Hi. I'm Esther Aardsma!

December 8, 2013

We didn't really celebrate his birthday yesterday; we're planning to have a big family party for him on Christmas Eve at his Grandma Aardsma's house, so his Auntie Rachel and Uncle Joey and cousin Emma can be there too. It's going to be completely lost on him, but totally fun for the rest of us!!

It's hard to believe that Ger's been with us for a whole year now, but it also feels like he's always been with us. The last year has been incredibly tough, fulfilling, and amazing. Some days I am still in awe of the fact that I'm married and have a child and a home of my own.

Ger's standing record for walking on his own is eight steps! He currently prefers to crawl, but he is definitely getting faster at walking along walls and couches. He gets bored super quickly with his toys, so Matt and I went to a dollar store yesterday morning and found a bunch of cheap toys that we're intending to start on a rotational basis, to try to keep him more entertained. We'll see!

His turn to play! He was really shy about it!

Love you all,
Esther

Auntie Rachel, baby Emma, Auntie 'Beka and Little Ger.

November 7, 2013

Today Ger is 11 months old. Ai-yi-yi! Is he ever the trouble maker! Trash cans, toilet paper rolls, kleenex boxes, the fridge...he has a sixth sense for a potential mess and does his best to make one at every possible opportunity!

Recipes I used:

Here I am filling jars.

To be enjoyed all year long!

We had our water tested recently and just got the results back early this week: coliform bacteria present, water UNSAFE to drink. So our landlord just brought by a water dispenser with four of those huge bottles of water, to last us until the well company and the water company get our water safety figured out. I just try not to think about all the water we've drunk over the past 18 months...and I think I've found out why it tastes bad. (We do appreciate Mike's thoughtfulness with the dispenser--he was careful to get one with the bottle on the bottom to increase its safety around little kids. It also has a safety mechanism with the hot dispense, to prevent accidental burns.)

Hmmmm....something new to investigate!

Still no first steps over here, but getting so close! Ger now walks back and forth using the couch as a support, and will stand on his own quite often. The other day he stood up next to a chair and let go. I held out my arms for him to walk to me. He reeeeeeached and fell forward into my hands. I guess he's just a little too scared yet!

Love,
Esther

November 1, 2013

It’s cuddly. It’s warm. I made it out of scraps left over from other projects, thrifted fabric, and an old fleece blanket that nobody wanted anymore.

Meet Gerald John’s baby blanket.

I wanted to make something special for my baby before he was born. After some searching online for a perfect pattern, I found the Hugs and Kisses quilt.

Since Matt and I had decided to wait until the baby was born to find out whether it was a boy or a girl, I needed something that could work for either sex. I decided to use fabric that I had in my stash (and ended up raiding Mom Aardsma’s stash too) and make every square different, for a “scrappy” look.

I started the quilt sometime mid-pregnancy, and did a square or two a day. I would occasionally bring the pieces for a square with me to sew by hand in the car or a waiting room. (I particularly remember one instance when Matt and I were waiting for my OB checkup. I was piecing a square by hand and a complete stranger--may I point out it was a man?-- piped up about his experiences with an old sewing machine and how he’d made pillowcases for their pillows, but his wife couldn’t figure out how to work them. End funny story.)

I didn’t sew all the squares by hand. Impatience got the best of me and I finished the last ten or so squares by machine, just wanting to get on to the next step.

I was so excited when I put all the squares together to make the top. I remember myself, very pregnant, on a dark night, playing with all those bits of bright color on our bed, until I was happy with the arrangement.

Sewing the squares together went very quickly. Then I casted about for a backing, and settled on a fleece blanket that had come as a hand-me-down. It was a little long and a little narrow, so I cut off the long part and sewed it to the narrow side, forming a square. Using a fleece blanket removed the necessity for batting between, shortening my task. (Always a welcome thing!)

I pinned the quilt top to the fleece blanket with big quilt basting pins, placing them in the centers and corners of the squares. I found a quilting hoop and began quilting in the center, working my way out. I quilted by hand, with plain white quilting thread. I desperately needed a thimble—I’m sure my fingers still have holes in their tips from that experience. But by the time I finally managed to acquire the needed thimble, I’d already nearly finished the quilting.

I quilted diagonally across all the "X"s, just making big long lines across the quilt. When I’d finished that, I decided to just do small diamonds in the center of each "O" square.

I asked my amazing husband for some advice on the quilt binding. I had some white and some darker green bindings in my stash, and I couldn’t make up my mind between them. We decided on the darker green—it framed the bright colors of the top very nicely, while the white just seemed to make the edges of the quilt disappear.

He likes the bright colors!

I just sewed on the quilt binding by machine, the lazy way. No self-respecting, verging-on-professional seamstress should ever just take the lazy way, but I just wanted to have the quilt DONE. So I think it took me all of half-an-hour to put the binding on. It’s not perfectly flat, but I don’t really care. I don’t notice when I use the blanket.

(Oh yes, I use it all the time. :) It’s the perfect size for a lap blanket.)

I wrote this note when I had finished the quilt, save the embroidering of his name and birthdate:

December 2, 2012
My dear little one,
I just finished your baby quilt. It’s not perfect, but I wanted it to be done and ready for you.
I wanted to make something special for you. I might not make anything else before you come, so I am very glad the quilt is ready. It’ll be yours to keep when you are older.
Love,
Mommy

And, as he came the following Friday, I never did get a chance to make anything else. :)

First day home from the hospital.

I embroidered his name on it a week or two after he was born.

Since Ger’s quilt was such a success, when Rachel told me she was expecting a baby, I knew exactly what I wanted to make. I waited until they announced that they were having a girl, then planned accordingly. I actually meant to have Rachel pick out the colors, then forgot about it until too late…Rachel forgave me and said she trusted my judgment anyway. :)

A sneak peek I sent out while it was in progress.

I used the same pattern that I used for Ger’s quilt. I had more of a color scheme, though: pink and green. I used a pink and white gingham for all the "X" blocks, then mixed in other fabrics for the "O" blocks.

I actually quilted it with embroidery floss. I used two strands and a slightly larger needle than I would’ve otherwise used, and this time I had a thimble.

I quilted on the diagonal on the pink squares in the "X" blocks. After some deliberation, I finally decided to also quilt on the diagonal in the colored squares on the "O" blocks, and then add a little something in the center of each "O" block. I left one square blank in which to embroider Emma's name and birthdate, at a later date when I have access to the quilt again for a few minutes.

My motif in the center of the "O" squares.

I used a green cuddly fabric for the backing that I got at Joann’s. I went in knowing exactly what I wanted, and then got more and more discouraged when I couldn’t find what I was looking for. I finally found it, on the shelf farthest back.

Doesn't it look soft?

I used a light pink quilt binding. I had originally thought maybe a dark pink since a dark color worked well for Ger’s quilt, but after buying it decided I really didn’t like it, and went back to the store. I again put the binding on the lazy way, just wanting to get the quilt DONE!

I sewed all the construction seams by machine, trying to make the quilt as machine-washable as possible.

Finished Quilt!

I sent the baby quilt to Rachel for a "Virtual Shower" that several other people participated in as well. Since Rachel lives a number of hours away, we boxed up some gifts and sent them off to arrive during a specific week. I was a little sad that I couldn't see her reaction in person, but I was very glad that I was able to help make her week special.

I felt very honored that Emma was welcomed with the quilt I made for her!

October 29, 2013

I've been on a creative roll this week! Matthew keeps telling me I need to post the things I've been doing, so I decided to start with the washable wipes I made.

I made these baby wipes from a 100% white cotton sheet that was in that last box of hand-me-down fabric from Mom Aardsma. (Love those boxes, Mom!) It's a pretty soft fabric--almost a flannel, but not quite. I wanted to make them white so that I could bleach them along with my diapers if necessary and not worry about discoloring the diapers.

I don't have to worry about separating out the wipes from the diapers when I wash them now--the disposable ones will actually shred in the wash (like kleenexes do). They're cheaper, too!

These were super easy to make. I cut out a rectangle for each wipe that was twice as wide as it was tall (about 9"x18"), then folded it in half to make a double-layered wipe. I used a short stitch length on my serger (more stitches closer together around the edge = less fraying) and just ran it around the edge. For the first couple wipes I did, I would stop and turn the corner, keeping the square shape. I got smarter (lazier?) after that and took advantage of the knife on the serger, and just rounded the corners on the wipes as I went. I overlapped the serging where I began just a little, then ran the chain off of the wipe and snipped it. I ended up having some thread tails after I washed the wipes, so if I were to re-sew them, I'd probably tie a knot in the thread chain up close to the wipe before trimming the threads close.

Step 1: cutting it out

Step 2: fold it in half

Step 3: what the serger cut off

Step 4: overlapping the serging

Love,
Esther

The finished product!

October 16, 2013

Well, we all know that a certain little girl has replaced Ger's standing as most interesting and fascinating news subject. (See Rachel's Diary.)

Ger definitely doesn't seem to mind his plight, though, as he continues to eat stuff off the floor and chase Buddy (our dog) and put his head over the register to feel the warm air coming out, and "ba, ba, ba" away to his heart's desire.

Ger climbed all the way up the stairs last night, trying to get to Buddy at the top. Sorry, no pictures because the usual photographer had to turn spotter instead.

Little Ger has a newfound fascination with the refrigerator. Every time I open it I have to see where Ger is, then open the door really fast, grab what I need, and close it again before he climbs into it. For a little guy, he sure can move! He succeeds fairly frequently in getting at least a hand into the door, then cries when I pull him back and close it in his face. I broke down and let him play in it for a couple minutes this morning, which almost ended up with tortilla packages and baby carrots all over the floor!

Love,
Esther

October 16, 2013

Ger is sleeping away at the moment, so I thought I'd send a short update.

Little Ger has learned how to turn the pages of the big thick board-books that I will occasionally read to him. Also, the other day I was reading him a story and he really looked at the picture on the page for the first time. He started touching an illustration of a girl and "talking" in that adorable gibberish of his. It was too cute!

Even though he has drastically increased in his book appreciation skills, he still has a loooong way to go. He loves books, that's not the problem! He just doesn't differentiate between "appreciating" a book and "eating" a book. I finally gave up on having books in accessible places in certain rooms. Currently the backs of the couches are loaded with books and other "untouchable" items, and the table in the office has a pile on it that is two feet tall!

Any man can be a father; it takes someone special to be a dad.

He is constantly eating everything he can find--I just can't keep up with him! Since it's fall now, leaves get tracked in with every trip outside, and for some reason dried leaves just seem to be the most irresistably appetizing snack. It's all too common now to have to brave those sharp teeth to retrieve a slimy mass of something, and still wonder if I got it all.

I introduced him to the small collection of toy animals that we have, complete with the sounds each one makes. He thought the rooster noise was particularly funny!

With love,
Esther

What is it about babies and shoes?

October 7, 2013

Ger is ten months old today! How is that possible?

Ger has begun pulling himself up. On everything. He also takes advantage of every opportunity possible to try to climb up the stairs--and is actually getting pretty good at it. He got up to the fourth step yesterday. (I was right there in case of any wrong moves.) I think our rate of head-bumps per day ranges from three to five on average. Some days are better, other days it feels like all I do is calm a crying child.

While visiting Matt's folks this past weekend, (great fishing trip for the guys and garage saling for the ladies!) Ger loved watching Jack, the cat, drink his milk. Ger kept trying to grab Jack's swishing tail and would laugh with delight each time his tail wiggled.

"How come I can't do that?"

Today his fear of the vacuum wasn't as bad, but he definitely is scared easily by loud noises these days. He seems to be going through a sort of fear period, needing a lot of reassurance and security. Our last trip up to Mom and Dad Aardsma's didn't start out well--Ger took one look at his Grandpa and burst into tears! Poor Grandpa! By the end of the visit, though, Ger had warmed up significantly. I guess it just means we need to see Grandpa and Grandma more often!

Little Ger loves his Auntie 'Beka.
I caught this unique shadow of the two of them playing together.

He's begun venting his frustration. When he can't do something he wants to, or I take something away from him that he really wanted to keep, he will throw himself forward--onto the ground, usually-- and bite at whatever is in front of him. The floor (or his nose) tends to receive the brunt of it, unless a foot, arm, or hand of a parent happens to be in the way. With those eight teeth, he's definitely keeping me on my toes!!

How do I catch you up on everything? He's constantly changing, growing, learning. I'm positive he's gained two inches in the last month. His hair is needing a trim; it's starting to fall into his eyes, though it's also got quite a bit of sweet curl at the ends. He now fits into 12-month clothes; he's working on getting that clapping together; he's fascinated by rubber bands; and he still has that insatiable curiosity about electrical cords. Diaper changes verge on the impossible with his increased mobility...he's so much fun, but sometimes he makes me want to scream, or cry, or laugh all at the same time.

With love,
Esther

September 10, 2013

It has been fascinating and exciting watching Ger pick up more skills this week! 9 months old now, he's learning by leaps and bounds!

A week ago Sunday he learned how to wave for the first time. We went up to Loda for church at Grandpa and Grandma Aardsma's, and when we arrived everyone began waving to the little guy. And he waved back! It was so precious; you had to be there! Now he waves to Daddy when Daddy comes home from work.

First wave ever!
Matt's family enjoyed being the one waved to!
You can see how startled Little Ger is
by all the commotion over one simple wave!

He continues to shriek at very high pitches when he's happy, but is starting to experiment more with new sounds.

He loved Uncle Caleb's keyboard!
See those "new" shoes?

Ger playing with his tractor,
a gift from Pam U.
Notice those adorable work boots; and the one off, one on effect!

Tooth number seven seems to be working its way in. Very soon...

Ever the explorer, Ger has developed a fascination for trash cans. Now you know why they're all up on tables! He's also fascinated with water, light switches, the tub drain pull, cords(!), camera straps, my hair, dog hair (more so on the dog than not), paper(!), and grass(!). Which usually includes putting some part of the fascinating object in the mouth, swallowing it only if Mom's not fast enough.

Ger is definitely working on trying to walk now. He is constantly attempting to pull himself up, with varied degrees of success. He will make little steps when someone is hanging onto his arms and assisting his balance. And boy, does he love to "cruise"--walking around while holding onto furniture. He's not very good at it yet, but just you wait!!

With love,
Esther

August 27, 2013

Yesterday he knocked the broom over and the dustpan fell off the handle where it had been clipped and tumbled onto his head. (Thank goodness it's lightweight!) Then he headed for the stepstool...is he ever going to keep me on my toes!

It has been entertaining watching the stages of his learning to crawl. First he just did pushups and cried when a toy got away from him. Then he figured out how to spin in circles. Then he ended up moving backward (what could be more frustrating than moving away from a toy when you were trying to go toward it?). Then he tried to do toe pushups, thinking that would help. Then he could barely pull himself forward, an inch at a time, using only his hands. Now he seems to have a method effectively down, and it's only a matter of refining and reworking for more efficiency.

Did I tell you about the time when he was in the stage of moving backward and got himself stuck under the couch?

Matt and Ger at the Arboretum.
That's Ger's 25 cent cap from Salvation Army.

He woke up yesterday morning with a single curl over his ear. Ger has inherited my hair--brown with hints of red and lots of gold, wavy as a norm, curly when it's wet, and crazy in the morning!

With love,
Esther

August 8, 2013

At eight months old yesterday, Ger is growing into his Y chromosome. Tell me a girl goes "RAH!!" when you ask her how she's doing!!

Ger is getting very good at turning himself around when he's on his stomach. However, he hasn't quite figured out how to crawl yet. As of two days ago, he thinks that maybe he has to be up on his hands and tiptoes...

And a second tooth is coming in! His other top middle tooth is very visible just below the gum, and will be cutting through any day now. So far nights have been pretty good; I'm hoping that maybe this time around more sleep will be on the itinerary than last time.

1. Plastic bags. Any sort, though tortilla chip bags remain near the top of the list. We caved and have on duty a heavy-duty freezer quart ziploc bag with a teething ring inside of it. Least expensive Christmas ever ahead!

2. Paper!! Mail, recipes fresh off the printer, toilet paper, wrapping paper, tissue paper, sewing patterns, to-do lists...he hears a crinkle and he'll drop whatever toy he has to come "help". Unless what he has is a plastic bag.

Yeah, we don't need a shredder. We just give our bills and junk mail to the kid.

3. Doorknobs. They're bright, they're shiny, they rattle when you shake them. (Do yours?) Funny thing is that the door comes with them when you pull on them to try to chew on---.....I thought that sounded like it hurt.

4. Buddy. Ger's getting to the point where he starts hyperventilating and jumping up and down on your lap when you say the dog's name. As Daddy commented, "I didn't know fetch was a spectator sport!" Just please...don't let the baby get his hands on that slimey, slobbery ball.

5. Buddy's tail. I'll leave the details to your imagination. (Mom Aardsma; it's ok. We have it under control.)

6. Human hair. I thought I had a tough skull...until he figured out he could grab one strand at a time and yank on it. Does anybody know any tricks to teach him to pull on his own hair instead of ours?

7,8,9,10,11,12,13... Did I mention that we keep an empty soda bottle by our bed to keep the child occupied while we read together at night? Oh, and how about the lanolin bottle on the changing table? And the plastic cup and bowl on the living room floor? And the metal canning lid ring on the high chair? Not to mention the things he can't have, like the bathroom rug by the tub (seriously, did you learn how to pull up the edges of rugs and chew on them as a baby?) and the strings to the shade (or the shade itself!!) by the changing table. (We have that one under control too, Mom Aardsma.)

Love,
Esther

"Mom, these toys are soooo boring.
Can I just have a plastic bag?"

July 29, 2013

Now that I'm finally on the upswing from this cold, I thought I'd send a short update on us.

The big news: Ger has his first tooth! I first noticed it coming in on last Wednesday, and it has completely cut through now. It is a top tooth; I have read that bottom teeth usually come in first, so he's a little out of the ordinary. But we all knew that already!

From this cold, and a growth spurt, and the teething, the last week has been pretty un-fun. Last night was the sixth out of seven nights that were pretty disturbed. Ger has been pretty restless at night, especially between two and four a.m. I can't seem to sleep much during the day, so I am holding my breath for when nights become more restful again...

Gerald discovered shadows this week! I had taken us two sickies outside to get some sunlight, and he was very fascinated with the dark moving thing on the ground as we walked. I had a really cute moment (sadly, no camera) with him sitting on the ground looking at his shadow (between tasting grass and leaves, of course.)

I made my first (and second, and third)
French bread the last couple weeks!
In a word...fantastic!

About a month ago now, Ger started having trouble sleeping. He would fuss when it was time to go to bed, no matter how tired he was. He would kick and toss and turn in the middle of the night, no matter how asleep he was. And he would wake up raring to go in the morning, no matter how early he woke up.

Our conclusion? This poor baby needed a way to relieve his restless-leg syndrome. If willpower alone could get him crawling, he would be zooming all over the house, but as yet he hasn't managed it yet, and so is still pretty immobile. We were given an ExerSaucer by a friend, and it has a little bounce in its legs, but not enough to keep this superactive child occupied for longer than five minutes. He loved to bounce if Matt or I were holding him, but there was only so much twenty-pound-impact-with-arms-fully-extended either of us could take.

So I started looking into bouncers, since one could possibly mean the survival of my sleeping schedule, sore arms, and sanity.

I looked at on-the-floor ones, briefly. I found I could pay 5 to 10 times my budget for a monstrous space-eater.

So I looked up doorway jumpers. They range from $20-$80 new. I read a million reviews, several online users' manuals, measured doorways, thought about it a ton, and discussed and rediscussed it with Matt until he finally told me to make up my mind and he'd be happy with whatever I chose. I looked on craigslist but didn't find anything feasible.

I narrowed it down to two options, then made my decision, all while nursing Ger to sleep for a nap one morning. I was waiting for him to stop nursing, and then I was going to get my credit card and order...and the phone rang.

Ger's wonderful auntie Rachel was on the other end and said she was at a garage sale looking at kid's items....did we want a doorway bouncer? It was in really good shape, and Ger was at just about the right age for it...and asking price was $15.

"Is it ok if I keep jumping, Mom, pleeeaaase?"

Auntie Rachel brought it down on her next visit, and we tried it as soon as we could, while still at Matt's parents. Ger figured it out very quickly and was soon bouncing away! It needed a tad of Pam spray on the swivel to keep the main support strap from twisting up...but it fits over our doorways and we've been using it almost daily ever since!

With love,
Esther

Ah...sweet peace.

July 2, 2013

I thought you might like to hear a little bit about what we've been doing recently....

Several weeks ago I made my first strawberry-rhubarb pie. Heavenly! I used this recipe:

I got the itch to do a little sewing for Ger. My pattern for baby clothes says that the largest size it has fits 18-21 lbs, and Ger is about 18 lbs. So I thought that I'd better get a move on if my pattern was going to be any good for this baby. I decided to make a pair of overalls, but couldn't find any suitable fabric--until I remembered the last batch of leftover-hand-me-downs that were waiting to head to Goodwill. I didn't think to take a before photo, but you can see below an after photo of what was left of the skirt when I was done with it.

Matthew says this quilt making may become a family tradition.

Here is my attempt. All those pretzels were dipped in the space of about thirty seconds!

The fudge is good, but very sweet. There's no way we're going to be able to eat it all! I have a feeling it may join the Fourth of July festivities over at Matt's parents...(it did and my, it was eaten in a flash!)

Happy homemaking!
Love,
Esther

July 1, 2013

Matt's graduation pulled off nicely. Mommy and Gerald (including Matt's family) cheered for Daddy as he walked across the stage; we were so proud of him! We were exhausted after all the excitement of the weekend!

Only dads do these kinds of stunts.

So, we found ourselves dazedly scrambling (if it sounds like a bad combination, it probably is!) to find a new vehicle. We found a used vehicle and purchased it, only to have more scares and stress when the new car's oil pressure gauge and the voltmeter decided to show how flaky they really were. The question of whether we just made a large purchase that would repeat the dramatics of the week before was one that neither of us dared to even think about. It has since become clearer that the instrument panel seems to just have a lot of personality. (Did anyone hear that sigh of relief?)

On the baby quilt (all hand sewn) I made for Little Ger.

Matt has now started back into work/school; life is back to normal again. (With the exception of the occasional attack of walmartparkinglotphobia.) Ger is starting to be more predictable with two naps a day, about an hour and a half each, and then (a highly encouraged) bedtime around 8. He is showing himself to be, at this stage, very much a night person and would rather sleep in till 9 am and stay up till 10:30 pm than wake up earlier and go to bed earlier. Several times late at night Matt and I have looked at each other with nearly-crossed eyes from exhaustion and jokingly said, "I'm going to bed. You are too? I guess the baby will have to stay up by himself!" I've started to try to manage his naps a little more in order to be in bed by a reasonable time. This usually consists of not letting him sleep past 4:30 in the afternoon, and waking him up a little earlier from a nap if necessary.

A whole new world at this height!

Ger's six-month doctor's visit went well; he weighed in at 17 lbs 14.5 ozs and is 2' 2" tall. We saw a nurse practitioner instead of our regular doctor and absolutely loved her! When I asked about a funny red spot on the nape of Ger's neck, she told us, "Oh, that's a birthmark...around here we call them storkbites!"

Grandma Aardsma copying Ger's position.

June 15, 2013

He can't be graduating already?
Trying on Daddy's cap!

Enjoy nature and family time.

Little Ger continues to love baths, now splashing and a little more interested in the rubber duckies. (Isn't it interesting how a baby's entire viewpoint while working on teeth consists of "Is it chewable?") Speaking of, he has found his newest favorite pastime--chewing on his toes. Which he now does whenever he can, usually in the middle of diaper changes. It's pretty adorable.

Ger loves our "mirror game". While holding him, I will stand in front of a mirror and say, "Who's that in the mirror?" Ger will look at his reflection and smile, sometimes reaching out a hand to touch the mirror. I answer my own question with "That's baby Gerald in the mirror!" to which he will smile and duck his head into my shoulder. If we are looking in the bathroom mirror above the sink, he tends to get distracted very quickly by the toothbrushes and soap and other things--but it is fun while it lasts.

I've also taught him another, similar game. When I put him on his tummy, he will often get tired after a little while and put his head down. I ask, "Where's baby Gerald? Where did he go?" and he will usually lift his head up and look at me and smile, then duck his head down again, waiting for me to ask again. Very fun!

Learning to draw with Daddy

Another difficult thing has been that Ger will often get very clingy right about the time I need to make supper. Since I am usually working with hot stoves, ovens, etc, putting him in a sling or carrier is not usually practical. I usually end up juggling the baby and the food, and feel pretty stressed by the time I'm done. There's nothing like a kind-of-whiny child to put my nerves on edge! I am usually so relieved when Matt gets home and can play with the kiddo while I finish getting the food ready.

Enjoy! Happy Saturday! Hopefully I can fall asleep now...

Love,
Esther

May 30, 2013

I am pleased and excited to announce that, as of May 12th, Matthew has graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with his Bachelor's of Science in Animal Sciences. I could not have been more proud of him when he walked across the stage! He has worked so long and hard for his degree that it is difficult to believe we are walking into the next era of life and leaving this one behind us.

Matt's graduation.
We did it...together!

We are enjoying a little bit of break and family time before we plunge in headlong again. (Though we are hoping that the Master's program will be a little less crazy than the undergrad was. Wishful thinking?) Our little man is growing like a weed, giving us lots of laughs and smiles these days. He's caught right up with the average weight and height--you could never tell by looking at him that he was a preemie! He's our little joy and delight...he kept Daddy going through that last final exam week!

With love,
Esther (for Matt and Little Ger, too)

May 6, 2013

Well, Matthew is in his last Spanish exam. What a relief it will be when it is over! No more Spanish! Matt then has two exams on Wednesday, the last of his undergrad. It is hard to believe that he is really graduating!

Once all the festivities [Ger is determined to press the Ctrl key.] of next weekend have passed, we are planning to take a little family vacation time until the first of June.

[After putting the baby to sleep]

During this three-week period we are hoping to accomplish a couple jobs around the house, spend lots of time fishing, take the boat out for a spin [swim? :) ], take lots of walks, etc. You know, romantic kind of things. Our biggest adventure we will attempt will be a three-day trip to St. Louis to see some sights. We are pretty excited about it, but I must say I am a little afraid of how Ger will handle being in new surroundings for such a long time.

"How far down do you suppose the water is?"

[After nursing the baby back to sleep]

On the brighter side, Gerald is a goofball, and seems to know that he is, and enjoy being one. His expressive noises often have a smile at the end, and a laugh if you tell him he's silly. He is laughing more and more each successive day. Daddy has been enjoying it immensely!!

The laughter of a child
is the most beautiful sound on earth.

With love,
Esther

April 29, 2013

My pretty spring tulips.

I guess it boils down to I just have a hard time eating. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy food just as much as anyone else would, but it's the effort of eating that I find difficult. Especially when I am alone, it is difficult to make myself eat, and even more so when I have to put in effort to make food for myself. I learned a couple weeks ago that I would rather eat something I didn't particularly care for that was in the fridge than go to the trouble to make something I did like. I know, I know, I'm terribly abnormal.

I've been having some occasional muscle cramps recently, and have been trying to take more calcium supplements. The drain on my caloric and mineral resources is huge!

Gerald is pretty close to rolling over from his back to his tummy, though I don't think he knows it yet. He will arch his back and roll over to his side to get a better view of a fascinating object...and one of these times he will just roll right over!

Ger's been very clingy the last couple days, meaning a bit more difficulty even accomplishing small tasks like laundry. He will complain, even cry, the moment I put him down. If I pick him up again, he's as happy as a clam. It gets frustrating at times; I can feel pretty hampered. Yesterday he was happy in his little chair for the first time in days, and I took full advantage of it! I vacuumed four rooms and the stairs!

Esther

Yes, it is a dog's tail and it moves!

April 21, 2013

The school year is wrapping up! Matt's workload is starting to diminish and exam time is ramping up, and with that we are pulling into the familiar final-exam-and-class-wrap-up home stretch. Matthew will graduate in May from the University of Illinois with a Bachelor of Science degree. I am so proud of Matthew for all the work he has put into school, and for growing through the difficulties school has presented.

Gerald is transitioning into a three-naps-a-day schedule, but in the meantime it's kind of all up in the air. Friday night he stayed up until after nine. Yesterday he only took two naps, but his morning nap was two and a half hours long, and his afternoon nap was three hours long, and he fell asleep at about 6:30 for the night. It's a little hard keeping up with all the changes!

Ger's head strength is getting better and better!

Ger's favorite word is "ooh!" and now I hear it a lot. When I manage to get away with putting him down while I wash dishes, I will hear "ooh! ooh! ooh! ooh! ooh-ooh! oooh-oo-oo-oooo-ooh!...."

Gerald's official weight and length from his four-month visit: 14lb, 15oz and 25" long. It's truly amazing that a baby can nearly triple in weight and add a quarter again in height in only a short four months!

Grandma Aardsma enjoying a visit
from her grandson last Sunday.

Update on the sickness I had a couple weeks ago: it seems to have actually been a foodborne illness. Matt has been studying and working with some bacteria that cause food borne illnesses in his microbiology class. One day I found his lab textbook open next to the computer and was glancing over a table of different illnesses caused by bacteria...and happened upon a description that matched very, very closely with what I had: headache, backache, fever, chills, upset stomach and diarrhea. It would also make sense why neither Matthew nor Ger got it. Apparently I need to be just a little more careful with food safety?

Before the spring rain storms rolled in Matt planted our little garden out in front of our house. Gerald joined us outside and really enjoyed the warm breezes!

With love,
Esther

I love the outdoors!

Grandma Aardsma watched my sleeping baby
while Matthew and I had a little boat trip!
I know I had fun!

April 13, 2013

After a rough weekend, God sent me a little bit of comic relief. We had a miserable dentist appointment for me on Thursday, a fairly miserable doctor's appointment with vaccinations for Gerald on Friday, and an even more miserable morning today with Gerald's reaction to the vaccines (fever and just general miserableness). Plus, Little Ger is teething, and there were some pretty miserable moments of teething desperation.

Then, when I was eating supper and talking to Matthew while rocking Little Ger's chair with one foot, I felt a bump in the rocking chair and looked down to see this.

Esther

April 10,

At long last I have a chance to write again! Little Ger is now eighteen weeks old.

Last week started out rather traumatically. I had nursed the baby to sleep, then joined Matthew downstairs for supper, leaving the baby in the bedroom. (This is not a rare thing to do; we can hear the baby cry from the kitchen or the dining room, and run to pick him up.) When we were done eating supper, Matthew began working in our attached garage, and when I had finished clearing the table, I joined him for a few minutes. We left the door to the house open, and turned off the radio...you can tell where this is going, can't you? We both assumed we would be able to hear the baby, as sound tends to carry well in our house.

After keeping Matthew company for ten or fifteen minutes, I decided to check on the baby-- what if we couldn't hear him after all? Sure enough, as I neared the foot of the steps, I could hear Little Ger crying--no, screaming. I flew up the stairs--how long it took!--and scooped my little one up. He was more worked up than I had ever seen him before; even after I picked him up he did not stop crying. I don't know how long he had been crying alone; it took over a half-hour to calm him down completely. I felt absolutely awful about the whole thing; I was crying too.

When we woke up the next morning, I felt pretty bruised and battered by the experience. To my relief and amazement, Gerald seemed to be completely unaffected. He seemed to have no memory of crying alone in the dark; it did not dampen his normally happy spirits. Maybe God designed babies with short-term memory for foolish parents when they make mistakes?

Wearing the hat Grandma Aardsma bought for him.

But the end of the story was someone DID hear, and someone DID come. It was, and is, very reassuring to me that Ger crying alone is not the norm, but the exception.

There are no adequate substitutes for
father, mother, and children
bound together in a loving commitment
to nurture and protect.
No government, no matter how well-intentioned,
can take the place of the family in the scheme of things.
Gerald R. Ford

Oh, yes, he's becoming quite the little grabber these days. His fine motor skills continue to improve daily. Holding him while eating has already become a challenge; even though he isn't quite at the point of grabbing everything, he still thinks the tablecloth and my plate are fascinating items.

He's just starting to discover his feet; if I take his socks off and sit him up, he will wiggle his fat little toes and stare at them in shocked disbelief. It won't be long now before he starts putting them in his mouth...I remember my little sister as a baby biting her toes, then screaming, then biting her toes again, not realizing that she was causing her own pain. (Though she may have been acting it up a little bit. It's amazing what kids will do to get a reaction sometimes!)

Easter, 2013.

He is also laughing more, and very quick on the smiles these days. He plays a cute little game sometimes when I'm holding him in which he will wait for me to smile at him, and then he'll give me a great big smile and duck his head really fast and hide for a second, only to repeat it. He also loves being put on my tummy. And boy! is he ticklish! He will get bored with laughing at being tickled very quickly, but I'll get a couple laughs out of him now and then from a well-placed tickle.

Last Thursday we went for our first walk with the baby in the Ergobaby carrier. He's still a little small for it, but it went very well! He was pretty quiet through the whole thing, just staring wide-eyed with those big blue eyes at everything, taking in the sounds and sights. At the end of the walk I started feeling a backache, though, and began to worry about whether or not the carrier really was going to be okay for my back.

As the evening progressed, my back got more and more sore, and I began to feel a little nauseous too. No big deal, occasionally I just don't feel tops. After not being able to fall asleep because my back hurt so much, and then not being able to warm up from a series of uncontrollably shivering chills, it was official: I was getting sick. For the next 24 hours or so, I was pretty miserable, felt weak, had a fever...all symptoms of some sort of flu (our best guess). Including the backache. My suspicions were confirmed that the backache was due to the sickness when I woke up the morning I felt better and the back pain was almost completely gone. Phew! Not the carrier after all.

Aunty 'Beka and Gerald, Easter 2013.

There was some question at first whether several of the symptoms I experienced while sick were due to not taking vitamins. Matthew discovered that I had stopped taking my calcium when I had stopped taking my prenatal vitamins, and very sternly but lovingly reprimanded me for my carelessness (forgetfulness?). Since the iron in the prenatal vitamin was most likely the cause of the baby's issues, Matthew got me a plain B complex supplement to take. Although it is unlikely that the lack of vitamins had caused or were related to my getting sick, it is good that I am taking some again.

On Sunday we celebrated a wonderful Easter with my in-laws, the baby's first Easter! He slept through the entire Easter egg hunt, but enjoyed playing with his aunts and uncles.

Talk to you again soon!

Esther

March 24, 2013.

Little Ger has learned to laugh! Auntie Beka was playing with him this last week while she was at my home visiting and I heard him really laugh for the first time. Since then he has laughed for me several times. I have waited so long for this!

At 16 weeks Gerald is becoming more and more animated these days. He now keys in very quickly on faces, and has an incredible attention span for just taking in people. He seems to be a very intense personality--he's either really sad, or really happy. In between = really bored!

The little one is learning how to reach. He hasn't completely connected the "grabbing" part yet, but he will put his arms out at full length and practice opening and closing his hands, watching them the entire time. He is making inroads on being coordinated enough to grab; I think by three weeks' time he will be grabbing at everything he can.

I have started to experience some back trouble recently. I have had a history with pretty severe lower-lumbar back pain, and it's starting to flare up again. Ger is about fourteen pounds now; I am needing to be more careful with how I hold him, carry him, pick him up, and set him down. I think that most of the discomfort I am experiencing is due to just not being careful with my posture, and now the weight of the baby is enough that it's really aggravating the issue. I looked online for some suggestions, which basically boiled down to: get as close as you can to the baby to pick him up (kneel if on the floor or in a stroller, pull baby closer to you if in the middle of a bed), bend at knees and not waist when possible, hold baby close to you to minimize bodily counterbalancing, and don't slouch while nursing. Working on keeping an eye on these things!

I've been thinking a bit more about priorities, and one thought that I had was that just because you may do one thing after another doesn't mean that it is necessarily lower priority, or of less importance. For instance, just because I change the baby and feed him for the morning and wait for him to take a nap before I spend time with God doesn't mean that God is less important than my baby. There is a time appropriate for each thing. This idea carries over into the priorities I mentioned last week: 1) God, 2) Little Ger, and 3) Matthew. Just because I mention my son before my husband doesn't necessarily mean the one is more important than the other. I love both as much as I can, and although I love them differently, I don't think I love one more than the other. Why, then, did I place the baby before the man? I did this because the baby's needs are not more important than Matthew's, but because they are more immediate. When Gerald gets hungry, he's hungry NOW. When he begins crying, he needs me NOW. He is not capable of deceit; what he "says" he needs is what he needs--in the immediate. Furthermore, my child cannot understand the gnawing in his tummy, nor the need he innately possesses to be loved and cared for. No more could he understand if the means to fill those needs was to be denied him, if even for a short time. He functions, innocently, in the moment. My husband, although he does need me, in ways varied and many, is capable of understanding if the baby needs me first. He is capable of "delayed gratification", and of putting off his own needs until I am free to meet them. Does this mean I care any less about him? Not on your life!! Does this mean I do not need to strive in every way possible to meet his needs? Absolutely not! Does this mean I am trying to control and/or manipulate him? Ha. Positively ridiculous. Does this mean I am trying to push my husband away in order to "put my baby first", and ignoring the importance of my relationship with my man? Um. Talk to Matthew and ask him if he feels neglected.

It is a common mistake of many to pit the child against the husband...or maybe it's the other way around. I like this quote from The Heart Has Its Own Reasons (a La Leche League book): "Some people may caution you...telling you that by giving of yourself in this way you're...shortchanging your marriage. Turn a deaf ear to them. It's misleading advice since it creates a conflict where there really isn't one, between the roles of spouse and parent. Children don't shortchange their parents' marriage; only the married partners can do that. It is not a matter of choosing in favor of spouse or children, but of accommodating both and building a family." I am very glad that I am blessed with a husband that does not feel like he has to grasp at what he "needs", nor put himself before his child, nor be jealous of the attention his child receives. I am so relieved that I do not have to fight an inward battle every time the baby cries over whether to choose my baby or my husband. I am so blessed that my husband would be more upset if I failed to tend a crying child than he would be if I failed to have everything he may want just so at the expense of a crying child. We both know the sacrifices we are personally making, though difficult, are worth it all; they are the mere cost of building and developing the fundamentals of emotional security for a new person.

I'm still working on the meals side of priorities and trying to figure out a system that works for us. One thing I am trying to change is have more ready-to-warm-up-and-eat food in the freezer at any given time. Also, since there are only the two of us, leftovers that neither of us want to eat --though perfectly good food!-- tend to get pushed to the back of the fridge and forgotten about until maybe a week later, when even if no mold is visible, the smells and taste of the questionable item are doubtful indeed. My new idea: if leftovers don't get eaten within two days, freeze them! Then when I'm in a pinch or need some inspiration, I can pull out the leftovers. This is a rather radical shift in my mindset, but I don't know why I hadn't thought of it before!

In my efforts to get some order and organization into my (nonexistent) meal-planning, I asked Mom Aardsma for some help.

Here was my question:

I would appreciate any food advice on menu planning, etc. I've been struggling to get suppers on the table recently; it's difficult to come up with things that I can make in between periods of taking care of the baby. Matthew doesn't really like having the same things over and over, which is also a contributing factor. I'm trying to be a little more purposeful about it, and I think that will solve most of the issues, but I would still appreciate hearing about what you've done and found helpful.

Dear Esther,

Good for you for working on this issue. Being aware of the problem means 90% of the problem is already solved!

You need to feed your hungry husband or you will end up with a crabby husband! Make it a priority every day to think about your main meal for the next day and take out the meat you need, etc. Then first thing after breakfast is to plan and get the main meal going. Do as much as you can while the baby is happy playing and then as soon as he gets to sleep, do the main meal work. This is how you show your husband that he is important to you.

Cooking comes first before house work, laundry, sewing, surfing on the web or talking on the phone, etc. If you wait until 4 o'clock and the baby is tired and you are tired and wondering what in the world to make for supper, it just won't work.

Here is basically how we eat.

Each main meal should have a meat, starch (bread, rice, potatoes, pasta), and vegetable. Add a sweet something twice a week or so, and then fruit on the table for after a meal if desired.

Chicken:

Once a week (Sunday lunch for me) I try to cook a couple of chickens and lots of potatoes in the oven. That makes one meal.

Then I use the chicken meat for leftovers for another two meals. Like hot chicken sandwiches with gravy, or cut up chicken and gravy over rice, or chicken pot pie (needs lots of time!), chicken and gravy over mashed potatoes, club sandwiches, etc. Yesterday, I made whole wheat fresh pita bread and then stuffed them with cold chicken, spinach, black olives, different shredded cheeses, cut up celery and carrots and then mixed all of this together with a tablespoon or two of ranch dressing. This was a hit and delicious and healthy. I served them warm. Kind of like a gyro.

Eggs:

I use the leftover potatoes from the Sunday lunch and make pan fried potatoes goes great with an egg meal; scrambled eggs, poached eggs, fried eggs, french toast, waffles, etc. Add sausage, and fresh salad and you have a nice easy meal.

Italian:

Another meal per week can be Italian like pizza, spaghetti, hot meat ball subs on fresh french bread, lasagna. I make a large pan of lasagne and freeze leftovers for a quick meal later. I defrost and add a bit of water and put it in a frying pan to reheat. Add garlic bread or sticks and fresh salad for a wonderful filling meal.

Beef:

Meat loaf with rice, mashed potatoes or baked potatoes is a quick meal. Hamburgers with fresh rolls, chips or prezels. Chili in the crock pot. Scrambled cooked hamburger over rice. Spaghetti and meatballs.

Roast beef is another quick meal and you can use the leftovers for sandwiches, stir fry with cut up cooked beef, gravy and beef over mashed potatoes and rice or noodles.

Fish: I know Matthew isn't a fish person, but tuna and salmon sandwiches can work for a main meal if you have a vegetable and fruit with it. Maybe chips or pretzels added.

Vegetable:

A vegetable hot or cold should be with each meal. Carrots sticks with dressing, green beans, corn, fresh salad (every other day; great with fresh spinach and spring leaf lettuce!). You can also make a meal of a salad by having lots of fresh vegetables in the salad as well as strips of leftover chicken. Just make sure you have some fresh bread for filler. We eat a lot of black olives (healthy and try to have some on the table every other day or so. Frozen or canned peas are great with lots of fiber.

Mexican can be another meal. Tacos, burritos, enchiladas (again freeze one for another quick meal.)

Starch:

I use the leftover potatoes for fried potatoes (delicious!) to add to another meal that needs a starch. Make big batches of rice and then reheat for fried rice when in a pinch. Macaroni and cheese can be made in big batches and reheated. Noodles with butter and Parmesan cheese is quick and easy. Scalloped potatoes in the crock pot is easy as well as putting tin wrapped potatoes in the crock pot. Having fresh bread every other day is always a great filler. Chips and pretzels are great for sandwich meals.

Soup:

This is good to add for a sandwich main meal. Tomato, chicken noodle, clam chowder and a beef base soup. My husband doesn't feel like he has had a real meal unless there is something hot. As a young mom with a little one to care for (it only takes one baby on your lap to keep you busy!) just buy the soups for now and don't worry about it, unless you can fit it in now.

Desserts:

When you end up with a free moment, (ha!), cook big batches of cookies and freeze them in freezer zip locks. You can pop a couple out of the freezer an hour or so before dinner. If you want your husband to "feel" extra special, freeze the dough in dough balls and then cook one sheet of cookies just before he comes home. If you make a variety (choc. chip, snickerdoodles, peanut butter, etc.) your husband will think you have been slaving away in the kitchen all day! Fruit is always a good touch and is great for fiber and good health. We've been buying fresh pineapple lately. Cheap and so delicious. Having a few canned fruits is nice too. Pineapple, peaches, pears, fruit cocktail adds a nice touch to a more skimpy meal. Add a cookie and you will have a very happy husband!

Menus:

You should try to make a basic meal plan for the week and then make sure you have on hand the ingredients you need. Since you are close to town, shopping once a week is possible and then you can add your fresh fruits and vegetables each week. Add variety to the menu, (egg rolls!) when you can but don't worry too much about that. That will come with time.

Paper products:

Don't feel guilty about using paper plates, paper cups and paper napkins. Just buy them and use them. Since it is just the two adults you are feeding, it won't be expensive. Food for your husband is more important at this stage in your motherhood. Try to have at least one special meal a week (Sunday?) when you use nice dishes and glasses and a candle or two.

By the way, I love your wonderful explanation about priorities in regards to Matthew and/vs the baby. Very well stated Esther! I am so very proud of you and love you bunches and bunches!

Hugs,
Mom Aardsma

I found Mom Aardsma's ideas very helpful, but I am still working on coming up with my own system that will work for my little family. My meal-planning needs to have a measure of flexibility included, because some of our supplies (chicken in particular) tend to be on a feast-or-famine cycle. Somehow I have a feeling that I will always be working on something....

Bye for now!
Esther

March 16, 2013.

and goals:

A recent visit to Grandma Aardsma's house;
both baby and Grandma are worn out!

March 9, 2013

Labor at the hospital.
'Beka brushing my hair and Matthew having a snack.

The long awaited moment. Bliss!

Mom Aardsma and Matthew helping me with nursing.

'Beka stayed for the entire labor.
Her extra hands were so appreciated!

Exhausted but so happy!

One tired Dad!

Mom Aardsma attended the birth
as well as stayed overnight at the hospital.
She held the baby as well as "intercepted" the night nurses
so Matthew and I could get some much needed sleep.

My joy and delight.

Dad Aardsma visiting his name sake at the hospital.

March 3, 2013

February 15 - 27, 2013

February 12, 2013

February 10, 2013

February 5, 2013

January 29, 2013

Hi there! I'm rocking the little man with one foot while I type. He seems pretty happy, at least for the moment.

January 27, 2013

As per Mom Aardsma's desperate plea to please send a photo.... :)

January 21, 2013

My husband, Matthew, comforting "Little Ger".

January 14, 2013

January 9, 2013

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