Big News!

     No, I'm not pregnant.  Deep breath everyone. :)  Marcus finally has a tooth coming, but not just one...TWO!  Sometimes when Marcus fusses I'll rub his gums with my finger and on Thursday I felt a little bit of something pokey.  Upon further investigation, I discovered it was his first tooth!  Each day we can see a little more of it coming up, but today, as I was face to face making him laugh, I noticed there are TWO teeth coming in, both on the bottom.  This time when I was rubbing his gums he chomped down on my finger and it actually HURT!  He got a kick out of it as he cackled with glee when I hollared, "ouch!"  When I told Mark about it, he reminded me how thankful we should be that Marcus isn't fussing or running a fever (so far).  We hope all his teeth come in this smoothly, but we're happy that he's not in too much pain thus far. 
     The other big news, Marcus is working hard on getting his big ol' tummy off the ground, trying to crawl.  He can rotate like the hands on the clock (like you'll see in the video below) and his reverse works great, but going forward is a bit of a challenge for him so far.  He's started the "rocking" process where he goes back and forth, and has gotten up on all fours a few times, but not crawling yet (and we're ok with that).  He's sitting quite well, but usually tips over sideways in an effort to reach a toy.
     Finally, it's great to live in Asheville.  The weather is UH-MAZE-ING right now and it's so nice outside.  This evening  Mark and I took Marcus on a walk down to our neighbor's home.  We visited with them out on the front porch then eventually had supper there as well (although we totally didn't anticipate it).  Marcus sat on the floor for most of supper, playing with stuffed animals and practicing his latest trick - spitting.  He will take out or spit out his paci just so he can spit and drool everywhere.  He's such a boy, because he LOVES doing it.  He also loves destroying things.  In the video below, you'll see him banging on the coffee table, having the best time.  Right when I thought he was tired and over it, he'd start right back up.  It is great to have a content baby who actually enjoys the non-toy items better than any toys we can buy him.

Here's Marcus working on crawling and moving, all while doing his best whining puppy impersonation.

Here's our little drummer boy.

Do not fear

"Do not fear, for I am with you;

Do not be dismayed for I am your God.

I will strengthen you, I will help you,

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

~Isaiah 41:10~

     Have you ever heard of SIDS?  It stands for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and the stats claim that it kills 7,000 babies every year.  When I was pregnant with Marcus that's all I heard about and once he was born, the fear of SIDS terrorized me.  Doctors and nurses said babies should sleep on their backs, avoid blankets and anything else in their cribs that they could cover their faces with and suffocate.  So what did I do?  Exactly what they said.  There is now nothing in Marcus' crib and he doesn't sleep with a blanket of any type.  He has a "sleep sack" to keep him warm at night, but that's it.  For the first 7 months of his life, this has worked out well, especially since he could only roll to his left.  When we put him down for naps or bedtime, we put him against the side of the crib, next to his left shoulder, and he was somewhat stuck, and would go to sleep.  Now that he can roll, scoot, and move around, this fear of SIDS has reared it's ugly head again.  Let me explain.
     The other morning, Mark went into Marcus' room before he left for work.  Marcus had moved around during the night and was on his stomach, sleeping.  As precious as this may have looked, it scares us both because we don't want him to suffocate, even though he was breathing fine, head turned to the side.  And again, yesterday when I put him down for a nap, he repeatedly kept rolling over, moving around his crib, then would get stuck and not be able to roll back over onto his back, so he'd get frustrated and cry.  I normally put him in his crib awake, but this time I wanted to rock him until he was allllllllllllmost asleep, and just to love on him some.  I thought, "If I hold him and rock him to sleep, he won't roll, therefore he'll go to sleep and be safe."  I don't know that I've ever heard the audible voice of God or not, but He plainly told me, as we were rocking, that even in my arms, if the Lord wanted to take Marcus, He could.  Marcus belongs to Him anyway.
     In my own controlling ways, I thought I could protect him, and to an extent, I can, but that's it.  However, all things that go on and that will happen to Marcus must first go through the Lord's hands, both good and bad.  Of that I have no control.  I can pray for protection and good health, but ultimately it's the Lord's decision.  So knowing all that, do I live my life terrified that God will just snatch away our child?  Do I put him in bubble wrap so he'll never get hurt (no, because he'd suffocate on that - joke).  Do I hold his hand, brush his teeth for him, bathe him, do his laundry, and spoon feed him until he's 25?  Uh, the answer is a resounding, "no."
     I will CHOOSE not to fear, because that's what God's Word commands me to do.  2 Timothy 1:7 says, "God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline." I will rely on his promises, rely on his grace, and rely on his TRUTH that He'll never leave me, nor forsake me (Matthew 6:24).  God is the creator and ruler of this universe.  His thoughts outnumber the grains of sand on the beaches (Psalm 139:18), he knows the number of hair on my head (Matthew 10:30), and He is WORTHY of my trust.
  

     I will not be scared any more.  I choose to trust Jesus in raising Marcus and rely on His Word for guidance.  Period.

What a FUN weekend

     This past weekend was soooooooooo wonderful.  On Saturday, Mark, Marcus, and I rode down to Lake Norman for Seth Denton's 30th birthday party.  It was the first time that we, as a family of 3, we around other people near our age with children, close to Marcus' age.  It was held at a lake home on the most perfect day so far this year.  It was warm, but not too hot, there was a sweet breeze, and the sun was glistening off of the water.  There were toys for the children and plenty of open arms of people who wanted to hold a baby.  We had an amazing time with the Dentons and their family and other friends, ate great BBQ (you can't ever really go wrong with that meal), and just enjoyed being outside. 
     Then, the highlight of our weekend was EASTER SUNDAY!  We got up early and went to Sunrise Service at church and let me tell you...Marcus was EXCITED about it.  We kept him in his pajamas, but he didn't act sleepy.  He was talking and jabbering during a lot of the service!  Since it was outside and we were all standing, I could just walk towards the parking lot with him.  He was wiggling and squirming all over the place, but not in an unhappy way...he was quite hyper.  After the service we had an amazing Southern breakfast (including chocolate gravy...yum!) and then Marcus and I went home to change in to our Easter outfits (Mark was already dressed). 
     My mom had given us a tuxedo for Marcus to wear on Easter, so when I got home, that's what I reached for in his closet.  The bowtie wasn't attaching like it should've since he kept chewing it, but either way, he looked adorable.  When we got back to church for Sunday School Mrs. Abby wanted to have a photo shoot with Marcus in his tux.  It was precious, so if I get some of the pictures she took, I'll post them on here.  He didn't keep the bowtie and jacket on for long, but while it lasted, he was a stud.
     We had a packed house at church and learned about the different proofs that the resurrection was real.  If it wasn't, then our faith is built on nothing and therefore is nonexistent.  But the great thing is HE DIED FOR US AND HE'S ALIVE NOW!  It was wonderful to relish in the beautiful truth of what our savior did for us.
     After church we had lunch with our Asheville family, the Dorris'.  They have five incredible children, a sweet bird dog, and Dr. Dorris' parents were in town as well.  We enjoyed good ol'  fried chicken, deviled eggs, and coleslaw.  Does it get any better?  Poor Marcus only had a bottle and then a lovely mixture of peas, carrots, and spinach, but he didn't seem to care. :)
     Sunday night, all three of us went to bed early, happily exhausted after a fantastic weekend.  We had good weather, good friends, and best of all, the GOOD NEWS of the Gospel was preached for many to hear.  It'll be fun to teach Marcus more about the resurrection story next year, when he's able to comprehend a little bit better.

Before the party, I set up the tripod so we could have a family picture.  I thought this shirt was cute until I realized it made me look pregnant when I turned to the side.  Oh well, at least the colors were nice! :)

Marcus was big enough to be at the kids table, but not stable enough to stand on his own yet.

The other children played in the sand and water...Marcus just chewed the water gun.

Sweetness - sitting up on his own in the grass.

They even had little boat docks you could fish off of.

Here are Mark's two girlfriends before me: Mrs. Denton and Holly

Only in the South...

While there, Seth's cousin rode on the tube behind the boat.

This is Seth and Rebecca's son, Luke.  This is his smile after conning his grandfather into opening another coke for him after Rebecca told him no.  He knew what he was doing. :)

Daddy was making him laugh.

"You crack me up, Daddy!"

We took these last night, so it's not as crisp as it was this morning.

His bowtie was clipped to his vest here because he kept pulling it off when it was clipped to his shirt.

I had to hold his bunny up so he'd look up at me and not down at his bowtie.

I had no idea

     Marcus turned 7 months old this past Monday and we used up the last diaper that had been given to us.  Yes, that's right, we were blessed with SEVEN MONTHS worth of diapers.  I do still have two packages of size 1's, a package of size 4's, and a package of size 5's, but I returned, traded, and got as many diapers of the proper size as I could with what we were given.  I would've returned those 1's but I exceeded my return/trade credit at Target within a year.  Before Marcus' birth, Bev Colombo and Jennifer Hilliard threw us a Diapers and Desserts shower and I must say, it was genius!  It was super informal, we ate desserts, had coffee and water, and Mark and I received MULTIPLE packages of diapers and wipes.  For those of you out there who are going to throw a baby shower for someone you know, THIS is the idea you should go with.
     Moving on, I say all that to say this: I HAD NO IDEA HOW EXPENSIVE DIAPERS ARE (especially when you're diaper snobs like us)!  I say, "Diaper Snob" because we've used all brands and types of diapers and there has been only ONE that out little boy has not leaked through or pooped out of and that is Pampers.  Yes, of course he had to pick the most expensive diaper out there, but oh well.  At least there's one brand that does the trick.  I've heard different brands work for different children, especially girls vs boys, but for now, we're Pampers People.
     But who in their right mind would pay $35 for a box of diapers that MIGHT last 3 weeks (but probably closer to 2)???  That's right, it's time to whoop out the ol' coupons again and wait until they go on sale!  There's this show on TLC called, "Extreme Couponing," and I think when I grow up, I'll be like those ladies.  :)
     In other news, Marcus got his first taste of cookie batter this week.  I was baking cookies for a fund raiser at the school where I used to work and was licking the beater (duh, you would too...).  Anyhow, I was sitting right beside him and the child was COMING UNGLUED trying to get it himself.  So I took the tiniest little bit and put it in his mouth and he almost passed out with glee.  It was the funniest thing.  He sat ever so still for just a minute then started bouncing and jumping violently as he delightfully grunted.  He made another attack on me so I gave him one more speck, but this one must've had a little extra flour on it because he made a funny face and spit it all over me (and by spit, I mean projectile, ONTO my face).  Needless to say, that was his last taste, I mean, who wastes perfectly good cookie batter?  Not this girl.
     Finally, we're headed to Lake Norman today for a birthday party of our great friend, Seth Denton.  He was a groomsman in our wedding, Mark was in his, and he's turning THIRTY!  We are looking forward to seeing the sweet Dentons and spending the afternoon out by the lake, enjoying this beautiful Spring weather.  Obviously, we'll be posting pictures later in the week as there should be plenty of new friends for Marcus to play with.

Ignore the "morning hair"

He's PULLING HIMSELF UP!  I didn't even show him how to do this!

He still loves his baths.  Soon, he'll be sitting up in the bath.

This week our Sunday School class was supposed to read Psalm 139:1-18 every day.  Luckily, Marcus had an outfit to help me remember to do this.

"Seriously, Mom...another picture?"

This box of toys is great motivation for Marcus to sit up on his own.

Marcus loves his Daddy (and so do I for that matter).

This was his, "Dress Like Daddy" outfit.

Sweetness

Our little man is just getting so big.  I just want to keep him little (sometimes).

A Blessing and Prayer

     I don't know how many of you read this blog, but I figured it couldn't hurt to get a few extra people praying for something special.  Our friends the Dambachs were just blessed with a beautiful baby boy early this morning, however he wasn't breathing and is currently in the NICU at their hospital in California.  Will you please join us in fervently praying that God will heal whatever is wrong with this sweet little lamb and that he'll comfort Ryan and Val as they endure their first few days without being able to take their baby home.  We're praying for clean air to fill his little lungs to where he can breathe on his own and for any other complications to be cleared up as well.  We know very little details, but OUR CREATOR knows them all, so to HIM we pray for the safety and healing of this little boy as well as for his worried parents. 

7 Months Old

    

     Our sweet little baby boy is now 7 months old.  Well, he's not that little, really.  Today, we took him back to the doctor's office for his post-ear infection visit.  He weighed a whopping 20 pounds and 1.5 ounces.  I think the 1.5 ounces was the little turd that he left on the scale that I didn't know was there...whoops!  But still, twenty pounds?  No wonder Mark and I have big biceps :).
     They don't do the regular measurements and checking everything out when it's just a check up, but it's always good to her Dr. Love say he looks great.  He did mention the amount of drool coming out of Marcus' mouth was like a drool bucket, so teething may be happening now or on it's way.  He is after all, 7 months old now.  Here are some of his latest feats and talents:

• Marcus is now wearing 9-12 month clothes.  He doesn't wear shoes very often because he loves his feet.  There have been a few times when we were in the car and he threw or lost his paci.  All I had to do was take off his socks and he played with his feet until we could get to our destination.  If he's not strapped into his car seat, he can chew and suck on his toes for a long time.  And by the way, they're still adorable little fat feet.
  
  
• He now eats baby food three times a day, along with his bottle as well.  He still likes vegetables better than fruits (sweet potatoes and butternut squash seem to be his favorites), but ever since I made pears and mixed it with the apples, he doesn't mind the apples too bad.  I hope it was just a tart batch of apples that made him keep spitting it out those few times. 
  
  
• Marcus is working on sitting up every day, but still needs me to be within reach or he needs a pillow for support.  Last night he was playing with a nursery worker at church and fell back hitting his head right on the floor.  It made the most horrible sound and he cried as if he were dying, but it only took a few minutes to calm him down to where I could check him out.  He was fine, and just for reassurance, Dr. Love said everything was ok as well. 
  
  
• Rolling over has been easy for Marcus for a number of months now, but he still rolls to his left and rarely goes right.  Once on his tummy, he quickly rotates like the hands on a clock and can go all the way around.  He can push backwards with ease, and just tonight pulled forward one little bit.  He was up against the couch, so he used it to push off of.  While on his stomach, he loves playing with the tags on toys or chewing on his daddy's feet (yes, I know it's gross, but he tries to do it all the time). 
  
  
• Finally, Marcus is really turning into a little PERSON!  He notices when we leave him alone too long or when I drop him off in the nursery, but luckily he only whimpers and isn't all out wailing yet.  He loves peek-a-boo and enjoys when Mark and I sing to him.  He laughs at almost anything we do (even when I hurt myself last night - he thought it was the funniest thing he'd ever seen), and makes an effort to communicate his wants to us.  When he's done with his bottle, he slaps it away like, "no more!"  He grunts and growls at me when I wipe his face after eating baby food, and squeals in dismay as I change his diaper when he'd rather play with his daddy.

     All and all, our little boy is growing up, showing new personality traits daily, and is still just an absolute joy.  We find it to be the most important privilege and responsibility we've ever been given, to be his parents and point him to Jesus.  Today, leaving the gym, a big black crow was really close to where we were walking.  He stared at it intently as I whispered into his ear, "Marcus, look!  That's a crow.  God made the crows and He made YOU, too!"  He cooed and started kicking his legs (that's a sign that he's excited) and the crow flew away.  He may not understand what I'm saying now, but before we know it, he'll understand our words, and he'll begin to ponder all these truths that we're showing and telling him about our Creator.  I don't want him to grow up too quickly, but I do look forward to those days that his inquisitive little mind asks questions about God, trying to figure it out for himself.

Yes, that's drool stringing off his face.

Who doesn't love a naked baby?

Sweet little tush!

His eyes are so bright when he smiles!

"Lord, please let the Braves win this year..."

"I'm a big boy...I can sit up on my own!"

"This card doesn't taste good at all."

Laughter is the best medicine

     Studies have shown that there are physical benefits to laughter.  Here at the Schuurman household, we're firm believers of it.  Mark cracks me up multiple times a day and our son is quickly following in his daddy's footsteps.  We all laugh together at silly things, but many times it's funny faces or something Marcus does.  Here are a few pictures that will hopefully bring you to laughter and will warm your heart like this sweet baby warms ours daily. 

PS - I'll blog again Monday since he'll be 7 months old. 

He loves making out with Glow Worm.

When I was copying him, he thought it was hilarious.

Big Boy loves his new high chair.

He had a blast "doing laundry" with me (aka: chewing on socks).

Our friends had a new baby and when we went to go meet him, Marcus and their oldest son Lawson had a great time playing together.  Lawson was sharing and Marcus was just entertained by his every move.

This child loves being naked, but don't worry, he had on a diaper. :)

This week we went to the Nature Center on the warmest day.  He was captivated by the bears and seemed to enjoy being outside all day, even if he was in his stroller the whole time.

Marcus is now sitting up on his own, but still needs us to stay close since he topples easily.

This week Marcus discovered how to push off and go backwards in his walker.  He loves getting into it while I'm cooking in the kitchen.

This is my sweet Ashton who brought me an avocado when Marcus was that size in my womb.  She's a sweet little girl and Marcus loved her as well, even though it was their first meeting.

Our neighbor Lucinda brought this Easter hat for Marcus, not realizing his head is the size of a 2 year old's. 

Mark wasn't impressed with this hat but I thought it was absolutely hilarious.

Marcus is infatuated with tags. Go figure.

Mary Virginia Bolen

       One week ago today, my sweet Grandmother Bolen went on to be with Jesus in Heaven.  She lived one day shy of 91 ½ years and lived by herself up until this past December.  She was a strong woman, devoted to the Lord, and one who loved and prayed for her family constantly. 
        She left many things behind, but the thing I most treasure is her Bible.  Grandmother was a, “King James or nothing” Bible reader and even though we tried convincing her that it, too, was just another translation from the original text, she wasn’t having it.  All through her Bible she circled, highlighted, and wrote dates and/or notes.  She wrote, “memorize” in many places and as proof, when we came to visit, she would tell us to sit back and listen.  She’d tilt her head back against her rocking chair, close her eyes, and recite not just verses, but chapters in God’s Word.  She may have been old, but her mind was still sharp.

        Also in her Bible was a family tree, dating back over 12 generations, showing our direct ancestry to Pocahontas, the Indian Princess.  She had all the birth dates and death dates of her siblings, parents, and grandparents.  It was like going back in time when I looked over everything.  She had written down important dates in history in her Bible as well.  It ranged from Dale Earnhardt’s death to important trials at the time.  I loved seeing her handwriting say, “Amen” on certain verses, and I could her voice, in my head, speak it.
        Growing up, we saw Grandmother at least once a week, sometimes more, if we were lucky.  She wasn’t the stuffy, “y’all go play by yourselves” type, but the one who got down and played with us.  She took out big blankets and tacked them to the walls, then laid them over furniture to make tents for Olivia and me.  Now think about that.  How many people would let you put holes in their living room walls?  Not many.  Grandmother didn’t care though, she just crawled down on the floor and got in the tents with us. 
        She’d peel us an apple (because that’s the only way brats like me would eat it), then would fix us spaghetti and meatballs with, “juuuuuuust a speck,” of sugar in it.  She always said, “it makes it taste better.”  We’d have to drink a whole glass of milk with it and while eating, if we slumped, she was sure to make us sit up straight with a slight little smack on our backs.  We’d straighten up in a hurry and giggle at how she whacked us. 
        As we grew older, Grandmother was not only a spiritual leader, but a person whose wisdom we trusted.  Olivia and I didn’t have many boyfriends during high school and college, but the ones we did have, had to meet Grandmother.  She always found something wrong with them, that is, until she met Mark and TJ.  Grandmother wasn’t afraid to voice her opinion about ANYTHING, but when it came to Mark and TJ, she seemed to instantly love them both.  In fact, I don’t think she’s ever said a cross word to either of them. 
        I remember the day I knew I was going to marry Mark.  I had just pulled up to the Dorris household to babysit one afternoon.  My phone rang and it was her.  “Hey, young lady,” I said as usual.  “Hey Baby Girl…” her sweet voice crooned.  “I just wanted to tell you that I like that Marcus…” and she continued telling me how she’d thought about it a lot and really liked this boy.  That was the only reason she called…to tell me she liked him!  This was her stamp of approval!  So even though we didn’t get married for probably another year, I knew that day, he was the one for me since he passed, “The Grandmother Test.”  (side note – She’s also the reason we named our son Marcus because she always called Mark, Marcus, and we knew it sounded good, so that’s how we came up with the idea.  She also approved the name before Marcus arrived, if we had a boy.)

        Grandmother Bolen had 4 children, 11 grandchildren, and 25 great-grandchildren!  She had pictures of her family throughout her home and when we were there cleaning things out the other day we found BOXES more of pictures from the past.  She didn’t throw anything away, but I was thankful for that when I found some really interesting items.  She kept old medicine bottles and labeled them for each grandchild and the year he/she was born.  She then proceeded to fill it with coins from that year. 
        She was a beautiful seamstress and made quilts for all the grandchildren as well.  She sewed many of her own clothes and we found a night gown and house coat with my name on the box as we were cleaning out her closet.  You would’ve never known it was handmade since it was so well done. 
        Even though she’s only been gone a week, I miss her terribly already.  I went into her house alone on the day of her funeral and just sobbed, knowing that she wasn’t in her bedroom napping as usual or that I wouldn’t round the corner to see her watching Fox News (her favorite channel).  I have no doubts about her salvation or her love for Jesus.  Even though she could be an ornery old lady at times, her faith would shine through and after she was ugly, she’d apologize and ask for forgiveness. 
        The story doesn’t end here, thankfully.  For those of us who have faith in Jesus, we too will see her again!  Someone said something Saturday about her, “looking down on us,” and I thought, “no she’s not.”  She’s cutting cartwheels in Heaven, praising Jesus in her new body.  I look forward to the day I can walk the streets of gold with Grandmother and have her lead me to where Jesus’ throne is… just like she did when she was here on Earth.  I love you, Grandmother.

This is the day we brought Marcus to meet Grandmother.  She had just turned 91.

Here's Grandmother with her two baby girls and 25th great-grandchild.

When I asked if he was sleeping, she said, "No, he's looking at me!"

Rocking away.

Marcus was just getting started with life, Grandmother was nearing the end of hers.

Even at 91 years old, she knew how to handle a baby.

I'm sorry this is sideways, but I thought it was so cute.  I took it with my cell phone and it's the picture that would pop up any time she called me.