A Day in the Life

8 Weeks

2012-01-20T10:30:00.003-06:00

I can't believe Jayden is almost 2 months already! Time flies so fast. What he is up to at this stage:

Sleep: we are working on getting more sleep! Around 5 weeks I finally gave in and let him sleep on his belly at night. Since then he sleeps 4-5 hour stretches which is a great improvement! Before then he was getting up every 1-2 hours which was horrible. He just hated to sleep on his back or be swaddled and would constantly startle himself awake. He is pretty routine now..goes down between 9 -10 and wakes up around 4 to eat then goes back down until 7ish. We are still working on getting him in his crib and I hope to have that transition done before I go back to work.

Clothes: I had to put all the newborn clothes away around 4 weeks. He is now in 3 months and 3-6 months and growing every day! Some of his 3 month clothes are getting too small already which seems crazy to me because his sister was in newborn until she was 3 months.

Development: He started smiling around 4 weeks and loves to smile and talk to mommy and Kyla. Poor Eric hasn't seen a lot of that yet since he is always fussy in the evening and smiles are pretty few between 5 pm and bedtime. He has rolled once from his belly to his back but I think it was just a fluke. I don't think it will be long and he will be crawling across the floor. I am amazed at how strong he is. He plays on his belly a lot since its his favorite position and we often find him moved out of his playmat already.

Fussy Pants: Jayden likes to make his voice known in our house.We have been struggling with him being very fussy and possible colic. Most of the time this happens between 5 and 10 pm. Usually most evenings are spend rocking, swaying and bouncing. My back is in desperate need of a massage since there aren't many places I can set him down in. The Moby Wrap has become a best friend and he spends many hours in there! He does love the swing but tends to sleep when he is in there so we try to keep him out of there during the evening hours. We are beginning to have more better days than bad days and hoping as we near the 3 month mark things will get better.

Sister Love: Kyla adores Jayden and had adjusted very well. She always loves to help or cheer him up when he is crying. Usually when he is fussy she will sing Jesus Loves Me to him and often (almost every time) he will stop crying during the time she is singing..its so cute! Haven't been able to get it on video yet.

Weight: About 10 lbs...we have his official doc appt next week but weighed him on our scale and he was around 10.

Holidays 2011

2012-01-01T20:51:00.018-06:00

We had a great holiday season with so many fun parties and get togethers. I love spending time with family and we feel so blessed this year!

Jayden was such a good baby through all the craziness. His fussiness is getting much better and I think he loved all the noise. He started smiling around 4 weeks just in time for Christmas.

And Kyla LOVED all the parties junk food, presents and cousin time.

We celebrated with the Schippers on Christmas Eve at Mom and Dad Schippers house. We headed there for brunch and stayed until evening. It was a fun/relaxing start to our busy weekend. Here are all the Schippers cousins: Kyla, Jayden, Owen, Josiah, Alex and Cameron

We were once again spoiled by all the gifts from grandpa and grandma and aunts and uncles...

Kyla got a new boy cabbage patch doll which is so cute. Now she copies mommy with everything I do with Jayden. She LOVES her babies..

This is how Jayden spent most of his parties after taking in all the craziness...

After presents all the kids took naps and the big kids played Wii...lots of laughs watching Wii Hula Hoop

On Christmas Morning we opened presents as a family right away in the morning. The dogs started off the fun opening their bones so they leave us alone while we open gifts.

Kyla helped open all of our gifts. Eric had a Northfae themed Christmas this year getting a new coat, gloves, hat and sweatshirt.

Tami got lots of gift cards to do some shopping after having Jayden and a new camera. YAY!!

Kyla got lots of games this year, undies and a new American Girl doll wanna be

After our family party we headed to my moms to have brunch and open presents. We were able to get some family pics this year...

On Christmas night we had the DeFouw party at my aunt and uncles house. We also watched slides from all the siblings growing up. It was great for my grandma who is beginning to lose her memory not to mention laughing at all the styles back then!

Kyla was a stinker at the DeFouw party and kept sneaking candy and too much chocolate. Eric ended up wearing her entire meal on the way home since she puked it all up on him. Great memories (ha)!

On Monday night we celebrated with my dad and Joan. Jayden checking out his grandpa...

Our little boy looking so big!!

Grandpa and his girlies...oh how they love being silly with grandpa...

On Wednesday a few of my college roomates came into town.We headed to Deanna's playhouse for the morning. Perfect for all the kids!

On Friday night we headed to the Aquatic Center with Ryan and Steph and the kids. The girls had a riot in the pool and Jayden just hung out and watched everything.

Abby and Lily

On New Years Eve we went to Luke and Jodi's house with a bunch of friends and all their kids. I didn't have a chance to get a picture that night but it was a lot of fun! All the kids were at great ages to play together and we pretty much didn't see them all night.

On New Years Day we celebrated dad Schippers and dad Habers birthdays which are both on Dec 31. Sunday noon we went to mom and dad Skips house and at night we had my dad over.We are so thankful for such awesome dads!!

Newborn Pics

2011-12-27T06:54:00.004-06:00

I had these pictures taken when Jayden was 2 weeks old and Kyla had just turned 3. Love how they turned out..thanks to Timeless Portraits by Nicole!

3 weeks

2011-12-15T21:12:00.002-06:00

I can't believe how fast time goes! Jayden is already 3 weeks old and I have officially past my due date this week. I can't say it been an easy 3 weeks but I am still loving "almost" every moment with this little guy. He has been a pretty fussy baby which has been a trick to find out what is causing his issues. For the most part he is just fussy in the evenings but it usually starts around 5 pm and goes until bedtime. Most nights I spend holding him or walking the house bouncing. The Moby Wrap has become my best friend.
I have tried to change my diet to see if foods I eat affect him and we are also going to the chiropractor which has helped some. I think he is just a mama's boy and wants to be held all the time. It has caused me to slow down and just sit and cuddle with him which I can't complain about.

He is beginning to sleep better at night. I can usually get a good 3-4 hour stretch and then another 3 hour before Kyla wakes up. Other than that we are loving our little man in his grandpa pants...

First Chrismas Program

2011-12-14T20:54:00.004-06:00

Kyla was in her first Christmas Program this past Sunday at our church. She was so excited to sing Away in a Manger and did very well! She was able to sing with the 3's and 4's so her and Lily were best buddies all night.

This picture cracks me up...one of the teachers was motioning for them to smile so she copied her.

Not quite sure what to think of all the people looking at them.

Loving being on stage...perfect for our little singer/diva

Jayden spent the entire night sleeping by grandpa...

Kyla Turns 3!!

2011-12-03T21:19:00.002-06:00

Its hard to believe I have a three year old already! It seems like just yesterday we were in this newborn stage with Kyla. We are so thankful for our sweet and sassy little girl!
Before Jayden was born we were planning on a party for her on the Saturday night of Thanksgiving weekend since most of our family was already in town. Our week was a little busy so mom and dad Skip volunteered to have the party at their house on Sunday so we could still celebrate.

The birthday girls favorite present...her baby brother!

Playing Story Chimes on mom's phone with Owen. Its amazing how these kids can work technology.

Kids table...we did a super easy dinner of pizza, chips, salad and jello. Thanks to our families who made the food!

Opening her makeup from Aunt Rachael...such a girly girl.

The new microphone that helps her sing all her songs.

Blowing out her candles. She requested cupcakes so we made some on Sunday and she helped decorate them.

Yummy!!

On her actual birthday we took her to Chucky Cheese. She thought the rides were so fun and it was a cheap and easy way to celebrate. We will definetly be back there this winter!

One Week...

2011-11-30T20:09:00.008-06:00

Jayden is one week old today. Its been a great week and we have all adjusted to life as a family of four for the most part. I stayed in the hospital until Friday morning. Kyla had a hard time leaving without me for 3 days so she was more than excited for us to all come home.

Jayden was pretty excited about it too...

Kyla LOVES her baby brother! She has been great and such a big helper. We have had a few issues with whining when mom is busy feeding Jayden or can't get to her right away but other than that the adjustment has gone so well. I am so thankful she is almost 3, she is so independent and it helps immensely. She can dress herself, go to the bathroom, and is very self sufficient and trustworthy. She has been so gentle with him and always there to lend a helping hand when he is crying.

We celebrated Thanksgiving with family over the weekend. Jayden also had his first bath on Saturday night. I would say it went well but newborns never like their baths.

On Sunday we celebrated Kyla's birthday with both families at mom and dad Skips. It was a great distraction and much needed attention for just Kyla. More on her birthday in the next post...

Monday night we ventured out to the Christmas parade in Zeeland. It was chilly but we bundled up and had fun.

So far I am soaking up all of this newborn goodness. We are definitely lacking sleep but trying to enjoy every moment because I know how fast this time goes. Jayden is a pretty good baby for the most part. The first few days were rough...pretty much cried every time he was awake. He is adjusting to life now and things are getting better. Each night he sleeps in the carseat otherwise we don't sleep at all. I know eventually we will need to break this habit but for now its survival and I can get at least one 4-5 hour stretch. Other than that life is good...just soaking up this sweet little blessing!

Kyla has to say prayers with Jayden every night before bed. He is not quite as excited.

He's Here!

2011-11-24T15:00:00.004-06:00

Our sweet little boy, Jayden Lee Schippers made his appearance on Wednesday, Nov 23 at 4:52 am. 3 weeks early but healthy and doing well! We are feeling so blessed this Thanksgiving!

His birth story:

For the last few weeks of my pregnancy I was monitored very closely for pre-eclampsia again. My high blood pressure made an appearance which was what caused me to be so sick with Kyla. For the past 2 weeks I have been in the doc twice a week with non stress tests, blood pressure checks, blood tests, and more. We had been discussing induction due to all this so we were getting things ready.

On Tues, the 22nd I went in to my my doc and my blood pressure was actually looking really good and my counts were also decent so I thought we were in it for a few weeks yet. Although my doc checked me and I had made some progress so there was a possibility it could happen over the weekend.

All day and night Tues I was having contractions on and off and a lot of back pain. Around 10 pm Tues night my contractions started about 10 minutes apart and were increasingly getting stronger. I called the doc and she said it was time to head in. We packed up, dropped Kyla off at Erics parents and were checked into my room by midnight.

I was already at a 5 when the nurse checked me so they hooked me up with an epideral right away. It kicked in for about an hour and the I started feeling all the contractions on my left side and was in a lot of pain. The docs gave me more juice and fixed the placing of the epideral and about an hour later I was better. My doc came in and broke my water around 3:30. A little after 4 I felt a lot of pressure and called the nurse in...I was a 10 and ready to go. So they got everything set and around 4:30 started pushing. It only took a few pushes and he was out! Such an uneventful easy delivery and it was so much less complicated than last time.

We are now home and I'll admit..its crazy but I am loving it! Maybe I'll be able to update more when life slows down...ha! Maybe when he's 18...

Extreme Makeover: Nesting Edition

2011-11-06T12:37:00.004-06:00

This pregnancy I have been nesting but it different way than last time. When I was pregnant with Kyla I had to have everything organized in my house, drawers, cupboards, etc. This time around I have been in the mood to redecorate and remodel a few of the rooms in our house before baby arrives. Thanks to my helpful husband we have been able to knock off most of my to do list. Although I think he may be ready for my nesting instinct to be done soon.

The first project we tackled last spring was moving our office out to a main area in the play room/living room. Since we had to turn our 3rd bedroom into Kyla's big girl room this now had to become our laptop/mail area. A smaller space but works just as well. We actually moved most of the office down to the basement so Eric has a place to work for his business and his mess isn't out in plain sight.

Once we had the office cleaned out we (mainly Eric) painted and re-did Kyla's new room. Dad Skip made a toddler bed for her so we added a few more touches and her room was done. My mom actually made her comforter since I couldn't find one that I liked. Kyla LOVED her new room and still does. The tranistion from a crib to toddler bed went very smoothly.

There wasn't much that needed to be done in our room but we did order new bedding to brighten things up.

The babies room took a long time to decide. I found bedding I liked from Pottery Barn but decided it was a little too pricey. Finally made my 2nd choice and ordered it online only to find out it has been discontinued. The 2nd choice bedding would have required another new coat of paint in the nursery. So much to Eric's relief I just went back to my first and original choice from Pottery Barn. We were able to keep the room green which made for an easy makeover. I have more touches to add but they may give away part of the name so they will wait a few more weeks.

It was a whole new world for me to find boy decor but it was a fun change too!

And we also re-did our living room. We had a large sectional sofa in here and I loved the comfort of it but was DONE with dog hair on the couch and it was getting pretty dirty since it was such a light color. We decided to to go with leather and a new darker rug to cover up the dirt!

So far thats it for projects for now. Now its time to make sure all the clothes are washed and bags are packed for the hospital. Only 4 more weeks!!!

Halloween

2011-11-01T20:42:00.005-05:00

We celebrated Halloween a few different ways this past weekend. On Friday night Eric and I went to a party with some of his friends. It was a last minute decision so this was as creative as I could get with a preggo belly.

Saturday night we went to the Treats an Trails at the Outdoor Discovery Center. It was a nice night and I think half of Holland decided to join us. It was crazy busy but fun. Kyla went as a zebra...

We were able to see some of their birds of prey

Isaac and Abby and Lily joined us...

My adorable nieces...

Best buddies

They also had a hayride which was nice and calm for my 8 month pregnant belly

It was a fun night with other fall activities which were not all candy focused. Still took home some loot but not a lot. As fun as Halloween is, it causes many meltdowns afterward for a little girl who wants to eat her "tweets" day and night!

We didn't go door to door on Monday night. Baby Skip has been giving me some issues over the past week and I decided that walking the neighborhood wasn't such a good idea...he needs to stay put for a bit longer!

Big Sister Class

2011-10-18T20:12:00.005-05:00

We took Kyla to the Big Sister Class tonight at Holland Hospital. It was great to prepare her for my hospital visit and teach her about how to care for her baby brother. She was a pro at changing baby's diaper and swaddling. We had a good laugh at her response to baby's anatomically correct boy parts. She opened the diaper and kept touching it tryin to figure out what in the world was wrong with her baby. Looks like a talk about boys and girls will be in order when brother arrives.

She knew exactly what to do. Too bad I can't have her do this on baby's poopy diapers when he comes!

She also got to make her handprints so she can compare them to baby brothers.

We also had a tour of the birth center where she could see where mommy will be when baby is born and where her brother will spend some time while mommy sleeps. As we were walking out she kept asking why we weren't taking brother home with us. We had to explain that he was still in mom's tummy and will come home when our Christmas tree is up. She was so excited to go through the class and see the hospital, hopefully she will be as excited to meet her brother.

Pumpkinfest

2011-10-17T20:21:00.003-05:00

Last weekend we headed to the annual Pumpkinfest Parade in Zeeland. It was HOT! Especially for this preggo mama. We sat right in the sun and all got our last bit of Vitamen D before winter. Kyla thought the parade was pretty cool and loved getting all the candy.

Afterward we headed to Luke and Jodi's house and let the kids fly around in the backyard. It was such a fun night and the kids loved playing together! Kyla stealing a kiss with Brendan...

Yeah...we will be investing in a Gator for our children..what fun!! I love how Brendan is holding on for dear life..women drivers!

The girls and all the kids plus two more due in the next couple months. Craziness but so blessed to have such great friends!

Two Years, 9 Months

2011-10-04T20:13:00.002-05:00

I want to continue to document all the fun things that happen at each age and I need to catch up.
Kyla is now 2 1/2 and so much fun! I am loving this independent age but yet still young enough to need mom. What she is up to at this right now:

Daddy's Girl: She has always been a daddy's girl but now more evident than ever. She wants daddy to pick her up from daycare every chance he has and is always asking where he is when he is working. The other day when she wasn't feeling well she just cried and cried and said I want daddy. Basically once daddy comes home mommy is 2nd best. She often runs errands with dad and I have been told I am not allowed to come along to the bank or "benards" because it can only be her and daddy. They have such a special bond.

Independence: This girl loves to do everything herself right now...get dressed, go potty, brush her teeth, clean her room, and basically everything that mom tries to do. Her lastest is going potty by herself but she always has to use the downstairs bathroom. Its nice for most things but we have plenty of battles too.

Potty Training: We are almost there! She is in panties most of the time now and still has accidents. We still haven't mastered pooping on the potty. We have tried everything and still no luck. Hopefully we'll get there soon!

Little mommy: Kyla LOVES to copy everything I do from cleaning to getting dressed, making dinner and putting away laundry. She is a neat freak which I don't mind. At night we usually get her milk after bath and chill on the couch before bed. Before she can do that the whole living room needs to be cleaned up, her toys put away, pillows on the couch, everything back in its place. Then when she goes to her room and makes sure all the clothes are hanging in the closet or in the laundry. Whenever I put away laundry she takes all her clothes from the basket and puts them all away in her room, even hangs them all on hangers. I even found a bathing suit hanging on a hanger in her closet...so cute!

Getting dressed: she loves to get dressed over and over again which has also become a battle. Whenever we are home she can wear her "comfy" clothes which is always an interesting combo. Usually striped pants with opposite colored striped shirt or something that is way too small...we have a lot of good laughs. Before she gets dressed she has to iron her clothes on her little ironing board in her room. A few weeks ago I found her completely naked ironing her underwear.

Favorites: Her favorites toys are still her babies. She loves to dress them, feed them, rock them and take them everywhere. She still loves to play outside and ride her big girl bike. Favorite foods include "samwhich with (peanut) butter", go-gurt, oranges, sour cream which she will eat by the handful, ice cream, fruit "nacks", and raisens.

Fun sayings: every night when she says her prayers she starts by saying "thank you, your welcome" and then ends each prayer thanking God for "doggies nice toys, amen." Walking through any store when she sees bras hanging she loudly proclaims "boobies!" The other day I was putting away my laundry in the bedroom and she found a pair of my maternity pants with a panel and asked "mommy why are your undies stuck to the pants?" Everytime we use a public bathroom, I usually go too and she jumps up and down and cheers when I go.

Fall Fun!

2011-10-01T20:09:00.004-05:00

We have been soaking up the activities fall has to offer over the past few weeks. Last weekend we visited Ryan and Stephanie at Triponds campgroup. They had several different activities going on for the kids. Steph took the girls on the hayride...I wanted to go but feared the bumps might put me into labor.:)

They also had a trick or treating deal where the kids could dress up and go to each camper for candy. Kyla gathered all the candy and mom and dad ate most of it!

Today we went with the Schippers to Cranes to go Apple Picking! It was a perfect day for it..sunny and cool enough to wear hoodies and jeans!

The whole crew was able to make it. We started out with apple cider donuts..yum!!

My crazy girl will never smile for the camera unless we get to do silly face...

Best attempt at a family picture. Love that blue sky...

Owen (aka little Eric) chowing down on his apple

Look mom an "APP-Pole"

Looking forward to more fun weekends ahead!

Home Stretch!

2011-09-20T20:32:00.005-05:00

Well I have made it to the home stretch with baby boy skip. I had my 28 week appointment this week and am officially in the last trimester. I have had a number of ultrasounds again with this kiddo but only because he is so active they could not get all the pictures needed each time. I can't say I mind...I love seeing him and making sure he is growing normally. For those of you who remember Kyla was very small and there were concerns with her because it appeared she was not growing properly. Not so with this big guy...he is already about 2 lbs 9 oz and appears he is right on track for 28 weeks. Everyting looks great for me and the baby. I don't have gestational diabetes or even have to go in for the 3 hour test...YAY! Can't imagine having to give up carbs!
Baby belly at 28 weeks...feeling big!

I have not had much swelling at all this time around. With Kyla I was just big all over because I had so much water retention...I lost 40 pounds the first week after having her and it was pretty much all fluid. I was miserable! This time it is just a big basketball out front which makes me feel better although bending over is becoming impossible! And so far no sausage toes!!

We have the name all picked out, nursery bedding ordered and things are getting ready. I'm excited but nervous too. It will be so fun to have another little baby in the house but I am nervous about life changing. Right now its so easy with just Kyla and it will be hard to go back to getting up several times a night and sharing my attention with 2 kiddos!

Labor Day Weekend

2011-09-06T21:14:00.002-05:00

We had a low key but fun Labor Day weekend. We used to head north every Labor Day with my family but in the last few years it has gotten too hard with all the older kids starting school. So we try to fill our weekends with fun stuff!

On Friday night we had Abby and Lily over so Ryan and Steph could enjoy a date night and we could pay them back for all the times they have taken Kyla lately. It was so warm out so we put suits on and played in the pools and playhouse while Uncle Eric made it "rain."

The rainmaker and yes I do realized this picture can look slightly inappropriate. :)

The girls found the sled and thought it was so fun to use in the summer!

Uncle Ryan came back and showed us another way to mop the floor when you have toddlers.

On Saturday night we went to a Whitecaps game with Eric's family. It was a very fun night! We watched a couple guys eat the 5/3 burger which had 299 grams of fat. ICK!

Each morning Eric made pancakes for us. Kyla cannot get enough of his pancakes and asks for them every morning. Such a special tradition for daddy and daughter.

On Monday we headed to the Truck Parade in Holland with Abby and Lily and grandpa and grandma Schippers.

Always fun but LOUD. We were smart this year and took the ear phones.

Baby boy Skip was going crazy in my belly while the trucks were honking. He was trying to figure out what was going on out there!

Sad to see summer go but know fall has a lot of fun to offer too!

Late Summer Fun

2011-08-28T20:42:00.005-05:00

We have been taking full advantage of every summer day these last few weeks. Why is it that summer goes so fast and winter feels like it drags on forever? We don't want this weather to end!

My mom has a large garden so we have been enjoying some of the veggies from there...Kyla loves to help me snap the green beans.

This week we headed to the Hudsonville Fair to see some animals and the HUGE tractors.

Daddy had to have an elephant ear and Kyla didn't complain...mmmm soo good!

We also have been going to the Street Performers downtown Holland. This past week we went with Mark and Rachael and mom and dad Skip. The kids think its fun but it is hard to see anything when they are in strollers...all they see is a big groups of buns in front of them so the daddy's took care of that problem.

We LOVE going downtown!

Owen and Kyla watching the kids play in the fountains. We didn't take suits so they just had to watch.

This picture was taken while she was trying to run away from me and catches her I am a "stinker" face very well. :)

Sunday we headed to the beach to soak up the last few weekends of warm sun. It was actually pretty chilly due to the wind. As you can see behind me the waves were pretty big too.

We love summers in Michigan!!

Wedding Day

2011-08-14T21:10:00.007-05:00

We celebrated Eric's youngest sister Karen's wedding over the weekend. It was a beautiful day for a beautiful couple. I love weddings and the reminders they bring to the reason for marriage and the legacy of family. It was a fun fun day and we enjoyed every minute.

We had the Rehearsal dinner on Wednesday night. Kyla was a bell ringer along with her 4 boy cousins on the Schippers side. Practicing with ALL the bells....

After the church we headed to Tunnel Park for a wonderful meal and time for the kids to play. It was such a perfect night for the park!

Friday morning we had our traditional sisters breakfast before the wedding at DeBoer Bakery.

Karen and Scott with all their nephews and niece!

Kyla was very excited to get a Curious George puzzle for being a part of the wedding.

Family picture

Eric is a busy man with his new business. Even 5 minutes before the wedding he was taking calls...

A big thanks to Stephanie, Abby and Lily who helped take care of Kyla during the ceremony and get her ready for her bell ringing debut...

The beautiful bride all ready to head down the aisle!

The kids did great annoucing Karen and Scott..so cute! Kyla was a bit apprehensive when she saw all the people but she did what she needed to. We were practicing at home and throughout her walking down the stairs I could hear her little voice "auntie Karen is coming" while she rang her bell.

Fun at the reception...

We played the Shoe game..very fun and we all had a lot of good laughs.

Eric and I were Master and Mistress of Reception which was very fun!
And finally we went to pick up Kyla from her slumber party at Abby and Lily's house. A few minutes before this her arms were wrapped around Lily...too stinkin cute.

Roomie Reunion Plus 13

2011-08-08T20:29:00.005-05:00

We had an amazing, chaotic, memory filled weekend up at Big Star Lake with all my college roomates, husbands and kids. We had 10 adults and 8 kids under 4 all in 1 cottage. It was so fun but wow that many kids makes life busy and LOUD! The (non-prego) adults had plenty of happy hours to make it through, lots of laughs and trips down memory lane around the fire.
Love these girls...

We spent most of our time on the beach. It was cloudy but only rained for a short time Saturday afternoon.

Attempted a kids picture...what a challenge!

Squirt gun fights!

Some of the girls watching Strawberry Shortcake

Sweet little Madison loving her oreo...

Taking the kids on a canoe ride to look for frogs and turtles

Almost matching suits....

Walking to get ice cream

Rub a dub dub how many girls can we fit in the tub?

Dance party on the deck

The kids had a riot and Kyla is still talking about all her "fwends". Looking forward to many more years of these get togethers!

Zoo Day

2011-08-02T12:19:00.003-05:00

We headed to the zoo last week with Eric's sisters. The weather was perfect . It was a quick trip since the zoo is pretty small and the kids really don't get into looking for the animals when they are sleeping or hiding.

The petting corral was probably the favorite since they could see the animals and touch them. Brushing the pigs with Owen...

Josiah had the right idea...just chillin

Kyla was not quite sure about the bears so we didn't stay long

Our annual picture by the statue...last year we couldn't get them to all sit in one place so this is pretty good. Maybe next year they will all look in the same direction. :)

Baby Boy Schippers

2011-07-31T13:31:00.003-05:00

I am just over halfway through this pregnancy! A few weeks ago we had another ultrasound where we found out we were having a BOY! Very exciting! I had a feeling this one was a boy..its just been a different pregnancy for me. I was sick on and off until about 18 weeks. I am feeling SO much bigger this time around..granted Kyla was a little peanut and I didn't show much with her. So far I haven't had a lot of swelling yet and I am hoping it stays that way. With Kyla I started having swollen ankles around 16 weeks. Every now and then when its really hot they will swell a little but nothing like last time. This little boy is very active. I have been feeling movement since about 17 weeks and he is a wild child. Both ultrasounds we had he was having party in there and I think he does that on a regular basis. I LOVE feeling the movement...my favorite part of pregnancy.

Kyla is starting to get it (as much as a 2 year old can). We told her it was a boy and everytime I ask now she still says sister and calls him baby Sophie... she is still holding out hope its a little girl.

We are getting ready for another little body in our house. Kyla is moved into her big girl room and now I just need to find baby boy bedding that I like and then need to fill the boy closet:)

Big Star Lake 2011

2011-07-26T12:28:00.004-05:00

We were up at Big Star Lake last week...the HOTTEST week of the summer so far. We spent most of our time in the lake or air conditioned cottage. It was such a fun week!

Kyla LOVED the swings. Last year she wouldn't have anything to do with them and this year all we heard all week was push me mama...push me mama.

Love this view!

Uncle Ryan and Lily went fishing. Lily did great and even caught several little ones. Her tender little spirit had to make sure they all went back in the water so they didn't get hurt.

These two were best buddies all week long. They did everything together!

More swinging!

Ryan and Abby taking a much needed break from the lake. Vacation is hard work!

The older kids spent a lot of time on the kayak.

Since it was so hot we spent most evenings back down by the lake and went swimming. The girls all took a bath in the lake one night. Brings back many memories of us as kids...we used to do this every night!

Once again the best buddies...

Kyla went for a Sea-Doo ride...we even went fast. She kept saying fasta mommy, fasta

Sparklers!

Eric worked at home for part of the week and then when we came back he had to fix the deck of one of our cottages. He loves to be busy so it was good for him.

I LOVE swimming with my daddy!

The big kids spent ALL week tubing!

The whole gang! We had 17 of us between all the families...what fun!

4th Fun!

2011-07-05T14:37:00.007-05:00

We had a great 4th of July weekend! The weather was picture perfect so we spent all of our time outside. Sunday and Monday we headed to mom and dad Schippers to grill out and chill by the pool. On Sunday all the guys went golfing and the girls had some time to relax while the kids napped. On Monday Eric and his dad finished making and painting Kyla's toddler bed.

Swimming with grandpa

Kyla's favorite spot..swinging!

Sweet little Josiah...look at those baby blues!

On Monday night we had my family over to grill out and go to the fireworks. These 3 little girls have so much fun together. Kyla played so hard and is totally whipped today!

Sprinkler time!

Grandpa giving wagon rides

We didn't feel like dealing with the crowds at Kollen because we weren't sure how the girls would respond to the fireworks so parked in Holland High's parking lot. It was a perfect place to be. We saw everything and didn't have to deal with any traffic!

Kyla LOVED the fireworks and kept screaming out the colors and saying YAY!

3 amigos bug free in the van

Tried to get a family picture but couldn't get Kyla to look away from the fireworks.

Today we headed to the beach with the Schippers sisters and cousins. We came with 7 kids and 3 wagonfuls of stuff! It was fun!

Summer Fun!

2011-06-29T21:04:00.005-05:00

We LOVE summer! It has been a bit rainy and chilly so we haven't enjoyed as much of summer as we normally would but we are still having fun! What we've been up to:

Beach days! We spend lots of time at the beach with cousins Abby and Lily! The girls have even gone swimming in the COLD water! The first time we went it was 47 degrees....brrrr!

Captain Sundae..we have gone to get ice cream many times already this summer. Kyla can't complain that mommy craves it!

Dressing up to play outside...this kiddo needs to wear all the goods when she goes outside; necklaces, bracelets, purses, headbands, you name it. Such a little diva...

Plenty of time together to just be silly!

Daddy teaching Kyla how to drive..thank goodness we still have 14 more years...

We visited the Critter Barn yesterday with cousins and friends. It was a perfect day to go and the kids loved it. I had a few issues with smells but made it through for Kyla's sake.:)

My beautiful niece Abby

Feeding the goats

We also made a trip to Huizenga Park for lunch and playtime...so much fun!

Sweet little Lily checking out Kyla's blister and letting her know it will be ok. These two are so cute together!

Can't wait for many more summer adventures!

A Sneak Peek

2011-06-20T20:33:00.002-05:00

Last night I went in to the ER due to some right side pain I had been having all weekend. While the wait was not fun I was able to have a full ultrasound and get a sneak peak of our little one. Such a little miracle:

Baby seems to be doing fine. I am laying low for a few days until I see my doctor again.

Big Girl Room

2011-06-13T20:10:00.003-05:00

Eric painted Kyla's new big girl room over the weekend. He was not super excited to buy the first can of pink paint. I have to admit..it might be a little bright. I went in to shut the light off in the room this morning before we left for work and realized the light wasn't even on it was just the brightness of the paint! Yikes! I think it will look better once we get the furniture and bedding in.

This picture makes me laugh because it shows very accurately what life looks like right now. As you can see Kyla is talking to Eric...this girl never stops talking. Eric's eyes show how "excited" he is to explain for the 20th time the answer to the question "whatcha doin daddy?"

(He really does love to have her nearby when he works on things like this)

We gave Kyla her play toilet brush and a pail and let her go to town on pretending to paint the room. At least this kept the questions at bay for a few minutes.

Looking forward to seeing the finished product!

A New Adventure

2011-06-07T20:46:00.004-05:00

As of June 1, Schippers Construction is running as a fully insured and licensed company run by my husband! This has been a dream of Eric's as long as I have known him. Kyla and I are glad because it means he is home a lot more so we can have more family time. This time of year it was typical for him to work full time at his previous company then 3-4 nights a week and Saturdays doing side work.Way too much for a little toddler who misses her daddy. Although it is a risk in this economy we are confident God will provide for our family. Since he took the leap he has gotten so many calls for jobs that he hasn't even had to search out which is such a blessing. This fall I will be adding another day in order to pick up insurance. Not my first choice but having the school insurance back is so much better especially thinking of upcoming labor and delivery.
So if you or anyone you know would like anything done: building a house, remodel, trim work, siding, new roof, doors or windows, or any other carpentry jobs contact Eric at 616-218-2910 or eric@schippersconstruction.com.

Celebrating...

2011-05-31T14:32:00.003-05:00

Another year of wedded bliss today and feeling very blessed.

First Summer Weekend!

2011-05-30T19:59:00.004-05:00

We had a great Memorial Day weekend to kick off summer. Saturday night we had friends over and grilled out. It was chilly but we still had fun! Kyla liked playing with all the boys.

Getting a little lovin from Isaac. These 2 are in daycare together so we better watch them closely!

On Sunday we headed to East Lake Campground to visit Ryan and Stephanie. The girls ran through the mud fields and had a riot getting dirty.

Taking a cookie break..camping is hard work!

Best Buddies watching the storm come in.

Monday morning we headed to the parade with the Schippers...it was HOT.

Owen and Kyla had front row seats...

After the parade we headed to grandpa and grandma Schippers for brunch. Grandpa brought out the kiddie pool since the big pool was still too chilly. This picture was taken before Kyla's clothes came off. She had so much fun running naked in and out of the pool...until she decided to pee in it.

On Monday night we headed to the marina with friends. We played on the playground and went swimming in the pool to cool off! This pictureis so true of the whole weekend...lately Kyla is obsessed with her daddy. She couldn't get enough this weekend and we are glad daddy will be home a lot more beginning this week..more to come on that subject in the next post!

Big Sister!

2011-05-25T19:43:00.004-05:00

For those of you haven't heard: Kyla is going to be a BIG SISTER in early December. We heard the heartbeat yesterday, the sweetest little sound. I have been feeling pretty sick so it was hard to keep it from our families. We told all the Schippers on Easter Sunday with Kyla's Easter Eggs...they said "A new little "peep" will be arriving at the Schippers early December."

We told the rest of the my family with the Big Sister t shirt.

Kyla thinks its pretty fun to be a big sister so far. Although she doesn't get it yet and walks around telling people she has a baby in her belly named Sophie. The other day she told me she was too tired to clean up because of the baby in her belly...looks like I complain too much!

Even with feeling yuck for 3 months I am so excited and feeling so blessed! Praying for a healthy pregnancy and NO swelling this time!

Tulip Time

2011-05-13T21:29:00.005-05:00

We enjoyed a great but HOT week of Tulip Time. I danced again this year with my mom. Kyla loved every minute of the dressing up, click clack shoes and watching mommy dance.

Erics sisters also danced with us this year which was so much fun!

On Thursday, my friend Suzie came into town with her kids to have them experience the fun.

The kiddos checking out the fountain. Check out the curls in Kyla's hair...love it!

We watched the dancers downtown and then headed to the park to eat lunch.

We LOVE Tulip Time!

Workin Girl

2011-05-03T20:36:00.004-05:00

Daddy recruited some help tonight spreading stones by the shed. Kyla dug right in.
(sorry for the blurry pics...for some reason they upload this way even when they come off my camera clear.

I love how she puts her foot on the shovel just like daddy

Beachside Baptist

2011-05-01T14:42:00.003-05:00

We spent a short time at the beach this morning instead of church. Kyla came down with a cold over the weekend and we didn't think anyone would appreciate us spreading the germs in nursery. It was a beautiful morning but pretty chilly! Looking forward to summer!

Easter Sunday

2011-04-25T20:04:00.006-05:00

We had a great Easter Sunday! We headed to the Schippers for the afternoon.

An attempt at a family picture...

This was much more fun for a 2 year old.

We spent a good part of the afternoon outside...it was such a beautiful spring day!

Kyla passing out her Easter treats.

Opening grandma's easter basket
Sharing snacks with Cameren

Spring Stuff

2011-04-14T19:33:00.006-05:00

We haven't been up to much since we came home from Florida...just normal life. A few shots of what we have been up to: We celebrated Alex's 3rd birthday in March.

I am a die hard walker and as soon as it is remotely warm outside Kyla and I hit the sidewalks. She seems to love it even if she is totally bundled...

Vacuum wars with daddy We took a large container of shells home from Florida and since then Kyla loves to have shell tea parties with her babies.

Playing dress up and going to "schoo" with her backpack

Playing outside!!! We have been spending every minute outside when its nice!

Mommy, I love 80 degrees in April...

Daddy cut some trees branches down in our yard using the Sky Trak which provided lots of entertainment.

Madeira Beach 2011

2011-03-20T14:17:00.008-05:00

We just got back from a wonderful week down in Madeira Beach. We met Eric's parents down there and it was so much fun! Kyla loved every minute of vacation and we did too.
Early morning flight in Grand Rapids...

It was Kyla's first time flying and we weren't sure how it would go but she did great
(thanks to Toy Story 3)

Grandpa and his girl

This was our view from the condo...right on St Johns Pass. When we walked out the other door we could see the gulf. It was gorgeous!

Taking a walk over the bridge.

Most of our mornings were spent at the beach. The water was pretty chilly but we had 80 degrees and all sun every day we were there. Barely even a cloud in the sky.

Kyla was so lucky to have so much time with her grandpa and grandma. "Reading" books on grandma's ipad...

We swam in the pool most afternoons. Kyla loved to jump in and did very well swimming. The pool was so warm, had to be almost 90 degrees.

Eric and I were able to sneak away a few afternoons during naptime to enjoy the pool together by ourselves. We felt like we were on our honeymoon again!

On Wednesday night we headed out for dinner to Bubba Gumps which was right across the street.

Our condo...

Across the street from us was a boardwalk along St Johns pass. We spent a lot of time wandering through there checking out the shops and did a lot of people watching.

We also visited the Dog Races one night. Kyla loved seeing the dogs and the boys liked betting on the dogs. Eric actually won some cash!

Family Pictures

My little beach bum who loves being there as much as I do

We walked this beach everyday...

Loved the sunsets and thankful in just a few short months we can enjoy these at home!

Family picture night. It is nearly impossible to get a picture of this child smiling at the right time so we just take the ones where she is looking in the right direction.

Following Kyla's lead for a picture

Me and my sweet little girl.

It was such a fun week and its hard to come home and get back to reality this week. Wishing we could do this every month!

Hi from Madeira Beach

2011-03-15T20:13:00.004-05:00

Somebody is having the time of her life right now...

Mom and Dad can't complain either...

Beach Beauty

2011-02-24T12:05:00.002-06:00

Somebody is very ready to see the ocean for the first time...

Life As She Sees It

2011-02-15T15:49:00.003-06:00

I had to laugh when I found Kyla's dollhouse like this. She has our life pegged pretty well...bad habits and all...
She is sitting on the couch watching tv with Andre, our Golden Retriever, which happens more than we like to admit. Mommy is working in the kitchen but notice the large piece of pizza also in the kitchen, we must be having pizza for dinner. And then there is daddy on the jon in the living room, not sure what that is all about but made me laugh.

Just Like Momma

2011-02-08T21:30:00.005-06:00

I have a shadow lately. Every word I say and move I make comes back to haunt me from a little 2 ft copycat. I love it and think its so cute until I hear something that makes me think oh my I better watch myself.

She knows exactly how to use the laptop...

I found her here the other day. When I walked in she said baby stink PU

If only we could teach her to love emptying the dishwasher this much when she is 13

Momma's coat

Momma's hat

Momma's boots...do you see the theme here?

Writing her "mame" like momma does

Even though she loves to be like momma she also tries to outsmart me. A few weeks ago I found the timeout timer in the toybox. Its normally up on a shelf in her playroom and somehow she got it down and tried to hide it..little stinker!

Snow Much?

2011-02-02T19:45:00.006-06:00

The blizzard of 2011...what fun! By the time I woke up this morning Eric had the driveway plowed out so I didn't get to see how deep it was but we now have 5 ft high banks lining the driveway. We measured an untouched area of our front yard and it was 19 inches deep...thats nuts! It is incredible how much snow we got in such a sort amount of time!

How deep it is out the back door to the garage...

Those branches are actually a small tree...

These pictures will be fun to look back on this summer when its 95 degrees!

A Night at Grandma's

2011-02-01T21:08:00.003-06:00

Abby and Lily were spending the night at grandma's last Friday so Kyla and I came to crash the party for awhile. These girls are crazy when they are all together...what fun memories they are making!
One of their favorite activities...running around with laundry baskets on their heads. Kyla laughed so hard so fell right over.

Three girlies in the tub...

Lily you look so silly...

Looking forward to the day when these girls have more sleepovers together!

This is the way we brush our teeth...

2011-01-27T07:27:00.002-06:00

This paints a pretty picture of teeth brushing when in fact its not usually the case. Kyla loves to suck on the toothbrush but refuses to brush or let us brush her teeth. We have tried everything but usually it ends up that daddy has to hold her arms down and head in one place and I gently brush her teeth. Its a daily battle but we are working on it!

January Days

2011-01-21T19:42:00.007-06:00

Since this blog is called a Day in the Life I thought I would give a rundown on what has been happening at the Schippers on these cold January days...

Dress up parties...Kyla has been into dressing up and copying mommy a lot lately. She has to put her high heels on and necklace, then her scarf, hat and sometimes daddy's shoes. Then she will go in my makeup drawer and pretend to put on blush and eye shadow.

Sticker mania...she loves to put stickers on anything and everything. Daddy had "owies" on his face according to her so he needed sticka's. I find them everywhere...even in the dishwasher.

Even Lexi gets in on the fun...

"Playgough" has to come out at least once per day

Just being silly

Posing on the stairs. Since we don't get excercise outside she loves to slide down the stairs and then run back up. Or ride down in the laundry basket if mommy lets her.

Crazy hair at the end of everyday...

Many of the words and phrases we hear on a daily basis:
Lecki cuot (Lexi cut it out)
Tink u mommy (thank you mommy)
Lub U (love you)
crankie-icky-mouf (we are trying to teach her to keep blankie out of her mouth)
weep (wipe or napkin)
I poot (I toot)
Sque Me (excuse me)
Tutdown (touchdown-this is what she calls football)
Daddy werk? (Every morning she has to ask where he is)
fok (fork)- we are really working on the r in this word because it does not sound good

Always a Project

2011-01-17T20:18:00.006-06:00

I have learned that living with a builder means there is always a project going on in your house. This seems to be more prevalent in the winter when there is nothing to do outside.
Our basement has a very large crawl space which was basically wasted space. Eric decided to build a deck in the crawl space in order to create a storage room. I have to say it turned out great and got a bunch of our junk out of the main part of the basement in order to clean it up.

The new "deck" and the space it provides:

This is the before picture of the storage area...lots of stuff:

The AFTER picture once we moved everything into the crawl space and Eric took down one set of shelves.

This change will be helpful since we will likely stay longer in this house than planned due to the lovely economy. We are hoping to either move our office down here if need be or just have it cleaned out for showing the house when that day comes.

You Might be the Mom of a Two Year Old If...

2011-01-11T13:01:00.004-06:00

You have ever caught vomit in your hands in an effort to spare the carpet

You haven't sat down through an entire meal for 2 years

You have gagged at the smell of your child's best friend-blankie

You have had to explain things like why eating baby Jesus is not nice

The word naptime reminds you that there is hope to maintain your sanity for the rest of the day

Your vocabulary pretty much consists of poopy, milky, blankie, ni-ni, say please and NO

You have to decide which battle you would rather fight: pulling all the kleenex out of the box or dumping an entire roll of toilet paper in the toilet

You find Little People in your underwear drawer, fruit snacks in your makeup, naked babies in your bed and Mr Potatoehead arms in your purse

You realize a few minutes in to an important meeting at work you forgot to wash your hands after changing a nasty poopy diaper that morning and its on your hands.

You let your child destroy one room of the house in an effort to gain 2 minutes of peace to clean another room

You have driven in silence with your husband for five miles with a tight grip on the door handle so you don't lose it as your child screams the entire way home

You have cleaned two week old milk curds from a long lost sippy cup found under the couch

You have to walk away from diciplining your child because you can't contain your laughter

You laugh (to yourself) at new parents who glare at you while your child throws fits and pulls things off the shelf in the grocery store while their child sleeps soundly...thinking to yourself...just wait you'll get your turn too.

You used to wake up to the sweet sound of your child playing quietly in the crib and now wake up to MOMMY MOMMY MOMMY MOMMY MOMMY MOMMY...I poop.

You do it all over again tomorrow because you can't imagine your life any other way.

Tender Spirit

2011-01-08T12:40:00.008-06:00

Kyla has such a sweet tender little spirit. She loves to be a care taker of whoever and whatever comes her way. Just a few stories so I remember this when she is older!

She always makes sure the dogs go outside when they cry and if they beg for food she is right there feeding them (which in turn is making our Golden obese but that is another story)

There is a little girl at daycare who she has taken under her wing and makes sure she has everything she needs. Sue has told me that everytime Sophie drops something or cries Kyla runs from the other room to offer her assistance.

When we are out and about and she hears a baby cry her entire world stops and she is VERY concerned for a baby crying and wants us to go over to the baby so we can fix it.

Just the other day I wasn't feeling well so I was laying on the couch and she came up, patted my head and said mommy ok? Mommy sleep? Awe Mommy back? (which means can I rub your back) So sweet.

Her babies are her world which is where she is learning to be such a good little mommy. Last week we were out playing in the snow pulling her in the sled. After she rode for a minute she wanted to get out and it was babies turn to ride. She has to make sure baby was covered with her "cranky" to keep her warm.

Whenever we are going to see cousin Lily she has to take a baby along for Lily. I think this may be more that she doesn't want Lily to take hers but none the less she is thinking of someone else.

She loves to share (very weird for a 2 year old). If she has s snack she will always pass it out to whoever is around and willing to take some.

I love this part of her personality and hope it always sticks with her.

New Years Eve

2011-01-03T19:52:00.005-06:00

Eric and I headed out to a party on New Years Eve. His buddies Jeff and Ben live downtown Holland and hosted. We had so much fun and it was great to get out since we have spent the last few years just chilling at home.

We played several rounds of Minute to Win It, had a lot of laughs and a BIG mess.

2010 In Review

2011-01-01T09:34:00.027-06:00

2010 was a great year! Its so fun to look back at all of our memories...

January
Our little wild child at 13 months

Eric finished our basment remodel with a bathroom for Kyla and a new laundry room.

February

14 months

March

Skiing with the Schippers

We endured 2 rounds of stomach flu in March just weeks apart..not fun! Poor baby, so sick.

April

Mark and Rachael were in town and we headed to the GR Children's Museum with all the kiddos.

May
Tulip Time! I danced with my mom this year which was very fun. Kyla spent every night downtown.

May

It was a very warm spring so we spent a lot of time at the beach

June

Melissa and I started getting our girls used to being beach bums...they loved it!

All my college roomates headed to Traverse City for a weekend of Wine Tasting and shopping

We spent a lot of time playing outside at grandpa and grandma's house!

(My August and July pics got switched)

August

We had family pictures taken at Tunnel Park...what a job with an ACTIVE 19 month old.

I was in my friend Jenna's wedding. Beautiful day for an outdoor wedding

July

Annual trip to Big Star Lake. Kyla took her first sea-doo ride!

So many fun times at the cottage

September

We went apple picking with the Schippers and then made apple pies with my mom and Stephanie.

October

All my college friends and kiddos came into town. We headed to Pumpkinfest in Zeeland in the cold and rain and let 8 kids run wild in our house.

We celebrated mom and dad Schippers 30th anniversary in October by going to KOBE in Grandville. Awesome food and a great celebration.

Kyla was a lion for Halloween. We went to the Treats n Trails at the Outdoor Discovery Center.

November

Kyla fell at Christ Memorial Church and needed 3 stitches in her forhead.

Our little diva learning to dress herself...oh boy

December
On December 1 we celebrated Kyla's 2nd birthday. She got lots of fun new toys for her babies.

And of course Christmas

What a GREAT year, we were truly blessed! Looking forward to 2011 and a the changes it will bring!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-27T21:47:00.009-06:00

We had a great weekend of parties! It was very busy but its always fun spending time with our families. Kyla was at a fun age this year and loved every bit of the food (mainly candy), seeing her cousins and opening presents.
All day Friday we spent the day at mom and dad schippers. The 3 oldest cousins ready to run:

Before opening presents Grandpa Schippers told a short story about Jesus birth and then sang Away in a Manger with the kids...so precious and the kids actually sat and listened.

ooo a new McDonalds cash register and food!

The little diva getting some shoes like mama. She click clacks all over our wood floors with these new shoes now.

Christmas morning we were up bright and early with this little peanut who seems to think that 6:30 is the time we need to get up EVERY morning so by 7:30 we were digging in to presents.

Kyla had fun opening her toys and then wanted to play with each one which gave us opportunity to open the gifts between us. She got lots of Discovery Toys this year and a baby Tickle Me Elmo which we are somewhat regretting. That song will not leave my head.

After our family party at home we headed to my moms to have brunch and open presents. Daddy kept her entertained with bows.

.
Abby was a big help this year with the little girls who wanted to keep opening more presents. She is getting so old and grown up.

Saturday night we had the DeFouw party at Ebenezer Church. We are treasuring every Christmas we have with grandma since her health went downhill this year. All the kids love to call her great grandma coo-coo because of her Cuckoo Clock.

On Sunday afternoon we headed to my dad's for another party. The kids were pretty partied out so unfortunetly they were a bit cranky but we still had fun.

Abby got a few new games so that was on the agenda for the rest of the afternoon.

One tired kiddo after all the excitement of Christmas. We are still taking long naps in the afternoon to make up for the busyness.

Lake Effect

2010-12-07T20:59:00.002-06:00

We got dumped on with Lake Effect the last few days! The weatherman said around 19 inches since Sunday. We went out to enjoy the snow last night. Poor Kyla had it up to her waist and it was past my knees.

A bit of perspective: how tall the banks are in our driveway...

She was buried in the snow when we tried the sled

And Lexi well...lets just say she slept really good last night. She LOVES the snow!

Cocka-Doodle Doo-Kyla Turned 2!

2010-12-05T14:35:00.003-06:00

We had Kyla's 2nd party last night with our families. She loves anything to do with farm animals so we did a barnyard/cowgirl theme. It was crazy chaos but so fun!

The cupcakes...
Our little cowgirl opening presents...

Her new dollhouse! She loves it...when the doorbell rings the dog barks..very appropriate for us.

Veggie Tales! Her new obsession

Cowgirl eating her birthday "cupacake"

Octomoms playing with the new dollhouse

And now she has her very own cleaning set...and she LOVES it!

TWO!

2010-12-01T20:43:00.012-06:00

Our baby girl turned 2 today! Its amazing how fast the time goes. It feels like yesterday that I was holding her tiny little 5 lb body and now she is an endless ball of energy, a little bit of sassy and ALL girl. What fun she is!

Some of her favorites at 2 years old:

Food: Hot dogs (this does not come from her mother)

TV Show: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse- She loves to do the Hot Dog Dance

Obsessions: Babies, snacks, Veggie Tales videos, her blankie, having mama watch everything she does...all day its mama, mama, mama, mama

Activities: She loves to play with dolls, dressing, feeding, putting them nite nite. Playing in her kitchen making us different food, going to granka (grandma's) house, cleaning the house with mom, playing with the dogs, pretending to do hair and make up on mommy and daddy, and just talking about anything and everything.

Fun stories: The other day she was pretending to make me "o-meal" in her kitchen. As she was bringing it to me she pulled it away at the last minute and looked me right in the eyes and said "say peas." She also just started saying wuv you and said it to me for the first time the other day..melt my heart!

Issues: we are still dealing with some food allergy issues and we'll be discussing allergy testing at her 2 year appointment. Praying its something she will grow out of.

Everyday we are so thankful for all the joy she brings into our lives!

New Blog!

2010-11-29T14:53:00.004-06:00

For work I created a blog on early learning for birth to five. Many of the posts will be an extension of our programming. Some of the things we will be blogging about:

Learning activities to do at home to increase your child's gross motor, fine motor, communication and personal-social skills
Community events for little ones
Toys that stimulate learning
Food Distrubution Sites
Upcoming parenting classes

Come check it out and add it to your blogroll for updates and fun ideas:

http://oaisdearlychildhood.blogspot.com/

Cleaning Lady

2010-11-21T20:47:00.004-06:00

My daughter has officially inherited my OCD need to have things clean and organized. Last night we were at Owen's birthday party and she had plenty of fun new toys to play with but instead she took the tissue paper and went to town dusting the bookshelves...even moving things out of the way to dust under them.

She then moved to the table and made sure that was dusted and cleaned off.

Someday she will make a great little housewife!

Rub a Dub Dub

2010-11-18T14:29:00.002-06:00

Three cousins in the tub

All warm and cozy...

Josiah Alan

2010-11-13T12:59:00.002-06:00

The Schippers family was blessed with another beautiful healthy baby boy. Josiah Alan was born to Rachael and Mark on Thursday. We went to vist and he is adorable! Its hard to remember Kyla was ever that small! Looking forward to getting to know this little guy.

Owen and Kyla got to hang out for awhile at the hospital and loved to see the babies in the nursery.

Cranky

2010-11-09T19:59:00.005-06:00

Kyla has a "slight" obsession with her blanket which is affectionately known as "cranky." Ironic and yet such a perfect name. Cranky is not only a blankie but also a pacifier..there is one corner she sucks on all the time and it gets so gross! We have been trying to limit her attachment because she is beginning to resemble Linus from Charlie Brown.

Anytime she gets nervous, upset, tired or just in the mood for a snuggle she NEEDS to have cranky. If cranky gets left at home its not a fun car ride. Mom Schippers cut it in half and sewed it up so we always have 2 in case we lose one.

Not sure how we would manage life without the comfort of cranky...but beginning to think she will walk down the aisle someday with cranky hanging out of her mouth.

Stitches

2010-11-04T10:26:00.005-05:00

Kyla endured her first set of stitches this week. We were playing at Christ Memorial Church on Tuesday with my nieces and she fell into a corner of a wooden toy. Blood everywhere. When I finally got her calmed down and was able to see the damage I realized I should probably take her in to the doc just to have it looked at. It wasn't really a big gash but pretty deep. As soon as the doc looked at it he said yep stitches are needed. Because of her age and the location of the cut she needed to be put in a papoose (basically a toddler straight jacket). Not a fun situation for mommy or Kyla but within 10 minutes it was done and she had 3 little stitches in her forehead.

Once we got home she took a 4 hour nap and now doesn't even know its there! Every once in awhile she points to it and says owie. Sportin the Daffy band-aid...

Treats n Trails

2010-10-31T19:29:00.008-05:00

This year was Kyla's first year "trick or treating." We headed to the Outdoor Discovery Center for Treats n Trails with lots of family and friends. It was a lot of fun and perfect for little ones!
Our Little Lion...

Waving at the bunny

They had all kinds of games and activities and the trails were filled with treats so the kids could learn about nature and then get candy as they walked through the trails. Perfect for the nerdy teacher in me...

Abby the Kitty and Lily Ladybug

Lion buns :)

Hayride!

Smores!

The Comforts of Home

2010-10-23T14:41:00.002-05:00

Apple Pies

2010-10-16T12:39:00.004-05:00

We continued our tradition this year and made apple pies with my mom, Stephanie and the girls last Saturday. What a fun day and the pies were worth every minute!

The girls were old enough to help this year!

My mom has an amazing recipe passed down from my great grandma and they are completely made from scratch. Overall we made 16 pies! Yummy!

22 Months

2010-10-05T13:32:00.009-05:00

Hard to believe my baby is almost 2!

Some of the things she is up to at 22 months:

Talking talking talking...I am amazed at the amount of new words she learns everyday. Now she is putting words together and "telling stories." On the days I work she talks the whole ride home from daycare...I can't really understand a whole lot other than the kids names...Teeya (Teya), Soshi (Sophie) and Makin (Mason). She knows all her body parts including boobies which she seems to use often. She pretty much attempts anything but her favorite word lately is Abby. She plays often with her cousins and can't get enough of my niece Abby who is five. At night she sings Abby's name before she falls asleep and if I ask her if she wants to see friends she always asks Abby? Everytime we see a tan minivan she screams Abby! Some of her other words that only we understand: Anya (Andre), Lele (Lexi),bapa (grandpa), kokee (cookie), pay-go (play-dough), pider (diaper). Everynight we pray with her before bed and she has caught on that when daddy says "in Jesus name" its the end so she screams ah-men.

Play: everything is still baybe, baybe baybe...she loves to pretend with her babies now. She feeds them, rocks them, burps them and I often find them in her highchair or laying on our bed.We have a new addition to our dinner table..baby in her highchair. Kyla has to make sure baby has her "cheez" and milk everytime we eat. Notice the lone green been on her chair...

She LOVES to play outside. If I ask her to find her shoes..she says ou-side? She rides her bike, pushes things in her stroller, and chases after the dog's ball. She often sits on our front step and then motions for me to come sit by her so I do and she cuddles up. She loves to walk across the street with mom and get the "mayo."

Food: We have been trying to mantain a dairy-free diet for the most part. Earlier this summer Kyla had major issues with diarrhea.We have been experimenting with her diet to see what helps. Eliminating milk and fruit seems to make a big difference. Eric has a lot of food allergies and I think she inherited that lovely gene.

Pot-ee: Kyla loves to sit on the pot and read books. Last week she pooped on the potty for grandma but we haven't had much luck yet at home. She is still young and we aren't in a rush but I'm glad she is interested.

Other fun: now that its a bit cooler outside we spend a lot of time at the library, playgroups, running errands and doing fun family things.

We are also in the copycat stage which means Kyla has to do everything we do...reading the paper, typing on the computer, sitting by the island instead of her chair and being a big girl as much as she can. I have been enjoying this new stage of independence.

Kids Kids Everywhere!

2010-10-04T19:41:00.006-05:00

Some of my college friends came into town over the weekend. We had big plans for the weekend but reality hit and we missed a few due to stomach flu and busy husbands. We missed you Lori and Wendy! We still had a fun and very BUSY day Saturday and its always great to see eachother even if we can't really talk because the noise of the children overtakes everything.

The Hope kiddos..notice Kelvin cashed out in the corner...he can sleep through anything!

We went to the Pumpkinfest parade in Zeeland but it was very cold and rainy. The kids weren't too impressed with the parade but it was an adventure!

Smile girls...pretend we aren't freezing!

Kyla found her new "baby" Kallie and did all she could to comfort her when she cried. She is such a little mommy.

Adelyn and Kyla with their "kids"

Sumo Boys: Duncan and Isaac

And Baby Kallie decided the pizza looked good so she pulled herself up and dug in!

Thanks for a fun day girls and my house has recooperated.

First Haircut!

2010-09-28T19:25:00.005-05:00

Kyla had her first haircut today! She did great thanks to DumDum Suckers. One of Eric's friends from high school cuts our hair and she did great with Kyla too. Thanks Sarah!

The Before Picture...looking pretty shaggy.

Sarah talked me into cutting it a little shorter than I was thinking in the back and I LOVE it! It looks so much better and she looks like a big girl now.

The back...

The front...

Apple Picking

2010-09-22T21:32:00.005-05:00

Sunday afternoon we headed to Cranes with the Schippers bunch to pick apples and get some cider donuts...mmmm our favorite!

The kiddos has a lot of fun this year since they were old enough to participate

Playgroup Fun

2010-09-19T12:53:00.004-05:00

I work for the Intermediate School District and a large part of my job is putting on literacy playgroups all over the county. These groups are for children birth to five and help introduce pre-literacy skills. I am excited that this year one of the groups falls on my day off so I can take Kyla. She loves it and I am looking forward to enjoying these groups all year!

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

"play-goh"

If you have young children come check us out sometime! All groups are free and each family gets to take home a free book...for more information check out our website.

Daddy's Girl

2010-09-14T06:51:00.002-05:00

Lately Kyla is in LOVE with her daddy. When he is home, she is by him or watching whatever he does and mom is not good enough. Daddy is eating it up and I love getting a little break. I am reading the book Bringing Up Girls and learning more of the importance of the father-daughter relationship. I am so thankful for a husband who invests his time where it matters most despite his very busy work schedule.

Watching the truck parade

Wake up daddy..no sleeping when I am around!

Best Buddies

Potty Time

2010-09-07T13:17:00.003-05:00

Kyla has been showing some interest in Potty Training lately so we have taken full advantage and are beginning the process. I know she is getting ready because she always tells me she has poops on a and a few times a day she wants to sit on the toliet and and "go poo." We haven't had any success with any droplets yet but its a start. Everytime she sits down she asks for a book...she must take after her daddy knowing she will be there for awhile.

She has a little work to go on the wiping...when I tell her to wipe she wipes her nose and then puts it in the toliet.

Wedding on the Lake

2010-09-01T20:38:00.004-05:00

I had the privilege to be in my friend Jenna's wedding this past weekend. Jenna and I met in 6th grade and have been friends for many years! We couldn't have asked for a better weekend for an outdoor wedding which took place over-looking a bluff on Lake Michigan...it was gorgeous!

Getting ready!

The flower girls who were adorable!

It was a little warm at the ceremony but once the sun went down it was perfect!

Trying to figure out how to bussel the dress...

My partner for the day

Eric was a trooper and made a lot of friends while I was busy with wedding stuff.

Animals Animals Animals!

2010-08-27T14:05:00.006-05:00

This past Wednesday we had a day filled with seeing lot of animals. In the morning we headed to John Ball Zoo with Eric's mom and sisters. The kids had a riot!

Wednesday night we decided at the last minute to take a trip to the Hudsonville fair. My cousin Jenny and her boys show their livestock and rabbits there so we went to visit. Kyla loved being able to touch all these animals.

On Austin's steer...not so sure about it. Little does she know this was what we had for dinner about an hour before...

Her FAVORITE part seeing all the dogs at the dog show.

I love being able to go to these types of things and see things through the eye of a child!

Poop Play-Doh

2010-08-20T21:31:00.002-05:00

Our dear sweet little girl has found that poop feels very similiar to play-doh and is fun to play with in bed. Obviously she did not inherit her mother's very strong gag reflex which was in full effect as I opened her door this morning. She was COVERED in poop and these pictures do not do justice. It was smeared up and down her legs and arms, all over the slats of the crib, her blanket and even on her face. So gross!! Did I mention I have a strong gag reflex? Not a fun way to start the day.

Three Amigos

2010-08-18T20:37:00.005-05:00

Today Kyla enjoyed having her cousins over. When they arrived this morning she spent about 5 minutes straight running and shrieking down the hallway due to sheer excitement. We had a great day packed with lots of fun stuff:

We started the day with breakfast in our jammies.
Then it was off to piling the entire supply of play kitchen stuff into the tent.

Stroller races

Which turned into Kyla being the "baby" and Abby running her up and down the hallway and into walls.

We went for a bike ride to Christ Memorial so we could play and meet Melissa and Alyse! Abby did great at riding her bike..I only got cut off a handful of times. :)

Abby was such a big helper! She had to make sure the girls held her hand while we walked up the sidewalk.

Snack time! No they are not eating french fries

Chillin with Clifford

And the play-doh made its appearance right before naptime.

What a FUN day..thanks girls for keeping my Kyla so busy. She was sleeping very early tonight!

Grandpa and His Girls

2010-08-16T20:36:00.003-05:00

These girls love their grandpa and all his silliness...

Beating the Heat!

2010-08-13T13:00:00.003-05:00

So it has been "a little" hot this week. This morning Kyla and I went downtown for the sidewalk sales and then hit up the water fountain to beat this heat. Abby and Lily joined us and the mama's were ready to jump in too!

Mom this is soooo fun!

I'm gonna get you....

All fun and games until little ones fall on the cement...

Our battle wound..a big ol goose egg...the price we pay for fun!

Mid Summer Fun

2010-08-08T21:23:00.004-05:00

We have had a very busy summer so far! This is our favorite time of year (despite the humidity) and have been soakin in every minute of summer fun. Kyla has kept us on our toes as she is a very active little girl who is into everything!

A few weekends ago we went to a Whitecaps game with all the Schippers. It was a fun night out with just the adults although I sometimes feel like I have a child with me...

We usually head to the beach a few times per week. It is now one of Kyla's favorite words and she can't get enough of the sand and water...as soon as we pull in she says "beets beets beets."

Last week my brother and his family were camping so we came to visit. Kyla found a tractor just like daddy's and thought she was big stuff...

Just being silly...remembering where this thermometer used to go...yikes!

This past weekend we had a fun family night out at the beach eating dinner, chasing seagulls and just chillin. Its daddy daughter time for a little one who adores her daddy...

Eating a "healthy" dinner....

Getting water for sand castles

Pigtail Shadow

2010-08-02T20:21:00.000-05:00

30 Years of Vacation

2010-07-26T20:47:00.008-05:00

Its hard to believe this was my 30th year of vacation at Big Star Lake. I started going when I was 2 weeks old and have never missed a year. So many memories in those 30 years. Now we are starting another generation of Big Star lovers. Kyla loved her week up north and couldn't get enough of the beach and her cousins

We enjoyed being on vacation but didn't get much time to relax...this little wiggle worm kept us on our feet all week long!

But how can you resist this happy face?

It was great spending time with my nieces too...beautiful Abby

Best Buddies watching Dora
On Tuesday we went to Traverse City to visit my friend Jen and spent time up there for a change of scenery.

The big kids spent most of their time tubing and swimming

Kyla had her first Sea-Doo ride and liked it for a few minutes until we got splashed by a wave and then decided it wasn't so fun anymore.

We had a few rainy days so we spent some time in the cottage playing games and coloring.

The big boys found their way to deal with the rain...

And the big kids were given several items and told to make a skit...oh boy this is what they came up with. Colten was wearing Kyla's diaper, Courtney was wearing my bra and Austin had fake smokes and beer..a little scary.
Hollywood...

All the kiddos...Austin, Colten, Jared, Courtney, Abby, Lily & Kyla

Saying goodbye to another year...

Buzzed

2010-07-15T16:28:00.005-05:00

Our little man got a complete buzz cut at the groomers yesterday and he is LOVING it! It has been a hot summer and he has been pretty miserable carrying around that winter coat. I was a little scared he would look like a freak but it turned out great!

Losing Control in Aisle 5

2010-07-13T12:02:00.003-05:00

Eric and I are huge supporters of Winning at Home. We love everything they stand for and how they have helped our marriage and family life. I came across this article by Dan Seaborn on their site the other day and it struck a cord with me because we are exactly in this spot right now. Trying to tame an almost 2 year old with clear boundaries but without damaging her sweet little spirit. Parenting is tough stuff but this article reminded me that the work we are putting in will pay off!

Losing Control in Aisle 5
Of course, it happened in the grocery store. Is there any other place?

Many years ago my wife and I were with our son Alan, who was a toddler, picking up some groceries for the week. All our items had been scratched off the list, so we made our way to the Bermuda Triangle of parenting, the checkout aisle. We reached the front of the store, picked the shortest line, and parked our cart there. Candy glittered on the shelves. Perched in his seat at the rear of the cart, my son leaned over the edge, stretching himself toward the stacks of sweets. His eyes were bulging.

“I want candy!” he exclaimed, reaching for it.

He hadn’t yet had his dinner. Besides, he was too little to eat a whole candy bar. Being the wise new parents that we were, my wife and I gently denied his request. “Not today, honey,” we said.

If only it could’ve been that easy.

In a matter of seconds, our sweet little child transformed that checkout aisle into a nightmare. He arched his back, strained his face, clenched his fists, pounded on the cart, and screamed. “I want candy! I want candy! I! WANT! CANDY!”

As the entire store turned to look, my wife and I made eye contact. In that moment, I had a single thought: We’re raising Hitler.

It’s moments like those that truly test a parent’s self-control. As the child spasms and spits in the checkout lane, we’re forced to ask two key questions. First, when my child is throwing a fit for the whole world to see, how will I respond? And secondly, when I feel like I’ve lost control in my parenting, how will I gain it back?

Really, it’s the second question that’s the more important one, but it’s the second question that often gets neglected.

I used to work with teenagers all day, every day, and their parents would often come to me at wit’s end. They’d tell me they’d lost control completely—that their kids didn’t obey them, wouldn’t listen to them, refused to respect them. How, they’d ask, can we change things?

The sad truth was, when they’d finally recognized the problem, those parents had already reached a point where adjustments would be difficult. By the time the kids hit middle school, they’d been programmed, more or less. They’d established patterns of disobedience. They’d gotten used to their disrespect being tolerated. They’d been let off the hook enough to count on it happening again and again.

Here’s the thing: teenage disrespect and disobedience rarely pops up out of nowhere. It’s almost always rooted in something. All too often, it’s rooted in something as simple as a supermarket tantrum.

I’m not going to pretend that this kind of thing is easy. Frankly, it’s embarrassing to have your control-less moments on display for the world to see. It’s tempting for parents to choose a quick fix—to holler right back, to ignore the kid completely, or to pacify them with a King Size bag of M&M’s.

There’s a problem with the quick fix, though. Although it stops the screaming for a while, it does absolutely nothing about the next time. And in parenting, next time is definitely something to be concerned about. Next time, they’ll be teenagers.

If we want our kids to learn obedience, we must make a habit of upholding parameters. If we want them to be respectful, we must offer discipline that’s consistent. If we want them to listen, we must speak in a way that invites hearing.

And we must begin in the beginning. Yes, that might mean we’ll have to begin in the grocery store.

So if that’s your kid pounding the floor in aisle five, go ahead. Take advantage of the opportunity to do some parenting, right there on the spot. Sure, you’d rather flee the scene, but next time you’ll be glad you didn’t.

Lala Love

2010-07-10T13:32:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I had my niece Lily over for a bit while Abby had a dentist appointment. Kyla adores Lily and calls her Lala. So cute!
Kisses

Drinking "tea" together

Having a girly chat in their own language...

Kyla telling Lily how to care for her baby

CHHHHEEESE!

Fourth Weekend

2010-07-07T08:19:00.005-05:00

We had a great Fourth of July weekend! It was busy but so much fun!
Friday we went to the beach with Melissa and Alyse to kick off the weekend!

Friday night we went to the marina to grill out with friends. It was fun but I ended up leaving early since it was so hard to keep Kyla in one place. There is a 6 ft sea wall drop off around the entire place and she thought it was funny to run up to the edge.

However we did get some playground time in.

On Saturday I rode my bike to Eric's parents to sit by the pool for the afternoon while Eric finished up a deck job he was working on. We attempted the Kollen Park deal but it was too many big kids and not anything for little kids so we just left and got ice cream!

On Sunday we had a low key day at home and let the dogs go swimming since it was so hot! They have taken over Kyla's pool and love every minute of it. Andre decided to roll in the dirt afterward so baths became a part of our day as well.

Sunday night we went to Eric's parents with the Schippers clan to do some swimming and have dinner. Mark and Rachael made it home from their 5 day move back to Michigan from California so it was great to catch up with them and see little Owen...such a stud. Kyla calls him Owie.

We rode our bikes again and spent some much needed cool off time in the pool.

The new kids table wasn't quite working out for these little ones yet. Kyla decided she had to eat everyone's applesauce and hotdogs.

On Monday we headed t0 Grandville for the parade where we met Eric's family. It was fun but very HOT!

One tired little girl from a busy weekend!

Beach Bums

2010-07-04T20:27:00.006-05:00

Fridays have become beach days for Melissa and I. We both love spending time at the beach so we figured we would teach our little girls to do the same.

Mommy and me...

Little chair thieves

Showing some love Little ballerina girl

Lovin the sand!

18 Months!

2010-06-28T19:27:00.011-05:00

I can't believe my baby is 18 months already...19 months this week! Where does the time go?

We had her 18 month appt last week and she is doing great! She weighs in at a whopping 20 lbs. Still a little peanut but at least is in the 25th percentile now. She is right on target for everything else.

This has been a fun age but the challenges are beginning. Kyla is a very easy going kid for the most part but her stubborn toddler nature has arrived. Overall she is such a happy sweet little girl and we love her to pieces! Here is some of what she is up to at this age:

Talking: She still is into her gibberish but I am beginning to understand a lot more words such as owie, nigh nigh, bye-bye, bubu (bubbles), poo (poop), ball, nose, wawa (water), mil (milk),baybe, eyo (video) and many more. She still does some signs but is beginning to replace them with words.

Copycat: she is taking note of many things we do and copies everything. I gave her an old purse and wallet the other day and she has been walking around with that on her shoulder, taking the keys and lipstick in and out. She also walks around with the phone held up by her shoulder while she plays with toys in the kitchen. She loves to play in my makeup/books/kitchen..anything that is mommy's and pretend to do what I do. We play outside with the dogs a lot and she has learned how I get their attention by saying where's your ball so now she stands in the driveway and screams "ball" at them the whole time we are outside.

Giggle Pants: She still loves to giggle at everything which I love. Her daddy cracks her up and she belly laughs at all his silly antics. I hope this laughter carries through her entire life because it is such a gift.

Picky Pants: Eating can be a struggle. Some days she is in the mood and somedays she isn't. We have a never ending battle with her dropping food on the floor for the dogs. She thinks its funny and sometimes I have to walk away because I can't keep a straight face.

Games: She loves to name her body parts..nose, ears, eyes, belly button, buns. She also loves Itsy Bitsy Spider, Patty Cake, Wheels on the Bus and more. She loves puzzles but the pieces usually end up strewn all over the house.

Other fun things: She finally has enough hair to do pig tails! She loves to give hugs and kisses. She still loves to go for walks and play outside.

Daddy's Day

2010-06-21T19:49:00.007-05:00

We celebrated Father's Day with both families on Sunday. We had my family over for lunch and just hung out in the backyard. We love summer and can't get enough of being outside...Lexi would agree to that...

My sweet niece Abby who is getting way to big!

Uncle Ryan is a great daddy to his girls but has a band-aid/blood issue. Kyla took off her band-aid and tried to give it to him and he did not do well with the situation. We had a good laugh and Kyla couldn't figure out why uncle Ryan was so "fece" of her band aid.

The best buddies who play so cute together....

Abby our little athlete

Daddy got his nap in during the afternoon and Kyla had to make sure he had blankie and baby

Sunday night we headed to Margie and Bob's new house! Alex and Kyla mowed the lawn together.

It was a great day to celebrate the amazing men in our lives!

Traverse Therapy

2010-06-17T21:30:00.009-05:00

Earlier this week I headed to Traverse City with 5 friends from college. We decided to have a no kids allowed couple of days so we could take a break as wives, moms, maids, teachers, you name it. It was a heavenly 2 days and brought back lots of college memories with just the six of us...lots of shopping, drinking cheap wine with little alcohol tolerance, staying up till 1 am, great conversation and trying to get six girls ready with 2 bathrooms...the good ol days.

We enjoyed every minute of not carrying diaper bags, getting in and out of the car without having to undo a carseat, shopping uninterupted, and we even were able to sit at a restaurant for 2+ hours when we went out for dinner...a refreshing change from the norm.

Five years ago we did the same trip and we took a picture in the same spot...how much our lives have changed.

2005 no babies yet, skinny and a couple of us were still single

2010-Almost all momma's with 8 children 3 years and under.

I know I say it often but I am SO thankful for the committment we have all made to see eachother every 3 months. We have such amazing bonds with eachother and I can't imagine my life without these girls!

Poop Face

2010-06-14T14:32:00.003-05:00

My blogs have been a bit heavy so I thought I would add some comic relief. Kyla has a "poop face" which always alerts us its time to change her diaper. We still laugh everytime we see this...

Reminded

2010-06-12T07:37:00.009-05:00

We had a sad week as we said goodbye to grandma Schippers. I personally did not know her very well but I have learned a lot of her legacy in the past week and it has touched me.

Uncle Jim shared a story of how grandma as a young mom of 5 children fell asleep at the dinner table one night while she was about to pray. It reminded me of the importance of teaching your children faith. Grandma was dedicated to teaching her BUSY family all about the Lord even when she was completely exhausted. All the "kids" have grown up to be amazing examples to their children and grandchildren and are passing on that legacy because of grandma's commitment.

As we sat by grandma's graveside in the last few minutes before saying goodbye, it made me think of what would Kyla and future children say about me as they said goodbye...a good reminder of how we live our life each day. Lets face it, we all turn into our parents at some point...so am I being the kind of parent she would want to be to her children? And just this morning as I dealt with a toddler melt down, I thought am I exemplifying the fruits of spirit to her even when I am frustrated? Am I passing on a legacy of patience, kindness, gentleness and self control?

Thank you grandma for all that you were and all that you have done to raise an amazing family. I feel so blessed to be a part of the family legacy you left.

Days Gone By

2010-06-08T13:34:00.006-05:00

Today I attempted to do some shopping with a toddler who wanted nothing to do with being confined to a stroller. After picking up the 100th cheerio launched from the stroller and putting back all the clothes ripped from the rack, I had a moment. It brought me back to the days gone by when I was living the single life and did not have any responsibilities. I craved those days when I could go shopping for hours on end, spend plenty of money and not have a screaming/throwing/impatient toddler letting me know this was not on HER agenda today. I spent a good chunk of my early 20's after college living the single life, hanging out with friends, going shopping, tanning, to the beach or working out..whatever my little heart desired. I didn't have any obligations that held me down and I am so glad I had that time. Sometimes in the middle of the "joys" of parenting I long for those days.
Do I feel guilty for that longing...yes. But the truth is when I DO have time to myself now I actually long to be home (after a short time of celebrating of course). I know my life is so much more fulfilled now then it ever has been even if it means I don't have all the freedoms I once had. That means my times to myself are usually out getting groceries instead of shopping for clothes, it means hitting up second hand stores for the brands I used to buy full price,it means buying "mom jeans" because they're cheaper and cover more of the muffin top and it means being pasty white until summer because finding time to tan is just not an option. And I am ok with all that because I have experienced the amazing miracle of having a child, the simple joy of toddler hugs & kisses and being called mama which brings so much more JOY than I could ever imagine.

I've decided its ok to long for days gone by because it just shows I have lived a full life. I've had a chance to experience that fun and freedom but now I get to experience the fullfillment of being a parent. I have found that there is nothing better than being a mom and a wife even when I am THAT mom walking though the store and looking like I have no control over my child. Its all a journey and I am loving (almost) every minute of it!

Kick Off to Summer

2010-06-03T19:29:00.006-05:00

We had a great Memorial Day weekend to kick off summer. Eric has been working a lot so it was great to have 3 uninterupted family days. On Friday night and Saturday we (mainly Eric) laid 10 yards of bark around the yard (a lot of work...my shoulders paid for it!) and added a retaining wall to the new driveway we put in this spring. Kyla kept busy in her little pool

Sunday night we had both our families over to grill out and have a bonfire.

The kids had a riot flying around the yard, in and out of the pool, playing with bubbles and just being crazy.

Lily and Kyla...the baby hoarders hung out together most of the night. They are going to be big buddies someday.

My big girl right before the parade on Monday morning. She is looking like a little girl now instead of a baby!

On Monday morning we had planned to do the Zeeland parade to see my niece Abby but it was canceled so we went to Holland. Daddy and Kyla watching the parade... as the veterans went by she clapped for all of them which was so cute.

The Habers family...

After the parade we went to my dad's for a great bruch and then headed home for naps.

Monday night we had a party with Eric's side of the family. Kyla enjoyed checking out the drink selections...

It was such a great weekend and we are looking forward to a fun summer!

Critters & "Bwady"

2010-05-27T20:32:00.004-05:00

My friend Dani and I went to the Critter Barn today with the kiddos. Dani has a 2 year old son Braden and I think Kyla has a crush. All day since we left there she keeps saying Bwady...Bwady...Bwady.

We spent most of the morning running after them...rather than looking at animals

Sharing Brady's chicken nuggets

Hugs!

Kyla was a little freaked out by the big animals... and wouldn't get too close.

She loved the little chicks!

Pokin the poor bunny with straw...

Bay-Bee

2010-05-22T13:53:00.004-05:00

No we are not making an annoucement about another baby although I think Kyla would like us to. She is obsessed with dolls lately and has to take her "bay-bee" everywhere. My niece Lily has been labeled "Octomom" and Kyla is not far behind with that label. She hoards babies and they MUST go with her no matter what she is doing. I think its cute and I'm sure she will make a great mama some day.

This was how I found her the other night...she made sure baby had her bottle.

She carries the carseat just like we did with her...

She even found Lily's babies at the campground when we went to visit

Don't touch my baby!

And of course baby has to eat too...

Beach Time!

2010-05-16T20:49:00.007-05:00

We went to the beach today to enjoy some family time. The weather was perfect and Kyla loved playing in the warm sand. I think she may become a beach bum just like her mama:

Daddy is my favorite...

ooo I love the feel of warm sand!

I loved it so much I layed my face in it...

and ate it...

Grandpa lives right down the road and came to visit...

Tiny Dancer

2010-05-07T21:51:00.003-05:00

Kyla learned all about Dutch Dancing this week and is beginning to get the song engrained in her head like the rest of us. She loved watching and even attempted to do some dancing herself...

Check out my sweet shoes...she wasn't a fan...

Klompen like mom...

Cousins Abby and Lily came down to visit

I danced with my mom this year which was so fun. However I switched to the boy part which was a bit tricky since a big part of the dance was backward for me. We did well but had many laughs along the way.

Its the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

2010-05-01T07:49:00.008-05:00

They'll be tulips a-blooming and junk food a-flowing
and Dutch Dancers out in the street!

Parades will be rolling and traffic a slowing

So be of good cheer...

Its the most wonderful time of the year!

Bike Rides!

2010-04-26T20:13:00.005-05:00

Last week we decided to take advantage of this awesome spring weather and went for a bike ride to a nearby park. Kyla loved riding in the Burley!

Not sure who enjoyed the toys more...

Looking forward to many more rides this summer!

16 Month Update

2010-04-20T13:14:00.006-05:00

Kyla is a little lean machine. We had a follow up appointment today for her height and weight and she is doing very well: 19.5 pounds and 31 inches. The Schippers genes still run strong and we think she will be tall and thin like her daddy and aunties. She is at a very fun age right now, here is some of what she is up to:

Talk Talk Talk: gibberish that is. She contantly walks up to me as serious as can be and just talks...ha ba-da bi chu-de-de-ahhh like she is telling me something so important. I usually say oh really and she says yah. It so cute to see her understand conversation and hear her little voice. She knows a lot of words too and is really beginning to pick up language. Some sounds she is working on: dada, mama, onday (Andre) la-e (Lexi), shu (shoe) nack (snack), mi (milk) baa-el (bottle), uh-oh, ba (bath), and number one word she knows NO. Her opinion has reared its head and we definetly know when she doesn't want something. She also knows several signs: more, bye, blow kisses, please, milk, eat and ball.

Run, Climb, Jump, Repeat: She loves to climb on everything and is trying her hand at many unsafe places. She loves to play outside on her ride on toys and throw balls and frisbees for the dogs. They have really learned to be gentle with her and let her play which is so nice. She loves to go for walks which we have been taking full advantage of with this awesome weather!

Sleep: She is still a great sleeper; 10-12 hours per night. We are pretty much down to 1 nap which is usually 3-4 hours...crazy I know.

Routine: We have been really determined to keep Kyla on a routine since she was very young. This has paid off for us and we have enjoyed good sleep and a content easy to manage child. (so far) At bedtime she knows her routine and if I say bath, she goes to her room to get her jammies, then walks downstairs to have a bath, she comes upstairs and waits by the fridge for her milk and then grabs her blanket and walks to her room and asks to be put in bed. Just in the last week she has also learned to fold her hands once she lays down so we can say our prayers. This also follows through at daycare because she knows when its naptime and runs down the hallway to her bed and actually asks to go down...crazy kid. It may not last forever but for now we will take it!

Little Friends

2010-04-17T21:03:00.004-05:00

We are fortunate to have lots of nieces/nephews and friends with little ones so Kyla has tons of friends around her age to play with. I love to watch how she interacts with all these little people and it will be fun to see these relationships grow.

Alyse is the daughter of my best friend Melissa and they are only 2 months apart...what fun it is to see these two together...they are such copies of their momma's personalities.

My nieces were over for the day on Thursday and Kyla had so much fun playing with Lily who is two. Future soccer players...

My child is into the stage of not looking at the camera...little stinker. As soon as I haul it out she pulls this... at least Lily looks cute!

"O" So Fun!

2010-04-07T21:39:00.006-05:00

Last week Eric's sister and her family came into town from California which meant we got to spend time with sweet little Owen. Kyla and Owen are only 10 days apart so its fun to see them interact together. They looks like they could be twins....

We went to the Children's Museum on Friday with all the kids. They had a great time!

C'mon boys let's go shoppin!

Kyla loving the fact that she can touch everything

Leave it Kyla to crawl in the dog cage...

On Friday night we grilled out at mom and dad Skips and let the kids fly around the yard. It felt like the middle of July. Such boys...

80 Degree April Days

2010-04-01T12:47:00.004-05:00