction-dumpsters full off spoiled food from the fridges and freezers, totaling 2.5 million dollars in damages. And there are a dozen or more Giant Eagles in Columbus!!! Crazy. Trees are uprooted all over the place, and there is debris everywhere. It was quite a sight to come home to!
On a much happier note, this is our new niece, Clara Ann Dekker, the brand-new daughter to Nick's younger brother Dan and his wife Rebecca who live in Lexington, KY. She was born on Sunday, September 14th at 10:17 p.m. She's a tiny peanut at 6 lb. 8 oz...that's over THREE pounds LESS than Will was at birth! :) We can't wait to meet her!
And here is a rare picture of Will smiling in his car seat! He was such a trooper over the past week or so, even though he spent over 28 hours of driving time over the 8 days of travel in the seat...which he usually hates!
This is basically what most of Columbus looks like right now. Power is coming back slowly, but our neighborhood is still out - it probably won't come back on until this weekend. About 2 million people are still without, which includes banks, restaurants, and grocery stores. My brother works at Giant Eagle grocery and said his store filled SIX giant construction-dumpsters full off spoiled food from the fridges and freezers, totaling 2.5 million dollars in damages. And there are a dozen or more Giant Eagles in Columbus!!! Crazy. Trees are uprooted all over the place, and there is debris everywhere. It was quite a sight to come home to!
On a much happier note, this is our new niece, Clara Ann Dekker, the brand-new daughter to Nick's younger brother Dan and his wife Rebecca who live in Lexington, KY. She was born on Sunday, September 14th at 10:17 p.m. She's a tiny peanut at 6 lb. 8 oz...that's over THREE pounds LESS than Will was at birth! :) We can't wait to meet her!
And here is a rare picture of Will smiling in his car seat! He was such a trooper over the past week or so, even though he spent over 28 hours of driving time over the 8 days of travel in the seat...which he usually hates!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
(Moving soapbox to center stage.)
I remember the first time I felt it. It was on Friday, May 9th, 2008, at 11:37 p.m. I was 32 weeks pregnant, and we were in a bar in Chicago watching our friend's awesome band play their set. During one of their songs, there was a pause and then a loud re-entry into the chorus. At that moment, Will jumped inside me, startled by the loud noise, and a strong emotion washed over me.
Guilt.
To be more specific, Mother's Guilt. From that moment on, it has only gotten more overwhelming. With every passing day there isn't a second that goes by where I'm not wondering if I'm doing what's best for my son. The choices that lie before me range from the mundane - what kind of socks do I buy? - to the pressing - what is the best way to console my child? Very rarely does a decision or question come along that I don't agonize over, no matter how trivial. My choices are deliberate, pointed, well-researched, and educated. I'm not saying I know everything about every choice I make, but I make every attempt to.
However, it's amazing how many well-meaning groups and individuals assume that if a new mother is not doing what they suggest, the mother is not only wrong, but she has clearly neglected to think that decision through and is, therefore, neglecting her child.
(This is not to say that I don't appreciate advice - I really have been enjoying hearing stories and advice from people and mothers. Some of those anecdotes are all that get me through a crying fit. It's the judgment that just kills me!)
I am going to stand up for all those guilt-ridden moms out there and say to all those well-meaning people -
1. We have thought through our decisions.
2. We love our child more than you do.
3. Our guilt is crippling at times. We don't need your help making it worse.
4. Tell me this kid isn't happy and healthy. I dare you.
.
Guilt.
To be more specific, Mother's Guilt. From that moment on, it has only gotten more overwhelming. With every passing day there isn't a second that goes by where I'm not wondering if I'm doing what's best for my son. The choices that lie before me range from the mundane - what kind of socks do I buy? - to the pressing - what is the best way to console my child? Very rarely does a decision or question come along that I don't agonize over, no matter how trivial. My choices are deliberate, pointed, well-researched, and educated. I'm not saying I know everything about every choice I make, but I make every attempt to.
However, it's amazing how many well-meaning groups and individuals assume that if a new mother is not doing what they suggest, the mother is not only wrong, but she has clearly neglected to think that decision through and is, therefore, neglecting her child.
(This is not to say that I don't appreciate advice - I really have been enjoying hearing stories and advice from people and mothers. Some of those anecdotes are all that get me through a crying fit. It's the judgment that just kills me!)
I am going to stand up for all those guilt-ridden moms out there and say to all those well-meaning people -
1. We have thought through our decisions.
2. We love our child more than you do.
3. Our guilt is crippling at times. We don't need your help making it worse.
4. Tell me this kid isn't happy and healthy. I dare you..
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Yucking it up...
Our little boy just can't stop laughing when he gets going. It started at 4 weeks and hasn't let up!
Here here is on our front porch with his Grandpa Meyer. Our favorite is when Will really vocalizes his laugh, seemingly trying to mimic ours with a little glottal stop and loud "ah!".
It isn't hard to get him to laugh, either! Some of his favorite things to laugh at are raspberries, tickling his tummy, anyone smiling or laughing at him, Maeby sniffing his feet, and mommy talking "serious" on the phone.
As you can see, there is more than a little bit of a resemblance here!
Here here is on our front porch with his Grandpa Meyer. Our favorite is when Will really vocalizes his laugh, seemingly trying to mimic ours with a little glottal stop and loud "ah!".
It isn't hard to get him to laugh, either! Some of his favorite things to laugh at are raspberries, tickling his tummy, anyone smiling or laughing at him, Maeby sniffing his feet, and mommy talking "serious" on the phone.
As you can see, there is more than a little bit of a resemblance here!
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
The Spillway!
Welcome to Linesville, Pennsylvania, population 1155. This scenic borough is located in Crawford County and situated on Lake Pymatuning, the largest man-made lake in the state. 
Aside from the great boating and fishing, this lake has one more honor. It's known as the place "Where the Ducks Walk on the Fish." The two parts of the lake are at different levels, and between them is a spillway. Or should we say, The Spillway.
Around this tiny waterfall, thousands of gigantic carp began to gather over the years, and more and more people fed them. Eventually someone set up a small shack and sold loaves of stale bread for $1. You could throw the bread into the water, and watch the fish writhe and splash as they fight for it.
This attraction has become so popular that now there's an entire visitor's center, complete with restrooms, concession stand, and gift shop. Why is this site so popular? Well, because it's like a bad car accident: you just can't look away.
Don't believe us? Watch the video yourself and behold its grotesque glory!
Aside from the great boating and fishing, this lake has one more honor. It's known as the place "Where the Ducks Walk on the Fish." The two parts of the lake are at different levels, and between them is a spillway. Or should we say, The Spillway.
Around this tiny waterfall, thousands of gigantic carp began to gather over the years, and more and more people fed them. Eventually someone set up a small shack and sold loaves of stale bread for $1. You could throw the bread into the water, and watch the fish writhe and splash as they fight for it.
This attraction has become so popular that now there's an entire visitor's center, complete with restrooms, concession stand, and gift shop. Why is this site so popular? Well, because it's like a bad car accident: you just can't look away.Don't believe us? Watch the video yourself and behold its grotesque glory!
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