This was an exciting weekend for our family. My cousin Brett married the lovely Emily in the Rose Garden park in Frankenmuth. They had a beautiful, sunny day. Although the temps were rather warm, there was a nice breeze to cool us off every now and then. I wore a halter dress and my SIL Courtney wore a cute strapless dress. Unfortunately, neither of us thought to wear sunscreen, and we both ended up looking like lobsters by the time the ceremony was over! Aside from our sunburn woes, the ceremony was very nice. Emily looked gorgeous in her dress. Brett was very handsome in his white tux, and the wedding party was a great looking group as well.
Thankfully, Penny, a good family friend of ours, watched Hannah during the ceremony (it was just too hot and sunny to bring her with us), and she was kind enough to bring Hannah up to the Rose Garden for pictures afterward. We did bring her along with us to the first part of the reception, and she did relatively well. Honestly, Jason and I hardly saw her because so many people were taking turns holding her. She even did a little tour with the bride :-) By 8:00 or so, she was getting pretty tired, so Jason ran her back to Penny's. We really had a great time at the reception, dancing, doing the alligator, and making fun of cousin Mark as he got the hook up :-)
Here's a little snapshot of the day...
Congratulations, Brett and Emily. We are so excited for you, and Emily, we're so happy to have you join our crazy family. It's good to finally have more girls around! We wish you two all of God's blessings.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
At the cottage
This past weekend was my cousin Brett's big bachelor party weekend up north at his parents' cottage (which happens to be kitty corner from my parents' cottage). Jason was invited, but since it was also the weekend of the Haworth open house, he wasn't going to go. However, as the weekend approached and the weather forecast looked better and better, the call of the water and the boat could not be resisted. He ended up taking Friday off, and we all went up to my parents' place on Thursday night.
Of course, Grandma and Grandpa Cramer were thrilled to have us visit. Aunt Courtney even came up with Uncle Todd to see Hannah (and us, too, right??). As usual, Hannah got all of the attention. Even cousin Mark held her (this was a first!). Uncle Todd is definitely coming around more and more. Don't get me wrong - he totally loves her, but he was kind of unsure of handling her at first. He's gotten a lot better and even mentioned that he might change a diaper. He didn't actually do it during the weekend, but I'm going to have to hold him to it another time! Grandpa gave Hannah her first ride in the hammock this weekend, too, which she seemed to love!
As for the bachelor party, from the outsiders' observation (I didn't try to intrude even once!), it looked like the guys were having a great time. Jason and I have noticed, though, that our age is really starting to catch up with us. Jason was only up to partying one of the two nights, and even then he was home by midnight. From the sound of it, the guys were pretty well behaved, mastering the game of beer pong and telling Bretty and Emily stories by the campfire :-)
While the guys were having their fun, the girls pretty much hung around the cottage. Grandma was kind enough to stay at the cottage to watch Hannah while Courtney and I got some sun at the beach. Fortunately, Courtney looked at the sky when the sun dipped under a cloud and noticed that it was looking like rain. As we started to make our way back to the cottage, the thunder and lightning started. Yikes! Running in a bathing suit and sandals is not easy :-) Thankfully, my dad drove down and picked us up on our way back.
So, next weekend we'll be in Frankenmuth for the big wedding. We are so excited for Brett and Emily to get married! We just love Emily (and Brett, too, of course!) and are so happy to have her a part of our family!
Of course, Grandma and Grandpa Cramer were thrilled to have us visit. Aunt Courtney even came up with Uncle Todd to see Hannah (and us, too, right??). As usual, Hannah got all of the attention. Even cousin Mark held her (this was a first!). Uncle Todd is definitely coming around more and more. Don't get me wrong - he totally loves her, but he was kind of unsure of handling her at first. He's gotten a lot better and even mentioned that he might change a diaper. He didn't actually do it during the weekend, but I'm going to have to hold him to it another time! Grandpa gave Hannah her first ride in the hammock this weekend, too, which she seemed to love!
As for the bachelor party, from the outsiders' observation (I didn't try to intrude even once!), it looked like the guys were having a great time. Jason and I have noticed, though, that our age is really starting to catch up with us. Jason was only up to partying one of the two nights, and even then he was home by midnight. From the sound of it, the guys were pretty well behaved, mastering the game of beer pong and telling Bretty and Emily stories by the campfire :-)
While the guys were having their fun, the girls pretty much hung around the cottage. Grandma was kind enough to stay at the cottage to watch Hannah while Courtney and I got some sun at the beach. Fortunately, Courtney looked at the sky when the sun dipped under a cloud and noticed that it was looking like rain. As we started to make our way back to the cottage, the thunder and lightning started. Yikes! Running in a bathing suit and sandals is not easy :-) Thankfully, my dad drove down and picked us up on our way back.
So, next weekend we'll be in Frankenmuth for the big wedding. We are so excited for Brett and Emily to get married! We just love Emily (and Brett, too, of course!) and are so happy to have her a part of our family!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Happy Birthday, Daddy!
Jason turned 29 yesterday. Since he had class, we weren't able to go out and celebrate. However, our new neighbors brought us dinner on Sunday, and since we grilled out that night, we had their dinner for his birthday instead. We haven't eaten much Indian food in the past, but we loved whatever it was that they made us (chicken and rice with wonderful flavor)! Since it was just the 2 1/2 of of us celebrating his birthday, he didn't want a whole cake, so instead I picked up some cupcakes and surprised him with his "mini" cake when he came home from class. I think he really enjoyed his little surprise. We love you, daddy, and wish you many more happy birthdays!
In other news - Hannah is now starting to reach for things. Funny how such little things can make us so excited these days.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Father's Day
This weekend was a big weekend for Jason - his first Father's Day and his birthday all in one (Well, almost. His birthday is actually tomorrow.) To try to let him know how much we love him, we tried to make this weekend all about him. Friday night, we went out to dinner at Applebee's (one of his favorites) and ended the night watching Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, part of the box set that we gave him.
Yesterday was just a beautiful day. After getting some things done around the house, we headed out to Grand Haven to enjoy the afternoon. We had an early dinner at Snug Harbor and then walked the boardwalk out to the beach so that Jason could fly his kite. Unfortunately, Hannah had a bit of a meltdown on the way there, so he never actually got a chance to get it in the air. Thankfully, Hannah fell asleep in the car on the ride home, so since she was peacefully resting, we swung through DQ for dessert. First ice cream stop of the season. Yum!
Daddy's little skipper in her new sailor girl outfit
At the beach in Grand Haven
This morning, we went to church. For the first time, we dropped Hannah off in the nursery. From what we hear, she did great. We didn't get a page to come pick her up during the service, so she must have done well. We did a few errands after church, including a stop at Boaters World where Jason picked up a couple more birthday/Father's Day gifts for himself, and then we came home and grilled out some awesome porterhouse steaks.
Of course, we can't let this Father's Day go by without giving thanks to mine and Jason's dads. We weren't able to spend the day with them, but we did both give them calls to let them know that we were thinking about them. We are so blessed to have wonderful dads (and now grandpas!), who have been such great role models for us. Thank you for all that you've done and do for us. We love you! Happy Father's Day!
Yesterday was just a beautiful day. After getting some things done around the house, we headed out to Grand Haven to enjoy the afternoon. We had an early dinner at Snug Harbor and then walked the boardwalk out to the beach so that Jason could fly his kite. Unfortunately, Hannah had a bit of a meltdown on the way there, so he never actually got a chance to get it in the air. Thankfully, Hannah fell asleep in the car on the ride home, so since she was peacefully resting, we swung through DQ for dessert. First ice cream stop of the season. Yum!
Daddy's little skipper in her new sailor girl outfit
At the beach in Grand Haven
This morning, we went to church. For the first time, we dropped Hannah off in the nursery. From what we hear, she did great. We didn't get a page to come pick her up during the service, so she must have done well. We did a few errands after church, including a stop at Boaters World where Jason picked up a couple more birthday/Father's Day gifts for himself, and then we came home and grilled out some awesome porterhouse steaks.
Of course, we can't let this Father's Day go by without giving thanks to mine and Jason's dads. We weren't able to spend the day with them, but we did both give them calls to let them know that we were thinking about them. We are so blessed to have wonderful dads (and now grandpas!), who have been such great role models for us. Thank you for all that you've done and do for us. We love you! Happy Father's Day!
Saturday, June 14, 2008
3 months!
-Started laughing. She especially laughs when I talk to her when she's naked on her changing table. Such a free spirit :-)
-Just started to grasp with Mom and Dad's help. She recently started to hold her round rattle, and last night at dinner we noticed that she pulled a toy into her mouth to chew on.
-Sucks her fist. She does not like a pacifier, but calms herself by sucking on her fists. Hopefully this doesn't turn into a thumb-sucking habit.
-Baby babbles a lot.
-Smiles more and more, especially when we wipe drool from her face.
-Has figured out how to change the music on her bouncer by kicking the hanging toys on it.
-Baby acne has all cleared up!
-Made her first visit to the new art museum. Well, she actually never went to the old one, but the new one just recently opened up. We made a trip to check out the Warhol exhibit last week with our friend Claire and her mumma Jill. Very neat place.
-Pretty much fits into all of her 0-3 month clothes. I just started putting away her newborn things :-( We have gotten so many beautiful hand-me-downs from friends and family that she has a much better wardrobe than I do. We're having fun playing dress up!
She is so much fun. We are so blessed to have such a sweet baby. I can't wait to see what month 4 brings!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Photo Shoot
I've been thinking about having Hannah's pictures traken for awhile now, but I just wasn't sure where to take her. Last week, a girl in my online mom group posted about a friend just getting into the business (Amy Oonk, Everyday Joy Photography). I went to her website ( http://www.freewebs.com/everydayjoyphotography/index.htm ) and really liked her work, so I set-up an appointment.
I loved working with Amy! Everything was very relaxed, so Hannah could really be herself. I got the picture CD today and was really happy with the way the pictures turned out. Here are a few of my favorites:
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I loved working with Amy! Everything was very relaxed, so Hannah could really be herself. I got the picture CD today and was really happy with the way the pictures turned out. Here are a few of my favorites:
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Back to Work
Yesterday was my first day back to work. I had been dreading it all weekend. I hardly slept the two nights before the big day. Much to my surprise, the day went very well. I was up by 5:00 a.m., fed Hannah at 5:30, and was out the door at 6:00. It helped so much to know that our good friend Sara would be taking care of her. It also helped that Jason was the one to drop her off! I got a little choked up when I walked out the door, but once I got to work I was ok.
I was supposed to have moved into the newly remodeled part of our building the Monday after I had Hannah, but obviously that didn't happen, so yesterday was also my first day in my new location. I spent the first four hours of the day in a meeting and the rest of the day just figuring out where everything was and how everything worked. I was very happy to see that we have a full-fledged Starbucks right inside our building! This could be very bad for the budget :-) Of course, I called to check to see how things were going with Sara and Hannah, but I limited myself to just doing it once.
Even though the first day back was better than expected, I was still totally anxious to get home to see Hannah. I was happy to hear that Hannah did great. I don't know what Sara's secret is, but Hannah was in a good mood all night long! I'm so glad that I have today off. I was so exhausted that I was in bed by 9:30 last night! I just don't know how full-time working moms do it.
I was supposed to have moved into the newly remodeled part of our building the Monday after I had Hannah, but obviously that didn't happen, so yesterday was also my first day in my new location. I spent the first four hours of the day in a meeting and the rest of the day just figuring out where everything was and how everything worked. I was very happy to see that we have a full-fledged Starbucks right inside our building! This could be very bad for the budget :-) Of course, I called to check to see how things were going with Sara and Hannah, but I limited myself to just doing it once.
Even though the first day back was better than expected, I was still totally anxious to get home to see Hannah. I was happy to hear that Hannah did great. I don't know what Sara's secret is, but Hannah was in a good mood all night long! I'm so glad that I have today off. I was so exhausted that I was in bed by 9:30 last night! I just don't know how full-time working moms do it.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Festival
Jason's parents came over this weekend to spend some time with us. We always try to think of fun things to do in the area when they come over, so we took them to GR's annual Festival of the Arts. It's a free festival with artists of all kinds (singing, dancing, etc.) performing on several stages throughout downtown. There's something for everybody. You just can't beat all of the entertainment for free!
Of course, it just wouldn't be Festival without the food! Organizations from the area sell all kinds of delicious food. It's so much fun just to walk up and down the street smelling all of the wonderful treats - Chinese to Italian and everything in between. Jason and I got souvlaki and baklava while his parents had some authentic steak fajitas. The night just wouldn't be complete without an elephant ear, which Jason's mom so graciously let us share :-)
Festival just couldn't go by without some exciting weather. It seems that every year, at least part of the festival gets stormed out, and this year proved to keep up with the tradition. The weather really was perfect while we wandered the streets, but we left just in time. A severe thunderstorm rolled into the area right as we got home, shutting down Festival once again. I'm just glad that it held off, and we were able to share the fun of Festival with Jason's parents.
Jason and Hannah with Jason's parents
Jason and I enjoying Festival once again
Our 2 rock stars the morning after :-)
Of course, it just wouldn't be Festival without the food! Organizations from the area sell all kinds of delicious food. It's so much fun just to walk up and down the street smelling all of the wonderful treats - Chinese to Italian and everything in between. Jason and I got souvlaki and baklava while his parents had some authentic steak fajitas. The night just wouldn't be complete without an elephant ear, which Jason's mom so graciously let us share :-)
Festival just couldn't go by without some exciting weather. It seems that every year, at least part of the festival gets stormed out, and this year proved to keep up with the tradition. The weather really was perfect while we wandered the streets, but we left just in time. A severe thunderstorm rolled into the area right as we got home, shutting down Festival once again. I'm just glad that it held off, and we were able to share the fun of Festival with Jason's parents.
Jason and Hannah with Jason's parents
Hannah getting her first festival experience
Jason and I enjoying Festival once again
Our 2 rock stars the morning after :-)
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Smiley, happy baby
Tummy time - this is definitely not one of Hannah's favorite positions, although the more we do it the better she tolerates it. She is definitely strengthening up her neck muscles, though, lifting her head up and looking around. Lately, she's even been positioning herself as if trying to roll over. Yikes - we're not quite ready for a mobile baby yet!
Of course, in between outfits I thought it would be fun to get some naked baby pictures. We can't let her go without having some of these embarrassing photos to bring out at opportune times later in life!
Cousin Brett and fiance Emily recently gave Hannah a couple of adorable outfits, so since it was stormy this morning and we were stuck inside, I thought what better time to do a little fashion show?!? It's been rare for me to catch her smiling for the camera, but this morning, she was particularly smiley and I was able to catch some good ones in her new clothes.
Of course, in between outfits I thought it would be fun to get some naked baby pictures. We can't let her go without having some of these embarrassing photos to bring out at opportune times later in life!
Finally, the biggest news of the morning - she laughed! We were playing an exciting game of Patty Cake, and she was smiling and cooing when a cute little giggle came out. It was the most precious thing I have ever heard. I can't wait to hear more of it!
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