On the Move and Something Doesn't Look Right...

Isaac is now mobile! His crawl is not "textbook," but it works for him.:) Isaac seems to be moving constantly. He is not interested in cuddling and changing his diaper is like a wrestling match. Nate and I love this age, they are so cute!

On a different note.... So I don't think we can live in denial much longer. I mentioned a couple months ago that we think Isaac might be allergic to dairy. This is what happened to Isaac's face today. Caleb was eating yogurt while Isaac was playing on the floor. At some point, Caleb ran over to Isaac and touched and kissed his face. Isaac then broke out in a red rash. It happened after the boys shared a washcloth after lunch the other day as well. It is really hard for us to believe that he may not be able to eat dairy. I mean, we eat yogurt, cheese, and milk every day. And what about ICE CREAM?!!??!! And hello, I love to bake! Obviously we'll have to talk to the doctor again and get it figured out for sure. But, it just makes us really nervous. We'll see what happens.

Spring

Loving the swing!
First caught bug of the season. Caleb about 8 months old-Spring 2005




Spring has finally arrived! We've had a couple days of 70 degree weather, it is fantastic! Caleb plays in the sandbox everyday and Isaac will sit on a blanket and play. We also have to thank our parents for some great gifts. Thanks Mom and Dad DeMaster for the baby swing! Isaac loves it! Thanks Mom and Dad Jongsma for the bug catcher. Caleb caught a beetle yesterday and was excited to show it off. Nate and Caleb thought it would be ok for the bug to sleep inside overnight. I may be outnumbered by males, but I still have some veto power! I don't care if the bug is inside a container, it is not staying inside my house!:)



I posted the last picture of Caleb as a baby because I had a nostalgic moment today. I was pulling out the bin of baby summer clothes for Isaac to start wearing. As I pulled out those clothes, I had so many memories of that summer with Caleb. I can almost remember the feel of him in my arms, how he smelled, and watching him eat watermelon for the first time. They are good memories, but I felt a little sad too. It is amazing to look at Caleb now and see how much he has grown in 3 years.



One last note of interest. Some of you may remember the two boys we provided foster respite care for a couple times. We just heard that they are being adopted by a great young couple. We are so excited and thankful to God for providing these boys with a family that will love and care for them!

8 Months Old

Ready to crawl!
Reach for that ball!
I got the ball!
Hello everyone!

Isaac is 8 months old today! He's been changing in many ways. He is SO close to crawling. Mostly he'll push himself forward with his feet and inch forward. He's not really waving yet, he just happened to be reaching for the camera. He is getting 5 teeth right now! On top of that he has a nasty chest cold. You know, the fun kind where they cough so hard they puke? Caleb enjoyed telling anyone who would listen about Isaac throwing up and how it was "really gross." Of course, Caleb is starting to get it now. Hopefully they both feel better soon.

I was proud of myself the other day. I made a vegan meal! We had a lady and her kids over for dinner and she is vegan, the kids are vegetarian. I made bean burritos. They actually taste pretty good. We will not be adopting a vegetarian lifestyle though.:)

Wisconsin Trip

Isaac's first visit to a zoo.
Nate's Grandma DeMaster
Caleb and Colleen

Nate was off last week, so we took a long weekend trip to WI. We started the trip by driving to Wheaton and spending a day with my grandparents. While there we went to a little zoo that was free, can't complain about that! It was a little chilly but, Caleb enjoyed it and Isaac tolerated it.:)

We then drove to Sheboygan, WI and saw Nate's Grandma Van Stelle, Grandma DeMaster, and Uncle Ivan/Aunt Carla for an afternoon. Of course, we forgot to get the camera out for most of these stops! After that, we drove to Appleton to stay with Colleen and Mike for the weekend.

It is pretty amazing to think that the boys have Great Grandparents on both sides of the family. Great-Grandma DeMaster turned 96 this past Sunday! She is still in great health and enjoyed going out to lunch and playing games with us. It was very cute to see Caleb being affectionate with his great-grandparents. He doesn't see them very often, so I was worried he wouldn't interact with them. He was talkative and Isaac let everyone hold him.:)

We had a nice time in Appleton. The weather was warm and we were all excited to get outside! Colleen is expecting a baby in September, so it was fun to talk about baby stuff. Overall the trip went smoothly and the boys did well. Isaac doesn't travel as well as Caleb did as a baby and adjusting to the time change made the first day a little rough. I didn't think an hour change would make such a difference!

I have a question for you all. In August we are going to Colorado for a week. It will be a 3 hour time change, I think. Do any of you have suggestions on how to best adjust the kids to the time change? I am mostly worried about Isaac. He will be almost 1 year old. I think he will be down to 1 nap a day and hopefully done breastfeeding. (That is my goal, we'll see if it happens!) I'm just not sure how we'll adjust bedtimes, etc. Any feedback would be appreciated!