french press photography

As many of you know from previous posts I've written, my sister, Tara, has been a gifted "hobby" photographer for many years. Some of my favorite pictures of our family...and especially Teagan, have been taken by her. After a lot of thought, prayer, and dreaming (and lots of encouragement from us!), she has ventured out into turning this hobby into a profession!! We couldn't be more excited for her! She is still keeping her part time job as a pastor at her church (not to mention her full time job caring for her two precious boys) but is integrating this into the mix as well. Check out her website: www.frenchpressphotography.com
- I especially love the "welcome" section explaining why she chose this business name and I'm a little partial to some pictures of a cute lil' someone displayed throughout the site. :)

If you know of anyone in the Cincinnati area looking for a creative and gifted photographer...tell them about French Press Photography....or, if you're from the West Michigan area, feel free to book her since that means she has to come and visit. :)

Reading

I love books! I love it when Mommy and Daddy read to me but I am also getting good at "reading" back to them or to my baby and bears. I am quite the story teller!! I am getting very good at telling Mommy and Daddy what certain things are when they point to pictures. They think I'm really smart!!
My mommy and I love to go the library and pick out books to read. Today I checked out "Goodnight Moon!" I also got to visit the turtles and fish in the aquarium there. I love visiting them and continued to tell them "bye bye" all the way home (my mommy said they couldn't hear me anymore but I think they could). I'm also very excited to share that I am now officially signed up for the "Kids Summer Reading Program" at my library! For every 15 minutes that Mommy or Daddy read to me, I get to color in an object on a piece of paper that was given to me. Once I color in all of the objects, I can turn it in and get a PRIZE!! Yipee!! I already got a cool bookmark and pen and a summer pass to Dutch Village just for signing up!! :)

Up North

One of my new favorite places to be is "up north" at the cabin. My Oma and Opa own this cabin in the woods and my mommy spent her whole life going up there and helping Opa hunt (well, just sitting with Opa...she always felt sorry for the deer!), having bonfires, playing in the woods, riding four wheelers and making lots of fun memories during gatherings with friends and family. I love being outside so this was right up my alley! I went up there with just Mommy and Daddy and Bailey a couple of weeks ago and I got to meet all of the animals in the cabin (for some reason, they only showed me their heads....I'll have to talk to Opa about that), feed the fish and talk to the decoy ducks in the pond, go on a long walk, sleep in the bunk room, eat Mancinos pizza, collect rocks, and have lots of fun playing with Mommy and Daddy! I can't wait to go up there again sometime soon!





I got very excited when feeding the fish with Mommy!




feeding the fish (while giving the signature "tongue in the corner of my mouth whenever I'm concentrating" look I inherited from my daddy)!

Life

My mommy is taking way too long to update this blog so I decided to update it myself! Because we've been so busy the past couple of months, I'm planning to do little updates all week to give you a taste of what I've been up to lately! I hope you enjoy it!

I had fun celebrating Tulip Time in early May! I loved smelling the tulips, taking walks downtown and watching all the fun people (and doggies!) that were there. This was my first year attending Kinderplaats, a special event for young kids during opening weekend. I was able to watch people dance and sing on stage, pet a miniature horse, see lots of neat inflatable toys/slides (I'm too little to go on them yet...I think I would have gotten way too scared!), carry around a balloon, see a firetruck (not my daddy's though), and even get a tattoo! My tattoo said "I love Camp Geneva." My mommy and dadddy thought I would like having this (fake) tattoo rubbed on my hand, but sitting on my mommy's lap while the ladies grabbed my hand felt like what it's like to be at the doctor's office so I cried really hard. :( Besides that traumatizing event, I had a lot of fun!! :)

Preggo

It's interesting how much less this pregnancy "consumes" my mind like my pregnancy with Teagan did. I feel a little guilty at times about this but I honestly think it's because I feel like I just did this (okay, I DID just do this!). :) Overall, I'm grateful for the familiarity of being pregnant and for the reduced anxiety of all the unknowns that can come with having a baby....although the anxieties surrounding having two kids under two does plague me from time to time! Despite feeling more nonchalant this time around, my excitement and anticipation for our baby boy has been growing each day! I just got back from a local consignment shop where I got some good deals on boy clothes (and maternity clothes!). It felt strange to be shopping in the boys section but fun at the same time. Also, one of the biggest reasons for my growing preoccupation and excitement for this pregnancy is all the movement I've been feeling. I'm at the point now where my stomach is moving when he kicks and squirms. I love it! This has made everything so much more "real" for Tim and I! Also, I'm finally starting to "pop" so my wardrobe has changed almost completely over to my maternity section (which secretly I don't mind since I think these clothes are cuter than my regular ones...is that strange?). :)

Teagan has been really into babies lately which is sweet to watch. Unlike the past, she did really well last week when I held my baby nephew for a long time. She was really into "petting" him and saying "hi" in a cute, high-pitched voice. She also likes to take the baby blankets in her bedroom and lay them over her stuffed animals (and occasionally Mommy, Daddy, and her sippy cup...at separate times of course). We talk about how this makes them feel warm and cozy. She usually follows this by giving them kisses. ;) Along with increasing her nurturing side, she's also been keeping other kids (and occasionally Bailey) in line by telling them "no no" when they're doing something that we don't allow her to do. She's going to be a great big sister! :)

In reflecting on my pregnancy thus far, it's been much the same as when I was pregnant with Teagan. My first trimester was full of yuckiness...mostly just really nauseous and fatigued. I didn't want to get off of the couch but this apparently is not possible when you have an active one year old. :) No, I never throw up (so many people ask this question!) :) but there were times I think I would have felt better if I just did! :) I had a lot of cravings that first trimester....really healthy ones like McDonald's cheeseburgers, jamocah milkshakes from Arby's, ramon noodles, and pizza. :) My second trimester has been much smoother for which I am grateful and those cravings are still there although they are less (and now sweet and sour hamballs have been added to the list!). Of course, there are still bouts of nauseousness and fatigue but they are more manageable. I'm also experiencing some pain around my tailbone area (aka upper butt muscles). This is most likely from a combination of the pressure of my uterus on the tailbone along with tearing or straining those muscles (probably from a 4 mile walk I did with a friend...boo to being out of shape!). This has caused me to have some pretty intense pain when I get up from a sitting position or when I'm sitting on a hard surface. My doctor referred me to physical therapy but our insurance doesn't cover this so I'm planning to just bear through it and hope it doesn't get to the point where I have to sit on a donut pillow everywhere I go. :) Another interesting aspect to my pregnancy right now (at least I'm blaming it on this!) is my nighttime grumpiness. Don't know why, but every night around 9:00pm, I start to get really crabby. Poor Tim! I need to learn to just go to bed and not put those around me in misery! :) I hope this is truly just a part of crazy pregnancy hormones and will pass soon (it is, right?!)! Sorry to those who come in contact with me during these evening hours!

Nonetheless, through every phase, good or bad, I am reminded of this glorious gift that being able to carry a new life is. I don't ever want to take this for granted and am humbled that God has blessed me with this role!


Here's what our lil' guy is up to right now:

22 WEEKS:
"At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily (www.babycenter.com)."

It's a .....

BOY!!!!


Teagan is going to have a lil' brother!!! We are so excited and feel so blessed by God for giving us such an indescribable gift of new life! Based on the initial results of the ultrasound, everything looks healthy! We praise God for this answered prayer and for His protection! What a beautiful day it was today to be able to see our lil' guy for the first time! We again stood in awe of God's workmanship as we watched Lil' Skeeter (our nickname for him now) move all around and as we viewed the chambers of his heart, the hemispheres of his brain, the blood flow to his umbilical cord....just amazing. We had our appointment early this morning and had the technician write the gender down on a piece of paper. She said she was 90% sure she was right! After Teagan's nap this afternoon, the three of us went to Dimnent Chapel(a sentimental place for us...we met there, got engaged there, were married there, found out Teagan's gender there...) at Hope College and opened our special envelope! :)

We have our C-section scheduled for September 4th! We already have his name picked out but we'll wait to share until after he's born. :)

teagan alise

Hi! This is Teagan! My mommy and daddy asked me to give you all a little update on my life right now. I am growing up so fast...I am already 15 months old! Here are some things I wanted to share with you:

* I'm talking more and more! I can say many words on my own and I am getting very good at copying Mommy and Daddy when they teach me new ones. Sometimes I don't say them exactly the right way but Mommy and Daddy always seem to understand my "language" and encourage me to keep trying!

- "Daddy" is my favorite word! I walk around the house all day saying it. Mommy keeps telling me that Daddy is at work and will be home later but I still think he's hiding somewhere in the house and I'm determined to find him!

- I am really into saying "hi" and "bye" to everyone I meet (and to those who just walk by...sometimes they don't hear me). My mommy and daddy like how I say these in a sweet high pitched voice.

(Mommy took a picture of me putting on my "purse" and carrying teddy as I walked towards the door and said "bye!")

- I said "I love you" for the first time the other night (actually, it sounded more like "wuv ew" but Mommy and Daddy knew what I meant and they were really excited!).

* I love to get chased and play peek-a-boo around the house! I scream and laugh a lot when we play these games!

* I have almost 8 teeth. My molars are finally coming in!

* I am very ticklish on my feet, my inner thighs and under my chin! I like to tickle Mommy and Daddy's feet too and make them laugh!

* I laugh a lot when Mommy and Daddy talk in funny voices.

* I recently learned how to drink out of a straw. I think this is pretty cool!

* I like to look at myself in the mirror. I'm starting to realize that it's really ME in there and not just a "baby." I think it's fun to make faces in the mirror and laugh at myself (I get this from Daddy!).

* I am very sweet and like to give hugs and kisses. I even kiss the people or animals in the story books that Mommy and Daddy read to me.

* I require lots of cuddle time with Mommy right when I wake up the morning. My mommy doesn't seem to mind. :)


* I have a lot of energy and spend most of the day running around the house and playing with all my toys. I rarely sit still!

* I love playing with Daddy in my new tent (thanks, Nana and Papa!).


* I like drinking whole milk now (Mommy was kind of worried when I refused it all together after I turned one but I was just throwing her for a loop!).

* I've been labeled a "climber." My mommy and daddy know that this will come in handy one day and probably means I'll be athletic...but right now I just hear a lot of "no no" or "dangerous" and them taking me away from my challenges. Despite their (almost) consistent intervening, I've managed to suceed at climbing onto things such as Mommy and Daddy's bed and the dining room table. Sometimes I even will try to use Bailey as leverage to get where I want. Things like the straps on the grocery cart seat don't stand a chance in holding me down. I can wiggle and climb my way out of almost anything....I'm quite good!


* Speaking of "no no" and "dangerous," I've been learning a little more about what being naughty looks like. If I'm not getting attention when I want it, I will often do something I know is wrong like climbing onto the fireplace hearth or putting woodchips (from the firewood bag)...or a small screw into my mouth (like I did today). I know I'm not suppose to be doing these things because I will make funny noises, dance, or say things like "no!" or "down!" so that Mommy or Daddy will look at me and stop me. Sometimes I get them to stop me from the same thing like 20 times in a row! Hehe.


* My favorite food is pizza!

* I am in the 90th percentile for my height and the 25th percentile for my weight.

* I prefer to be barefoot and am constantly taking my shoes and socks off.

* I am getting good at helping by doing things like "washing" my toys with a washcloth Mommy gives me, getting something that Mommy or Daddy tells me to get (shoes, sippy cup, diaper etc.) and putting things in the garbage (sometimes I pick up things that are SO small Mommy and Daddy can't even see them. I like to hold these (imaginary) things between my pincher fingers and put them in the garbage).

* I like singing songs with Mommy during the day!

* I like to ride Sandy, the pony, at Meijer. :)

* I am very good at going down easily for my one nap during the day and have been sleeping much better during the night (I thought I'd finally give Mommy and Daddy some thorough "good nights sleep" before my brother or sister arrives in about 4 months!). :)

* I love cuddling with my stuffed animals lately...especially my lil' teddy bear that I sleep with. I have also started to do more imaginary play and will set up my animals in certain spots and bring them things.

* I love to run around the house all bare naked!

* I am learning to drink out of a big girl cup (regular cup)! Mommy and Daddy let me practice with water during meal times and in the bathtub although Mommy caught me practicing with the water out of Bailey's water bowl today. :)

* I LOVE to collect and transfer things in cups, buckets, bowls...anything! I am very creative about what I put in these containers and I like to show them to Mommy and Daddy!

(collecting things in the backyard! My favorite things to collect outside are pinecones!)


* I love to be outside and feel the wind on my face and listen to the birdies chirp! I could run forever when I am outside but Mommy and Daddy don't let me go past a certain tree in the front yard.

* I get excited really easily and love to say "ohhh!". It's my way of reminding Mommy and Daddy to remember the joy in the little things of life!












* I love to be silly!














































* I looked beautiful in my Easter dress!





* I am very excited to be a big sister in September and will find out TOMORROW if I'm going to have a baby brother or a baby sister!!! Stay tuned as my Mommy will post an update on the blog tomorrow night! :)