Merry Christmas (Belated)

FOR MORE PICTURES - Cut and paste the following address: http://www.moreofallison.shutterfly.com/action/ password is allison (all lower case)

I can't believe we are going to take the tree down tomorrow. It makes me sad to think about it. I think Allison will miss the tree since we will lay her down in front of it and she watches the lights and touches the branches. This will probably be the last peaceful year in terms of having the tree up for the next few years (or at least a tree without a gate.)

Christmas was very good to us, although I feel like we didn't do a lot of Christmas related activities. I'm looking forward to when Allison is older and we can take her out to look at Christmas lights and such. At least I wasn't suffering from morning sickness like I was last year and I had more energy.

We kicked off the holiday season with the Veenstra Family party (Brian's extended family). Allison took one look at the crowd of people downstairs and started crying, so we spent most of the time upstairs and let people come to her. She did much better that way.

On December 16, we had my extended family party on my mom's side. This is something we used to do when we were children, so it is neat to see all of our children running around, frosting cookies and other things we did as kids. Allison was overwhelmed by all the commotion, so she pretty much stayed by our side during the evening.

On Christmas Eve we celebrated at Brian's family, so we went to my family the weekend prior. We just had snacks and opened a few presents. Allison received a cute book shelf with her name on it from her Aunt Keri, some Melissa and Doug puzzles from Aunt Lori, and a special ceramic Christmas tree that plays music and two outfits from Nana and Papa. Allison seemed to do a lot better at this gathering. She was a little fussy as it was nap time, however Nana and Papa and all of her aunts and cousins kept her occupied. I'm looking forward to seeing her with all of her cousins next year on Christmas Eve. I think she will be spoiled by the attention.

The drive back was fine until we got to Grand Rapids, when we got caught in a snow storm. Luckily we only had to deal with the bad driving conditions on 28th Street.

On Christmas Eve we went to Brian's family in the evening. Allison enjoyed hanging out with her cousin Marrah who always pays close attention to her. She received a glow worm, an outfit, and some days-of-the-week bibs from Grandma and Grandpa. She also received a See and Say, Stack and Roll Cups, Sit and Pound Arcade, and a Move and Crawl ball from her aunts and uncles.

On Christmas we celebrated with just us, together as a family. Allison slept in until 8:30 (thank you Allison.) We opened presents and had a big breakfast. Santa treated Allison to a muscial activity barnyard, a V-tech driver set, a motion ball, and a Winnie the Pooh book that talks. In her Cookie Monster stocking she found some bath toys, board books, and a container for her Cheerios when she can eat them. From mom and dad she received some special books that we can read to her at bedtime when she gets older, including Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little.

All the activities must have worn her out as she was in bed before 7 pm. I treated Brian to a special Christmas dinner of turkey, red-skinned mashed potoates, stuffing, and fresh green beans. I have to say myself that it was quite yummy.

No More Cookies?

Dear Cookie Monster,

Mom told me that you are starting to eat healthier now, things like carrots. I suppose that is a good thing, but I bet you miss your cookies. Maybe I will leave one in my stocking for you.

Love, Allison

Dear Santa

Dear Santa,

It was nice meeting you yesterday. You are a very nice man. I like your red cheeks. I have been a very good girl so far (well don't ask Mom and Dad how I was from 3 weeks - 3 months old.) Lately I've been a pretty happy baby.

For Christmas I would like:

1) Veggies or fruit. This cereal stuff is getting pretty boring.

2) Some toys to play with. Mom is getting bored with my telephone and my fish that doesn't do anything.

3) The ability to sleep through the night on a regular basis (mom made me ask for this.)

4 ) World Peace (oops - this is what I'm going to ask for in a few years during my Miss Michigan pageant questionnaire).

Have a very Merry Christmas. Tell Rudolph I said hello.

Love,

Allison

Patiently Waiting

Ever since Ozzie told Allison all about Christmas, she has been patiently waiting for Santa to come and put presents under the tree.

Holy Smokes - I rolled over!

On Wednesday, December 5, Allison rolled over for the first time. We had a feeling that it would be any day since she was rolling on her side. She just didn't know what to do after that. That morning, I placed her on the mat by the shower and thought to myself "watch-- she will roll over when I am in the shower and I will miss her first time." Sure enough, when I opened the shower curtain, there she was laying on her stomach, just looking around. I think I stood there for about 30 seconds with my jaw dropped open. I couldn't believe it.

Ever since then, she loves rolling over, however she isn't quite sure what to do when she is on her stomach. After a few minutes she gets frustrated and puts her face in the blanket and screams. So we roll her on her back and the process starts all over again.

She also discovered that Ozzie is soft and furry. She was laying next to the dog, when Brian saw her reach over and stroke his fur. She did it for a while. Luckily Brian got it on video camera so I could see it when I came home from work. I think Ozzie's days of peace and quiet are numbered. It won't be long before she is rolling into and over him.

Happy Birthday Poppa!

I'm Four Months Old!

On Monday, Allison turned four months old. Turning four months old of course means a well-baby appointment which we had today. Our appointment was at 2:15 which is nap time (not good planning on my part.) She did good during the first part of her appointment, however when I tried laying her on the table she had a meltdown. She was a basketcase even before the nurses came in for the shots. She was crying so hard already, that I don't think she even noticed that she got them. We didn't see her flinch or show any additional reaction (to her already bawling.) She must have created a commotion because the nurses at the front desk asked Brian on our way out if that was Allison doing all the crying.

Good news is that she is a healthy baby. She weighed in at 13.5 lbs and measured 24 inches. Her head is 41 cm. She has been tugging at her ear but it looks fine; the Dr. thinks she just happened to discover her ear and is checking it out. There are some signs that teeth are forming, however it still could be a while before they make their appearance. We expected her to sleep the rest of the day as that is what she did after her first set of shots. However she is still hanging in there at 6:20 pm. I think mom is looking forward to bedtime more than Allison is.

Allison's First Food

On Sunday we gave Allison her first taste of solid food. She got to test out some rice cereal. She acted like she has been eating this for weeks. There was no indication on her face that she was trying something new. On Monday she fussed a little bit when I feed her, however today she ate like a champ. Hopefully this is just the start of good eating habits.

Lots to Be Thankful For

This year as we celebrated Allison's first Thanksgiving, we realize how much we have to be thankful for. It is amazing to think that one year ago, Thanksgiving weekend, we found out that we were expecting. I can't believe how fast the time went.

We celebrated Thanksgiving day at my parents house. Allison did very well, especially considering that she barely napped all day (she made up for it on Friday.) She enjoyed seeing all of her aunts, uncles, and cousins....and of course.... Nana and Papa. Brian and I took turns eating, but we both managed to eat a hot meal, which is always nice.

Today Brian's family came over for pizza and to visit. Allison barely napped all day, so she was a bit fussy but did better than expected. Once she got her bath time in, she was a happy camper.

Houston - We Have a Laugh

Today was the day....Allison had her first true laugh and it was so awesome to hear.

When I was changing her diaper this morning she spit up a bit so I was trying to clean up underneath her neck and for some reason she thought that was funny, so I kept doing it to see if I could get a laugh. And she did! It was so cute.

Brian probably thought something was terribly wrong because I started yelling for him to come upstairs quickly. I didn't want him to miss it. Allison complied and laughed for dad also.

It was the best thing that I have ever heard. It completely made my day. I can't wait to hear more.

Bring Your Child to Work Day

So Brian reminded me that I needed to put an update on how Allison did going to work with me last week. Since I posted that I dreaded the day, it was only fair to Allison to let you know that she did wonderfully.

She slept both the way there and back home. She behaved and didn't fuss too much, only when she was hungry or tired. For most of the day, she sat in a stroller and watched me work. She did sit with my co-worker Barb for a while and didn't mind it a bit.

It was a long afternoon!

So today was supposed to be the first day that I left Allison with a babysitter that wasn't family or a friend. Based on a recommendation of someone I know, I found a college student that could watch her. She came over a couple of weeks ago and watched Allison while I "worked" from home, so I knew that she was good with Allison.

The last couple of weeks Allison has shown some stranger anxiety so I was really hoping that she would still be napping when the sitter arrived at 2 pm, however just like everyday for the past two weeks, Allison decided to take only an hour nap.

The sitter arrives and I put Allison down on her activity mat, hoping that if I don't actually hand her off to the sitter it won't be so bad. The sitter sits down next to Allison and is trying to talk to her when I hear the sitter say "oh no" and I look over and sure enough the "bottom lip" action is going on. She takes one look at the sitter and starts to bawl.

So I try sneaking out of the house hoping that she settles down (and that I don't start to cry.) I get in the car and turn the key and ....nothing. My car won't start. The battery is dead.

I go back in and ask the sitter if she can pull her car in the garage and give me a jump start. We bundle Allison up and put her in the stroller. We try to get it going and have no luck. Allison is sitting in her stroller bawling her eyes out. I give up and pay the babysitter for her time.

At this point Allison has had it. She is tired beyond belief. I finally get her down for another nap. Brian comes home and I went to Sears to get a new battery. By the time I got it installed it was too late to go to work.

So now Allison gets to come to work with me tomorrow. This should be interesting. Between the car ride and her being around additional strangers, I can hardly wait. Wish me luck!

Is a Giggle a Laugh?

So is a giggle a laugh or is a giggle just a giggle? Last night we got our first giggle out of Allison, so that has me pondering "Is that baby book worthy?" Does that two second sound qualify enough to be written in under "First Laugh" ? Or do we need to wait until we hear a longer laugh, a belly laugh of sorts.

A friend of mine with a toddler has asked the same - Does the date of the first tooth qualify as when it first pokes out, or do you have to wait until it fully appears. If she trimmed her daughter's bangs ever so slightly, is that her first hair cut?

Why don't these baby memories books come with instructions or guidelines.

Happy Halloween

Our Little Tigger
















"I don't like this costume and I'm sick of wearing it."













"Ha ha, made you cry."














Allison's first pumpkin that Dad worked so hard on.

Three Months Old

Last week on Thursday, Allison turned three months old. This sounds so cliche, but in some ways it seems like she was just born the other day and in other ways it seems she has been with us for a while now.

As you can see by her picture she is starting to look so big. You can also see her hands in her mouth, which has been her latest phase. She sucks on them all day long. I've tried giving her a pacifier but she pops it right out and smiles at me. Don't be surprised if you see her with chapped hands this winter. I am hoping this doesn't become a habit.

She is also talking like crazy now. She loves making sounds and howling. Brian can really get her going. Her smiles are coming more often and more freely. I love the morning when she first wakes up.

A few weeks ago, we invested in a mobile and she loves it. She will lay in her crib for the longest time watching the animals go round and round. But, boy does she get mad when time runs out and it stops. If we don't start it right away, we hear about it.

I think it is safe to say that she eats like her mom - smaller portions, more often. I am trying to get her up to 5 ozs but she wants nothing to do with it. Occasionally she will finish off the 4 ozs and I will make her an additional 1 oz and she will drink about half.

Although she still has her "fussy moments" or as we call them her "meltdowns" occasionally, things are starting to look better. There are more nights when she is in a better mood.

She is doing great at night in terms of sleeping. We usually put her down to bed around 7:30 or so. The past week, I have been waking her up around 11 pm to feed her and she will sleep until 3:30 or 4 am. She will usually go right back to sleep and stay sleeping until 7:30.

Allison is looking forward to her first holiday - Halloween. Tomorrow I am going to bring her to my former workplace and then Dad's work to show off her costume. Later in the afternoon, we will stop off at her Grandma Groen's for a quick visit and then it is back home for the trick-or-treaters. Hope you come back later this week to see pictures.

Then and Now

Then: October 22, 2005

Now: October 21, 2007



















Brian and I celebrated our 2nd Anniversary this weekend along with Allison's Baptism. When choosing the date for her baptism, I thought there would be no better way to celebrate our anniversary than to stand at the same altar where we were married and have our daughter baptised.

We also got to celebrate our annivesary by ourselves. We decided that it would be a fun tradition to go wine tasting for our anniversary, so last weekend I surprised Brian by having my parents come up on Sunday to babysit Allison so we could go out for a bit (thanks Mom and Dad!!) We drove down to Coloma, near St. Joseph and visited two wineries, plus a cider mill. Even though the weather was deary and raining, it was a very relaxing afternoon.

This Saturday, we drove to Flint to have family pictures taken of all the grand kids. My mom drove back with us and babysat Allison so we could go out to dinner. Because we got up so early, we could only muster up enough energy for dinner and the mall even mom encouraged us to go to the movies (and we barely made it through the mall.)

On Sunday, the baptism went well. The weather was gorgeous. We stopped off at Aquinas College where we took some of our wedding pictures two years ago. After church we hosted a small luncheon at a neighborhood pizza place. With just the immediate family we took up almost the entire restaurant. At a time like this, I wish I could magically add a family room onto our house to host family parties.

To see more pictures of the baptism (and some other wedding pictures) click here http://tinyurl.com/2ahped

ABCs

A is for Allison





















B is for Big Blue Eyes












and Bath Time















C is for cutie pie















D is for doggie

Our Lil' Pumpkin

Last week we went to Post Family Farm to pick out our pumpkins and get my annual cider and donut. Allison was very excited by her vist as you can see by her pictures - she slept through the whole visit. Because of the cold weather we decided to forgoe the hay ride. Maybe next year.

Push for the Cure

A week ago Saturday, Allison participated in her first charity walk. Brian and I participated in the "Race for the Cure" in honor of some very special women in our lives. These women have fought and won or are winning the battle against breast cancer. All have shown amazing strength and courage over the years.

My Aunt Mary was diagnosed with breast cancer approximately 23 years ago and had been a survivor until her death from unrelated causes in 2002.

Our friend Peggy H. is now a five-year survivor. Yeah Peggy! She played a lead role in getting the Race for the Cure to Grand Rapids in honor of her friend who passed away from breast cancer. Unfortunately, Peggy was diagnosed a short time after getting the GR Race started. We walked on her team "Peggy's Pals." This was our fifth year.

Our friend Linda B. finished her treatment a year ago and is continuing to do great.

Our friend's mom, Linda J., is another courageous woman that is facing this disease.

I can only hope that one day when Allison looks at these blogs that we print off for her, she will ask me what the "Race for the Cure" was about because it will no longer be an annual event around the country. It is my hope that this disease will be cured by then. I also hope that as Brian and I continue this walk, we no longer have to add names to the list of people that we are walking in celebration of. We already have too many names on that list.

Picture Perfect

Last month I had someone come over and take some pictures of Allison. Here are just a few of them. To see more visit http://fourdirectionsphotography.smugmug.com/gallery/3400047

The password is maribeth. Enjoy.

Allison turns Two Months

Allison turned two months yesterday. This past month has been great.

She is starting to smile a lot. On Saturday, I went into work for several hours to get a few things done. When I came home she was sleeping in her swing. When she woke up, I went to take her out and she let out with a big smile when she saw me. That made my day.

She has made new "friends" the past couple of weeks. "Pinky" the puppy is her favorite (seen in the above picture). She loves how soft it is and will hold on to it. She loves when I rub it against her face. She is also friends with "Piggy the Blanket" and "Froggy." They live in her swing to guard and protect her while she is in there.

We have fallen into a routine which is nice. She usually wakes up around 7:30. She loves laying on the bathroom rug and listening to the water when I take a shower. Lately she has been swiping at the shower curtain which keeps her entertained. After I get ready, it is play time where we do tummy time on her boppy pillow or she lays on her activity mat and watches the butterflies above her. We get the best smiles from her during this time.

Around 9:30 or so, she starts to get sleepy, so I pack her in her stroller and take her for a walk. I have gotten to know our neighborhood quite a bit these past few weeks, as I try to walk for an hour. We have even made it to the library twice. Yeah!

After the morning nap, I try to keep her busy for an hour and put her down around noon. On good days, I get a three hour nap from her.

The toughest part of the day has been in the evening as that is her crankiest time of day. However we are noticing a improvement the last couple of weeks. She loves to lie (or is it lay) on the dining room table and chill in the evening. She will stay there for the longest time, just looking around and kicking her legs and arms. I call her Sean Casey (from the Detroit Tigers) because she always gets one leg really going and look like him when he is up to bat.

Our evening ends with a bath. I would say two out of three baths go very well. She is usually down for the night between 8 - 9 pm. On Monday she slept from 9ish until 6 am and last night it was 10 pm - 5 am. We are hoping that she continues this.

I officially start working from home next Monday. We will see how that goes. I will keep you posted.

Hope all is going well in your lives. We would love to hear from you.

Warrior Badge

Allison received her first warrior badge, well actually it was her 2nd but we won't talk about the band-aid that was needed after mom cut her finger nails. Moving on...Allison had her two month appointment today. She weighs 10 lb and 2 oz (she was 6. 11 at birth and 7.11 at her 2 week appointment). She is 21.5 inches tall, so she is growing nicely.

She was a real cutie for the Dr. She was smiling big time until the nurses came in... and then it was time for the shots. The bad thing was that she started to get fussy before they even came in so she didn't start off on a good foot. I am happy to report that her lungs are working just fine and she was more than happy to show the nurses how well she can scream. However Dad came to the rescue and quickly calmed her down. She is now snug in her swing, sleeping off the trauma of this morning. My nephew Ben can be rest assured that she got plenty of band-aids for her troubles, including a cool looking Garfield one.

Dear Johnson and Johnson

Dear Johnson and Johnson,

As part of our nightly bedtime ritual we use your "Bedtime Bath" products. According to your website these products are to help relax babies and provide a better night sleep. According to your website

Dreamland awaits. JOHNSON'S® BEDTIME BATH® is formulated with NATURALCALM ™ essences - a special blend of calming aromas. Use this gentle cleanser for your baby's nighttime bath as part of a 3-step nightly routine to help her sleep better.

As you can see in the attached picture it appears that we have a defective bottle. Please issue us a refund. Thank you.

Full of Smiles

In the past few weeks Allison has been starting to smile. Here are a few shots. Most of the time by the time the camera takes the picture the smile is gone, however I got a few good shots.

Allison - The Amazing Farting Baby

It was the dog - really. It wasn't me

It's a Miracle

It's a Miracle - we actually made it to church. Not only did we make it, but we actually stayed the whole service. This was the first time we went. We tried to go on Labor Day Weekend. We were dressed, the diaper bag was packed, the car was in the driveway running and ready to go - the only problem was that we had a crying screaming baby in the car seat. Did I mention that she was screaming? We figured it was a no go.

She actually had a few good car rides this weekend. On Saturday, Brian helped his cousin Amy move to her new apartment. After they arrived at the new place Allison and I drove over there to help put stuff away. After lunch Brian brought her back home. A round trip without any screaming.

We have come up with an idea that hopefully will make car rides go smoother. The one thing that can calm her down is the vacuum cleaner, so we have put the portable, handheld dustbuster type vacuum in my car. We will see if that works.

Last weekend Allison met her family on her dad's side. We had a little open house get together her at the house. The weather was perfect. Allison behaved. We are looking forward to Aunt Lori visiting on Friday and Aunt Keri and the kids the following weekend. We are thinking about heading to Flint in the next couple of weeks. We are hoping that maybe we can find a babysitter for a couple of hours, so Brian and I can go to Birch Run. Any takers?

Best Buddies