Happy Holidays

It's true, once again time has caught up with us and we've been delinquent in posting about our lives.  The last post is from election day... that seems like a lifetime ago, doesn't it?  

Well, the holidays have been upon us.  We are so grateful for our family and friends who continue to surround us with their love.  We spent a nice Thanksgiving in Kalamazoo and Portage, visiting both families.  Madeline enjoyed eating turkey and stuffing for the first time.  We then traveled to Chicago to celebrate with my best friend from college, Erin.  It was her baby shower and it was a great time!  Unfortunately, I was too busy chasing Madeline around the house that I didn't take any pictures.  Erin has since had her baby, Stella Ruth .... congrats Dave, Erin and sweet baby Stella!  Christmas just ended, it's hard to believe.  Madeline learned how to tear off wrapping paper and even learned that there are presents underneath that wrapping paper!  Thank you to everyone who has made this a great season for us.  We are blessed.

VOTE

This isn't a plea for you to vote, however a reflection of this election.  I am sitting in my living room with my 13 month old daughter, trying to decide when to go vote.  I really don't want to be stuck in line with her for an hour!  But I am also thinking about how this election will impact us, impact her.  

No matter if you're an Obama or a McCain supporter, this is a historic election.  I am excited that I will be taking Madeline with me to the polls.  One day I will be able to tell her she was part of such an important time in history.  Either we will have the first African-American president or the first female vice-president.  When I tell her she can be anything she wants to be when she grows up, it really will be true.  She can be president, an astronaut, or whatever her smart little mind puts itself to.  I'll be able to tell her everything her great-grandfathers fought for, her freedom and that of so many, has come true.  That what her grandparents work hard for has benefited her as well.  What her parents work for....

It is a great time in our nation, despite the economy, and I hope we will all take a minute today to think about the possibilities...

Home Sweet Home

This is a look down our street, Hillcrest Ave.  I love fall and I love fall on our street.  I also love where we live.  This neighborhood is the best to live in.  

We live close enough to walk to the grocery store, coffee shop and even to a Western Michigan University football game.  We also live about a mile from downtown Kalamazoo, but still have the "neighborhood" feel.  Our street has an annual block party.  Our neighbors are from all walks of life:  there are kids, seniors, singles and older families.  Our next door neighbors on each side adore our daughter and love to help us out anytime.  

Most of our houses on this street are old (ours happens to be 100 years old).  True, our paint chips, we share driveways and there seems to be endless repairs, but there are tall oak trees that line the street and sidewalks to pull our baby in the wagon.  

I may be a little nostalgic as this is my favorite time of year, but I wouldn't trade it for anything on this street!

Complete Mobility

So I know it's been a while and it's about time to write a little update.  About three weeks ago, Madeline went from a step and tumble for a couple days to walking circles around the house!  The transition from crawling to walking is fantastic, amazing, and trouble!  Our house isn't the most "baby-proof" kind of house, if that even exists, and we constantly have to monitor Madeline.  She is a very curious girl and wants to get into everything, always!  She is really good, though, with finding out how to crawl up into her favorite chair in her playroom and getting down stairs.  Of course, she does have an occasional spill but rebounds almost immediately most of the time.  It is such a blessing to see her grow into this little person but it is sad at the same time to see our baby growing up.  More to come...Happy Halloween!

Homecoming

Sorry all you Madeline followers, for once it's not about her :)

We went to homecoming at Hope College last weekend.  Todd played in the alumni game for men's soccer and Madeline and I came along.  As I was walking her around campus and downtown, trying to get her to FALL ASLEEP!, memories rushed back.  Some of you reading this might not have known me in my college days, please try not to think of me as crazy after this!

The first place I walked past was the railroad tracks.  They run right on the edge of campus.  Many a new freshmen can remember the train those first two weeks coming through at 2 a.m.  After that, you sleep right through it!  I also jumped through a (motionless) train so I wouldn't be late to soccer practice one day...no extra running for me!  Good thing the train never started up!!

Then past Dykstra, the girl's freshmen dorm.  I met my good friend, Erin, in Dykstra.  We had some great memories there!!  We used to yell at the people below us to "GET OFF THE GRASS!" while they were walking.  Only she could understand.  I am laughing right now just thinking about it.  Strangely enough, right as I walked past the dorm, I saw my R.A. from freshmen year.  I said, "you were my pod R.A.!!"  Well, they weren't called pods, but clusters.  Silly me.  She just looked at my like I had lost it.  

On past J.P.'s, Holland's infamous coffee joint.  Way too much money spent there on caffeine buzzes I probably didn't need.  I DID learn to appreciate coffee there, when it wasn't drenched in mocha java caramel extra whip cream (or something like that).  When you left there, you smelled like coffee for days.  

I then circled on past Durfee, the men's dorm where Erin and I had to live one May Term.  Our room had just been vacated by the boys for the summer and it smelled like socks and raw sewage.  I'm not sure what they had been doing in there all year, but it was pretty stinky!  I abandoned Erin many nights there because I had some new boyfriend at the time (not worth it) and I always felt bad about that.  We were taking a history class that May and it was SO BORING.  So was our job.  We had to call people and ask for money for the college.  I pretended to call, but really did homework.  I didn't feel bad about that.

I then swung past the Dow.  Well, there are many memories there.  However, the best memory was when Erin, big football players from our hall and I played on an inner-tube water polo team.  That's right, pretty crazy!  It was a blast!  We won all the time.  After the games, we would go back to the dorm room, order pizza and drink cherry cokes.  I think we both gained some weight that semester!

Well, really, I could go on and on.  College East, Phelps, Pine Grove, Chapel, 13th and Central, blah, blah blah...but I didn't walk past those places, so it will have to be another time.  

Happy Birthday!

Here is the birthday girl, telling you how old she will be on Sunday....ONE!

I cannot believe a year has passed since Madeline Jean was born.  She has blessed us in ways I can't describe.  Every day is a gift with her.  This year has been full of fun, joy, happiness and learning, for all of us. 

Below is a list of things I will never forget:

1.  Having a baby is a lot of work, worthy of a gold medal!

2.  Babies sleep and cry for the first couple months, they are kind of boring.  However, after that, you'll never be bored again.  

3.  You never realized you could love something so much.  

4.  You never realized you would do anything, and I mean anything, for your baby. 

5.  Even if you were Babysitter of the Year growing up, it is completely different to have your own child.  

6.  Sometimes your neighbors are up at 4 a.m. too.  

7.  No matter what, you are the mom, and you know what's best for your baby.  

8.  Babies are more fun than going to the bar!

9.  A sleeping baby is the most peaceful sight, for many reasons.  

10.  You need your baby just as much as your baby needs you.  

Well, enough of this baby business, we're off to toddlerhood!

Please Pray

If you are reading this, please pray for my cousins, the VandenBosch family.  They recently lost their beloved son rather quickly and unexpectedly.  Here is a picture of Jake, my Madeline and Jake's twin sister Maddie, held by my Uncle Jim, taken around Christmas.  Please pray for Jake's mom, dad, sister and immediate family.  

College Game Day

Since today is the opening day for college football, Madeline decided to get geared up and support her team.  Go Big Red!

Officially a...

TALKER!

Well, we're pretty sure anyways.  Madeline loves to look at babies and say "babeeeeeeee."  She has a little friend, Helen, who is only a couple months old, and calls her baby.  She points to her pictures around the house and says baby.  She points to her dolls and says baby.  Yes, occasionally she points to the chair and calls it baby.  But, we're pretty sure it's her first word, so who cares!  

P.S. We are close to walking.  This getting bigger business is exhausting!

Experiment

My Aunt Maria threw a going-away party for her son and daughter-in-law and their twins, Madeline and Jacob that we attended yesterday. The twins are about 18 months and my Madeline was just enamored with them. This is all beside the point, but I thought I would just give a little background. The other Madeline had a baby doll that she brought to the party, which my Madeline promptly picked up, thinking it was hers (of course, because what isn't??). So, we told her that was "baby". She then kissed baby, made me kiss baby and made everyone around her kiss baby. As you can tell, she loves kisses. She then said what sounded like "baby" several times. I think we witnessed a first word! Todd is a little skeptical. So, today we are going to Wal-Mart to get a baby to see if it happens again. I'll keep everyone updated on our experiment! Hopefully it works!

Chicago in the Summertime

Once again, we packed up the car and headed to Chicago.  Last time we were there, all the tulips were out and the city looked beautiful!  This time we were there for a beach soccer tournament.  While we were there, I got to visit with my best friend from college, Erin and rub her preggo belly!  On Saturday night, Erin and her husband, Dave, took us to a concert in the park.  We had a picnic and listened to beautiful music.  It was dreamy!  

Madeline loved her new friend Erin.  She even broke out her cute giggle for Erin's funny faces. 

Below is Madeline cheering on her daddy in the tournament.  Todd's team placed second (should have been first!).  

Why is Todd reading on vacation?  Well, he's started his Masters program and I was collecting evidence to prove he actually did his homework!  Madeline and I are proud of his hard work, even on vacation!

HELLO SUMMERTIME!

Yes, we have been a little tardy in posting recent pictures on our blog, but hey, it's summer time, right? I mean, wouldn't YOU rather be swimming or crawling or eating sand?

Madeline would!

We have been a little busy this summer, although it's been a "good" busy. Lots of people and new places. Below is a picture of us visiting my brother in Petoskey. Todd also played in a soccer tournament there with some old Hope college friends.

It has been a summer of learning to pull ourselves up, pull books off shelves, sprout new teeth, greet new baby friends, learn of new baby friends on the way (hooray Erin!), and enjoy each other. I promise we won't be away for so long next time. But for now, you'll have to excuse us, because we have some swimming to do!

Happy Memorial Day!

We spent Sunday at my parent's cottage in Glenn, MI on the lake. Madeline loved looking out off the bluff at the big lake and even waved at it! We had a yummy cook out and then relaxed listening to the waves crash in.

We remembered our four grandpas who fought in World War II, Grandpas Johnson, Chappa, VandenBosch and Nave. I look at those names and think of the heritage that we have in our family and the importance of teaching our daughter about the family that has come before her.

"For there was a time when every man was part of his mother, and (earlier still) part of his father as well, and when they were part of his grandparents. If you could see humanity spread out in time, as God sees it, it would look like one single growing thing--rather like a very complicated tree. Every individual would appear connected with every other." - C. S. Lewis

Officially Mobile

So it is safe to say that Madeline can crawl!  I was a little timid about making an announcement like that a couple weeks ago because she was so inconsistent with her mobility.  However, that is definitely not the case anymore.  Danielle and I will have to keep our eye on her now.  I hope you enjoyed the progressing series of photos with this post that somewhat show her crawling capabilities.  You will notice that the last of these shown above is a bit blurry due to her blazing speed!  

Some other new developments besides the monumental

crawling include her nearly mastering the wave.  It's no longer all 

about Miss Madeline's babbling for greeting folks...oh no...she's now approaching a formal gesture of displaying rather than saying hello.  Other than that, she's pretty much the same schmoozer she's been.  

Chicago in the Springtime

We went to Chicago this past week for a couple days. We had a great time in the city and Madeline had plenty of new sights and sounds to take in. She couldn't believe there were that many people all in one place. We shopped (although didn't buy very much) and ate at some yummy places. We even saw the taping of the Ellen DeGeneres show right outside our hotel! It was hard sleeping in a new place and she was very ready to come home to her own bed. No place like home! It was her first trip overnight out of Kalamazoo and I think it was a success! On another note, she is VERY close to crawling. Any day now! We are also so happy it's spring here in Michigan and Madeline loves to look at all the pretty flowers.

A good Dutch girl can never resist pictures of tulips. :) The city was full of them, they were gorgeous! Below is a picture of where they wre taping the Ellen Degeneres show. There must have been a line of people two blocks to get into it! Needless to say, we were not!

Early Spring

Each Spring, I am amazed at the transformation that our little yard goes through. When we moved into this house, I was left a large perennial garden. I have cursed the previous owner many times for leaving me so much work! I really do love it, however, and so I thought I would post the transformation from Early Spring, to Summer to Fall. Each season brings out new plants and flowers in the garden. Here is a view from our back porch looking out into our yard. Yes, it's tiny and our fence really needs to be repaired (or replaced!!). The adirondack chairs were gifts from my parents, one for Todd's birthday and one for my birthday. Todd painted them red last summer. I was too fat and pregnant to be doing anything like that! :)












This is a view from the back of the yard (you know, by the broken fence!) to the back of our house. The house is a light yellow if you can't tell and we had it painted last fall.









And finally, here is the front of 1421 Hillcrest! If you look hard enough, you can see Charley the cat on the front step. We love the front door color, which is called Apple Red. We had the front porch windows done a couple winters ago and are so happy with how they turned out.

Well now that I've posted my house and garden for all to see, I guess I have a lot work to do so my next transformation pictures look good! Hope this finds everyone well...

Bath Time!

I know I say this everytime...but can you believe Madeline is almost 7 months? Maybe some of you can, but I really can't. She is such a big girl with a big personality as well. Here she is in the bath tub, which she loves. She seems to be quite the water baby and I can't wait to take her for her first real swim! The weather here in Michigan is finally warming up and my tulips and daffodils are blooming, a sure sign that spring is here to stay.

Madeline also loves to be outdoors seeing all the new sights (Ziggy and Marley, the neighbor dogs) and sounds (the birds in our trees and bird bath). When I take her for walks, she doesn't immediately fall asleep like she used to, she just has too many things to take in. No crawling yet, but she is scooting, so I'm sure she'll be on the move pretty soon. I think Todd and I will both be in for a surprise when that happens.

I was threatened with my life if I posted any pictures of the hot momma, so I opted for the cake picture instead. We threw our friends, Tim and Nicole, a baby shower on Sunday. It was fun and fabulous and there were even guys there! They were good sports despite never being to a shower before. I tried to keep it as dude-friendly as possible, with chips and pop and finger food. Madeline met a new friend and decided it was her time to shine. She had quite the time showing off her new-found voice. We had to have a little talk about manners after the shower :) We are lucky to have such good friends as Tim and Nicole and can't wait for their new addition so Madeline can have a playmate!

Easter

Well just when you think you get your baby on track, the Easter Bunny goes and gives the baby a tooth in her Easter basket. That's right, Madeline Jean is sprouting a tooth! She has been sleeping through the night now for months, but recently has been waking up. We thought perhaps it was because she has learned to roll over and would roll over in her sleep. However, she bit Todd's nose the other day and he got quite the surprise! It still hasn't fully shown its face, but she's working on it. Madeline looked beautiful in her little Easter dress and was pooped out by noon from all the excitement; figuratively and literally. We hope all our friends and family had a great Easter and we're hopeful to see those that aren't near us soon. Not that we could have, since there was a blizzard here dumping 14 inches of snow. Is it spring yet???!!

Madeline, the Cowgirl

Five Months

Can you believe it? Madeline is 5 months old! I can hardly stand it! Here she is doing what she loves best, being a wiggle worm and drooling. She loves to roll over onto her belly and lift her head up. She's trying so hard to crawl, but hasn't quite mastered that yet...that's quite alright with mom as I haven't baby-proofed the house yet! She looks more and more like Todd each day. Everyone comments on how happy she is all the time and it's true! We are all ready for the spring here in Michigan and it seems to be just around the corner. It will be nice to be able to be outside with her and finally get some sun on our faces! Well that's it for now, but we'll be sure to update when we start crawling :)

Madeline's First Winter

Valentine's Day

Madeline experienced her first Valentine's Day today.  Despite her not knowing about it quite yet, she seemed to enjoy herself and even found time to get her mother and father a lovely card.  What an intelligent, young darling.  On an unrelated note from the holiday, Madeline has been sprouting new hair growth and it looks as though she is going to be unfortunately gifted with her dad's 'poof' factor but thankfully blessed with her mom's 'blonde' radiance.  Happy Valentine's Day!

Days with Daddy

Lately, I have been fortunate! As you all know, I am lucky enough to be employed as a teacher in the Portage Public School District. Now, despite what some may think, it is a lot of work to teach. And, it's no secret that maintaining this occupation has some perks like working regular hours during the day and having summers off. Another major advantage about teaching is having snow days. This past week, Kalamazoo has been getting hammered with snow. I was lucky enough to have two snow days, which meant two days off, one of which was yesterday, a Friday. Needless to say, I was a happy camper! Furthermore, this meant that I had two extra days at home with Madeline! I wanted to show two pictures to you all of me and the "Bubs", one of which is slightly unfortunate yet an actual experience anyone will have assuming the position of 'parent'. Enjoy!

Taking Over

It's no secret who runs the show at our humble household these days. We believe that this picture proves that already obvious point. Madeline likes to be in control and she isn't afraid to take charge. I thing she gets that instinct from her mother. We are loving the constant action that unfolds right in front of our eyes through Madeline!

Food Introduction

For nearly two weeks, Madeline Jean has been filling her tummy with actual food. We introduced her to rice cereal mixed with some soupy bananas, which she doesn't find too appealing but chokes it down slowly behind a cringeful smirk anyway. After cereal, it was sweet potatoes, which she found most delightful! Following that, we fed her applesauce, with which she puckers through. All in all, she seems to be enjoying her new endeavor of food tasting!

Weekly Update

As I write this, I realize this picture is already over a month old. You can see the Christmas tree to the left! To the right is Madeline's bouncy seat which she LOVES! It's funny to watch her move around in it and "push" the buttons. I'm not fully convinced she does it on purpose yet.

I'm back to work as many of you know and it's very bittersweet, but mostly bitter! I hate being away from her, but thankfuly my mom and husband watch her while I'm gone. My mom keeps telling me it's good for both of us, but I'm not convinced. If anyone has any work at home suggestions, let me know!! All the moms at work tell me it gets easier with time. Thankfully it's only two days a week...but twelve hours a day!

Madeline is now eating sweet potatoes (which she INHALES), cereal and applesauce. I know she's only about 5 months, but she started grabbing for my food about 2 weeks ago so I decided it was time! She still prefers milk but likes the switch-up. We hope all our friends and family are doing well, especially the ones that are not near us...we love you all!

Culinary Genious

This morning I made pancakes, taking me back to my childhood. Every Sunday morning if my Dad wasn't working, he made "Super" pancakes, the biggest pancakes we had ever seen. My dad cooking was a rare occasion in our house, so it seemed like a special treat! His only other dish was spaghetti he made when my mom was away. My brothers and I thought not only were these pancakes the best ever tasted, but so was the spaghetti. Surely, our father was a culinary genious!

Years later my mom was preparing spaghetti, her homemade sauce with yummy vegetables and crushed tomatoes. We protested that we wanted dad's sauce, how it was much yummier. My mom, it a moment of frustration, delcared that not only was dad's spaghetti sauce just a can of Ragu, but his pancakes weren't his own invention either, mearly a recipe out of the Junior League cookbook. We were crushed! Visions of our father becoming a famous chef were torn to pieces.

As I made the pancakes this morning, I had to laugh thinking about those Sunday mornings. Perhaps I'll also let my daughter think I'm the genius chef, on her way to stardom....

Madeline on the Move!

Well Madeline thinks she's a big girl now, she can roll over! Only from her back to belly, which she hates being on. It's quite funny to watch as she smiles after she does it like she's climbed Mt. Everest! She's just getting so big we can't stand it. I (Danielle) currently have nine days off of work and am loving every minute spending time with her.

On another note, Madeline was baptized two Sundays ago now at our Church, Second Reformed, here in Kalamazoo. It was such a great service, they even worked her name into one of the songs and had her pictures on slide show. Pastor "Uncle" Ralph reminded us of God's faithfulness to Todd and I and that we have every reason to believe He will be faithful to Madeline as well. Thanks Uncle Ralph for a great baptism!

Mommy/Daughter Time

How cute are these two? Some precious images of Madeline and Danielle. The first picture is basically how we feel whenever we think about "Bubs". It's the kind of picture that captures that feeling and makes you want to hold onto this miracle and not let go.

The second picture was just before a Thanksgiving feast. Madeline is in this adorable dress with cornucopias and pumpkins! She loves being held that way too! Almost like Superwoman! That's her style though.

The final picture shows Mommy and Madeline during Thanksgiving. Again, you can see Madeline wearing her favorite dress!

Daddy/Daughter Time

These pictures are a few special Daddy/Daughter time photographs. They range from Madeline's younger days to older. These two are of the "Bubs" getting fed the bottle by Daddy. Let me tell you, this was not always as pleasant as the photos may portray it. Sometimes, bottlefeeding was a bit challenging. Madeline definately prefers fresh from the source nourishment. Some days were battles but it was a wonderful bonding time for Daddy and daughter. Enjoy!

Hello to everyone and Happy New Year! As you can see, we are having a great 2008 with the additoin of Madeline Jean. She makes us smile so much and we have a ton of fun with her. We thought we would create this blog to stay in touch with friends and family who are not close (in distance) to us! Stay tuned for further postings!