Fun Days in May

We are enjoying the beautiful weather here in South Western Michigan, and we are excited for more warmer days ahead! Every chance we get, Jonas and I hang out in our backyard with our friendly pooch, Dora, and sometimes when Daddy gets home, we all spend some time soaking up some rays!  I have added lots of photos for you to look at and enjoy!  Jonas really enjoys being outside!

I don't really have any changes or updates for you right now.  Jonas is crawling around still and pulling up onto everything!  I can't really leave him alone, now, because he gets into most things, including the dog dishes, my bathroom drawers, his bookshelf in his bedroom, the DVD drawer, and basically anything else that is at his level!  He enjoys a challenge, like reaching for the speakers on our TV stand, and always attacks me when I am on the phone!  For some reason he thinks that any cell phone is a chew toy, except for the old phones that we let him play with...those aren't cool anymore! 

We are looking forward to watching Jonas learn to walk this summer, and I think I am dreading it more that Steve!  This little boy bumps his head on everything already, that I don't want to add any more height to his falls!  He is quite resiliant, though, and after a bump, he comes to me for a hug and kiss and then he is right back at whatever got him hurt in the first place!  I guess that is just part of raising a boy!  Jonas is loads of fun to be around, and he loves to give kisses, except I think he tries to bite my lips when he kisses me sometimes!

Steve started a new job this week, and we are really excited for this new opportunity for him!  This position seems to be a great fit so far, and he really enjoys his co-workers! This new job has a lot of potential for Steve, so we are very grateful to God for providing it to him!  Steve also received his DIPLOMA in the mail this past week!!!! So excited that he is done with his Bachelors Degree now, and I am so proud of him!  He is a wonderful example to Jonas, and I can only pray that Jonas will grow to be a man like his daddy! 

Thanks for checking in on us!  I hope you all are enjoying the beautiful weather as much as we are!  Enjoy the pictures, and I'll post again soon! 

-Tara



Our most recent Family Photo taken on Mothers Day 2012

Baby Proofing Beginnings

Well, my little stinker keeps on changing! Over Easter Weekend, Jonas started to army crawl!  It was so exciting to see his little face so determined as he tried to move.  He was so excited when he finally did move that he gave a little squeal! Since then, he has gone from moving an inch or two, to a full crawl.  He gets around very fast now.  And so, now that my little man is on the move, I have started to baby proof the house.  So far, we have added the little outlet covers, taped down excess cords that can't be hidden, installed a baby gate, moved items up higher on shelves, and lowered his crib to the lowest setting.  I have a few drawer and cabinet stoppers that I need to install to keep my little nosey baby out of the knives drawer!

It is so fun to see how much our home has changed in the past two years that we have lived here.  When we first moved in, back in April 2010, we had hardly any furniture.  There were two empty rooms and we owned one nasty old couch.  Last April, we had transformed our office into the baby's room, merged the office and spare room together, and finally replaced our old couch for something nicer (and newer!).  Now we have baby toys everywhere, too many baby gadgets to count, and a little one crawling all around.  Life changes so fast!

Our sweet little boy is already eight months old and it is so fun to watch his personality develop.  I can already tell that he has a bit of my temperament. My dad's family is Italian, so I tend to have a bit of the Italian spunk creep through in my reactions sometimes.  I am starting to see that in Jonas too!  I think he will be quite the little spitfire when he gets older.  Jonas has also developed a very sweet disposition.  Every time I go to get Jonas up from a nap, he gets the biggest smile on his face!  It is priceless!  He also loves to give hugs and slobbery kisses.  When it comes to his food, Jonas is 100% serious.  There is no messing around when it comes to meal times!  The second he is in his highchair, the anticipation begins!  I think some people think he never eats when they see him like this, but on the contrary, Jonas eats much more than you would think!

It has been very fun to watch Steve interact with Jonas in these past few months.  The two of them have a very special bond; one that only father and son could have.  Jonas gets so excited when Daddy comes home from work!  Between Jonas and our puppy Dora, the house is quite noisy when Steve arrives home.  They both love him so much!  Sometimes I think Dora tries to compete with Jonas to show more excitement for his return!  It is quite the site! 

Here are a few photos from the past month!  God Bless you all!

Jonas's Aunt Kayla came to visit for a few days over her spring break!  We took a trip to the John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids.