Good Morning, Mommy!

Our usually very good sleeper did NOT sleep well last night, which means Mommy and Daddy didn't, either! I ended up having to take him to bed with me...he slept fine after that...Mommy did not.

Joshua woke up refreshed and very happy and gave me his adorable, "Good morning, Mommy!" smile. All is forgiven...I guess... ;-)

Chowin' Down on Cereal!

t
s
That's right - our little chowhound is now getting rice cereal every night at bedtime! He LOVES it and would probably eat more than the 3 T. we give him if he could! He's just as happy as ever, and back to sleeping 8-10 hours a night, which makes Mommy and Daddy happy, too!

We are loving this beautiful spring weather! Joshua enjoys swinging in the backyard with all the other seminary kiddos and taking afternoon rides in his stroller. He just got his first pair of sunglasses and thinks he is pretty hot stuff when he wears them! :-D We can't wait for it to warm up a bit more so we can introduce him to Grandpa and Grandma Holleman's pool!

This past weekend was Mommy's first weekend away! I spent the weekend in Iowa, wedding dress shopping with my girlfriends; I had a wonderful time, but it was tough being 6 hours away from my baby for two whole nights. Josh and Daddy spent the weekend at Grandpa and Grandma Holleman's house in Portage and had a great weekend! Joshua got some TLC from Grandpa and Grandma (you can never have enough G&G time!) and Daddy got some time to rest up and relax! We all enjoyed those three days, but it was wonderful to be back together again on Sunday!

Well, it is time for a bath and then bed for this little boy. Goodnight, friends!

Love and blessings,
Mike, Krys and Joshua

3-Month Growth Spurt

So, everyone has been telling us how babies have a major growth spurt around 3 months of age. We didn't really think much of this, as Josh seems to be going through a constant growth spurt! :-) But he will be 3 months old this Saturday, and Mommy and Daddy are feeling the effects of said growth! All of a sudden all he wants to do is eat and sleep, and he is always SO HUNGRY. Sleeping through the night is no longer a luxury we get to enjoy...the past couple nights he has been up 4, 5, 6 times! Last night we (meaning Mommy and Daddy) got about 2 hours total sleep...that hasn't happened since the munchkin first arrived! And yes, for those of you who are supporters of the "cry-it-out" method, we have tried that...this child will cry until we come, no matter how long that may be! He knows he rules the roost! ;-) Tonight (with approval from our pediatrician) the babe will get his first taste of baby cereal. Hopefully it helps him sleep a bit - we'll keep you informed!

The above pictures are of my boys playing together. It melts my heart the way Joshua lights up when his daddy comes home from a long day of classes - he LOVES his Daddy time! And, of course, Mike is rather partial to playing with his "little buddy." ;-) There is nothing sweeter than hearing their giggles as I get some things done around the house! They are definitely two peas in a pod!

Well, that's it for this momma today - a sleeping babe means it's time for me to try to catch a quick nap as well! Hugs to you all!

Mike, Krys and Joshua

Joshua's Baptism

Joshua was baptized yesterday (March 14th) at Southridge Reformed Church (Mike's home church) in Portage, MI. It was a chilly morning, but the service was absolutely beautiful! A very dear friend performed the baptism for us. Friends and family from Zeeland, Holland, Hamilton and even all the way from Iowa joined us to celebrate this important occasion! March 14th is also Gramps' birthday, which made the day even more special, and we know he was rejoicing with us in heaven!

For all baptisms at Southridge, the parents are asked to write a letter to their child, which is then read aloud during the service. This is the letter Mike and I wrote to Joshua:

Dearest Joshua Jace,

How do we find the words to tell you how much you mean to us? We knew bringing you into the world would add such joy to our lives, but we could never have expected just how much of a blessing you would be! You are truly a treasure – an incredible little miracle, and we feel so honored that God has trusted us to raise you up in his Word, teaching you to know and love him more each and every day. Our prayer is that we would live up to such a high calling and that you would love the Lord with all your heart and live to serve him all your days.

We love you so much, little one!

Daddy and Mommy

Through the events of the weekend, we were reminded of just how precious life is. We are so very thankful that our God is all-knowing and that he holds each and every one of us in the palm of his hand.

Well, this momma is exhausted and ready for some rest. Thank you all for being such a special part of our lives!

Love and blessings,
Mike, Krys and Joshua

Immunizations and Other Things...

Joshua got his 2-mo. immunizations today. Poor little guy - I hadn't heard him scream that much since the first half hour of his life! Technically he is 2.5 months old already, but our pediatrician is so popular in Holland that we couldn't get in to see him until now! The doctor says Josh is doing great - he is already doing many things ahead of schedule, like scooting himself across the floor! At nearly 11 weeks, he weighs 15 lbs. 7 oz. and is 24.25" long! He eats so much that his Grandma Harthoorn thinks we may need to buy a cow! :-)

We have had another new development this week - sleeping through the night! And not just the 6 hours we were getting before (which Mommy and Daddy were perfectly happy with), but 8-10 whole hours every night! Sleep is a beautiful thing!

Well, this momma had better finish getting things ready! Our little peanut is getting baptized this weekend and we have lots to do!

Love,
Mike, Krys and Joshua

Spring Has Sprung!

I hope I am not jumping the gun by saying this, but it certainly seems as though spring has finally come to Holland! Most of the snow has melted. Today it is a balmy 55 degrees! Joshua and I went for a walk around town and it appeared that everyone in Holland was out and about on this fine day! Thank you, Jesus, for springtime and sunshine! This is a short entry - just some new photos and a little note to wish you all a blessed day!

Love,
Mike, Krys and Joshua

SHMILY

S.H.M.I.L.Y. = See How Much I Love You

Mike and I play this silly game called "SHMILY" in which one person has to hide SHMILY somewhere in the house and when the other finds it, then it is his/her turn to hide SHMILY. You cannot hide SHMILY in the same place twice! We have gotten pretty creative with some of our hiding places! A couple weeks ago I was changing Josh's diaper and found SHMILY taped to the front of the diaper! I was so impressed that I just had to "one up" Mike and come up with an even better hiding place! So I ordered a onesie that says "SHMILY" on the front, put in on Joshua before bedtime and then when Daddy got up with him in the middle of the night, there was SHMILY staring him in the face!

Josh just keeps growing, although he has slowed down a bit, for now! We are getting as much use out of his 0-3 month clothes as we can, but soon we'll be moving up to 3-6 months. He rolled over for the first time the other day - TWICE! Of course, as soon as I got the video camera out, he wouldn't do it again!

We are still searching for the church in which the Lord wants us to serve. Mike has an interview tonight with a church in Orange City, Iowa, and he has his profile out in churches all over the Midwest! Please continue to uplift our family in your prayers as we seek God's plan for our future...we know he has something amazing in store!

Well, this little boy needs a bath and then it's off to bed!

Love and blessings,
Mike, Krys and Joshua