Hair Cut

Hello everyone!

Tonight was a big night - it was the first time I went to the hair cutting place. Over the past 11+ months my favorite hair cutter has been my Aunt Sheila. She has kept me looking pretty cute and kept the hair out of my eyes and ears - even when mommy was dragging getting it cut b/c she wanted me to still look like a little baby. Well - Mommy finally admitted a few weeks ago that since her "baby boy" is almost 1 - he should get an "official" little boys haircut.

SOOOO...that is what we did tonight. It only took about 15 minutes and I was such a good boy. I sat pretty still and didn't make a peep. Everyone thought I was sooo good and cute too. Mommy thinks I now look like a 'little boy'....(at least no one will mistake me for a little girl!)

Anyway - now that I have this official cut - maybe next time Aunt Sheila can just do it again and follow these cut lines. We'll have to see.

I am all ready for her to start cutting. I sat really well on Mommy's lap - while Daddy video'd and took pictures :) See the "before" look - my curls in the back were a little crazy from the hat I now have to wear b/c it is cold outside!See I am sitting really still.

Yeah - ALL DONE!Here is Miss Jill - who cut my hair. She was holding the one really good curl that is now all gone! Mommy did keep that one. She was pretty sad it was gone.

Because I was such a good boy - I got a treat. This is Clifford - The Big Red Dog. I was able to take him for a ride after my haircut and dinner. My mommy and daddy put some quarters into Clifford and then I went for a ride. It was a lot of fun - but such a short ride for all those quarters :)

What's A Ducky Say?

20 Week Ultra Sound

Today was our 20 week ultra sound for Baby #3. It was with the same dr we saw for Grant's ultra sounds at St Mary's. He said everything looks great! Due date is as they said before - February 27, 2009. We will see him again at 27 weeks. Initially he said 28 weeks, but since our loss with Briana was at 28 - I requested we have it a bit earlier and he said that was no problem. He also suggested we do the non-stress tests again - once a week starting at 26 weeks. With Grant we went once a week for 26 and 27 and twice a week after that. Time will tell - they may change their minds. In the mean time - we Thank God for a beautiful, healthy looking baby!

Great view of the baby's face and thumb up to it's mouth

Here the doctor said the baby is giving Daddy a thumbs up because the market was up today. The thumb is pretty clear and it's left eye above it.

Side profile of baby with foot - we even got to count the toes - 5 on each foot!

The skeletal view. Starting at your left is the side profile of the top of the forehead down to the tip of it's littls nose.

Picture updates

Aunt Sheila came to babysit and she put me in my new toybox with my toys. I showed her - I ate it :)
My first little pile of leaves. I love the leaves - I did pretty good not putting them all in my mouth tonight.
These pumpkins are from Grandpa and Grandma Kok's garden. I didn't eat all the leaves, but had to try this pumpkin.
It is our little pumpkin family. Daddy, Mommy, Angel Briana (white), Me and Baby (the really little one)
Mommy, Daddy and I finally let the balloons go for Briana tonight. It was beautiful weather - so we let the two go that still had some helium left :)

Think they made it all the way to Heaven? I hope so!

Walk to Remember

Today we participated in our second annual "Walk to Remember" - a walk that is done every year in Milwaukee for infant loss. It is a one mile walk down by the lake. It starts with a little opening presentation - speaker saying a few words and thanking everyone for coming and supporting those who've been through a loss, prayer, a couple songs, kite signing, etc.

There is a kite everyone can sign - messages to their lost loved ones, etc - and after the walk starts - someone takes the kite to where the walk ends and gets it up in the air for all to see was we get to the finish. There are also quilt squares carried in memory of our babies. Last year, my mom and I made one in memory of Briana - that was made into part of the display that is carried every year (as well as used at St Joe's Hospital). Typically at the end of the walk - as you walk up, the quilt squares are all layed together and displayed as one large quilt. It's sad to see how many have been touched by such a sad experience.

This is the quilt square we put together last year.

This is the quilt layed out from last year - when it was sunny :)

Unfortunately, as the ceremony kicked off today - it began to rain. We walked our mile in the rain and the kite did fly - but we were not able to lay the quilt squares out - or visit very easily with others we've become friends with through support groups, etc.

We brought balloons today - to release at the end of the walk, but due to the rain could not let them go. Hopefully the rain will subside long enough for us to let them go before the helium will no longer help take them away. In the mean time, Grant will love to look at them hanging out in the kitchen. He doesn't know how blessed he is to have his very own guardian angel watching out for him :) He will know all about her some day.

11 Months Old

Yesterday Grant turned 11 months old. He is learning so many new things. Aunt Sheila taught him how to play catch - he LOVES throwing his ball and trying to catch when you throw back to him. He's eating more "table" foods - cottage cheese, bananas, toast/bread in just about any form, jello, yogurt, mixed fruits. Still not a huge fan of regular veggies even though he loved the pureed ones, but did start eating a little bit more on the meats side over the last few days - Gerber meat sticks and ham.

We have a little walker that Grant has started walking behind over the last day or two. He likes it a lot and thinks he is pretty hot stuff :) We have one inside and he is using one of his cousin's outside...(see below)

Riding on the walker/ride-on toy that we're borrowing from the Shea's - THANK YOU!Here he goes - taking off from Mommy already - it's only the beginning :)

What else...last week he learned "So Big". Now he will actually raise his arms when asked how big he is :) Oh - yesterday we asked if he could wave to the neighbor man across the street - not expecting anything b/c he had never done it before - but he actually did it! Now when asked to wave - he simply does it (usually) :) YAY!

This morning after getting Grant dressed for church I told him he looked "spiffy" and whistled at him - he busted out laughing like whistling was the funniest thing he had every heard. He tries to imitate the sound with his little voice - it's so cute!

Less than one month until Grant has been with us for one whole year. We feel extremely blessed by this little boy - day after day after day. He has brought so much joy to our lives - we pray the years to come will be as good as the first.

And the Belly Watching Begins...

Tonight Brian and I both saw the baby move for the first time. I could feel he/she moving a bit - so decided to start starring at my belly. After a few mins - I was able to catch one of the quick moves. A bit later - Brian saw one too. With our last two pregnancies - you may recall that on almost a nightly basis I would lay on the couch and watch our little ones make my belly move like crazy. AND SO...the Belly Watching Begins in week 18.5.