12 month stats

     Today, as I was putting Marcus' baby book away, I realized I hadn't yet blogged about our doctor's visit last week.  We went the day after his birthday to see Dr. Love.  The nurse measured and weighed Marcus, then a few minutes later the doctor came in.  As he said hello to us, he said, "wow, you have a big baby!"  Marcus weighed in at 23 pounds and 12 ounces which put him between the 50th and 75th percentile with other 12 month olds.  He was 32 3/4 inches tall and his head was 48.3cm around (90-95th percentile - big head like his mama).  So back to his height.  Being this tall put him in the 105-110th percentile.  In other words, he's OFF THE CHARTS in height.  No surprise to you, I'm sure, but still, it was funny to hear. 
     He currently wears 18 month clothes but we're finding that they're too big in the waist if they're long enough for him.  So what's the solution?  Overalls!  Yes, he's worn them twice this week already and just looks so stinkin' cute in them!  He's between a size 4 and size 5 shoe and should be in size 4 diapers but I'm determined to finish out this box of 3's before he can move up. :)
     He had his last bottle of formula this Sunday morning and we decided to cut the bottle off all together.  He hasn't seemed to miss it, but definitely needs to be fed enough so he doesn't fuss.  Today he ate a WHOLE sandwich for lunch.  I just thought I'd split it with him, but no.  Before I had my half finished, he was banging on his high chair for more.  He signed, "more," then banged on the chair.  This continued until he had more food.  He still eats plenty of fruits and vegetables and now has a special love for peanut butter on whole wheat bagels.  This is his new favorite snack.  We've started giving him some juice and we're TRYING to get him to drink whole milk but he's refusing.  Every time we try it, he either spits it out, swats it away, or refuses by turning his head.  We're continuing to try, but we'll see how this goes.
     He loves books more than ever and still loves throwing anything he can get his hands on (including his food when he's full).  Many people have made mention of how far he can chuck items, so we'll see if he follows in his daddy's footsteps or not.  He loves cars and tractors, swinging, and exploring all together.  He's learned how to get off the bed by himself (and land on his feet) as well as go up and down stairs with ease.  Don't worry, we are always still right there with him.  He's climbing in and on everything and still, thankfully, loves a good bath or shower.
     I know it's no surprise here, but we still love this baby boy and that will NEVER stop.  We're grateful that the Lord has blessed us with a child like Marcus and pray that we're the type of parents that make him want to serve Jesus and ask questions about how to be more like Him.  We pray that Jesus' light shines through us and Marcus can grow up seeing what a wonderful life it is, when devoted to the One who created us all.

Isabella (17 months old) came and played with us last week.

Enjoying the lesson in Puggles (Wednesday night church).

 

 

 

This morning, as soon as he woke up, he said, "Ball?"

Our sweet-smiling one year old.

In this picture, you can actually see his top teeth.  He has a total of 6 teeth now.

Climbing up the stairs in his camo booties.

Walking

     Marcus has been cruising around furniture for a long time now, but just a few weeks before his 1st birthday is when he took his first steps.  We're in no hurry to "make" him learn to walk, but we do work with him a little each day to encourage him along that path.  Below, you'll see a short video that we made today while Daddy was at work.  Enjoy! :)

ONE YEAR OLD!

     Today is Marcus' FIRST birthday, hopefully of many.  It's hard to believe a year has gone by so quickly!  Last year, once we got to the hospital, I got to 10cm quickly, but as most of you know, he wasn't coming out the "natural" way.  Even though we endured a difficult c-section, we wouldn't have changed anything.  He's been a JOY to our lives and fills our heart with more love each day. 
     Yesterday, some close family and "Asheville" family came over for his birthday party.  Aunt Liv made him an unbelievable chocolate cake (even his own smash cake) and we enjoyed chick-fil-a nuggets and other snacks.  Marcus' favorite part about the whole day seemed to be the balloons.  He kept oohing and aahing when he saw them, hitting them at any chance.  He played with the children in attendance and LOVES the many books and toys that he received. 
     After his party, we went to UNCA with Mark's parents, Uncle TJ, and Aunt Liv.  We enjoyed time out in the AMAZING Fall weather, met other new Bulldog Babies, and then watched Daddy pitch!  He went 3 up, 3 down, pitching better than last year!  The old guy still has it! (just kidding honey!)  After the game was over, we toured the new basketball stadium then had supper. 
     When we came home, we were BLESSED to have Seth, Rebecca, and 4 year old Luke Denton stay with us.  That little Luke is an absolute TRIP and he brought such joy to our home.  Seth and Rebecca are dear friends and even though we all stayed up waaaaaaaaaaay too late, we loved our time to talk and be with them.
     Now, it's 8pm and I just put Marcus to bed.  I was crying before I even started rocking him, thinking about how quickly time passes, how fast he's growing up, and how THANKFUL I am to God for blessing Mark and I with a child.  The Bible says children are a reward from God and I don't feel worthy of such a gift, but if He chose me to be Marcus' mommy, and Mark to be his daddy, we will gladly take and raise him to further the kingdom of God.  As I type this, Marcus is chatting up a storm in his room.  Singing, talking, and overall making any kind of noise he can, including kicking the side of his bed.  He's big for 1.  Big in the sense that he has a big personality, big/strong will, and a big heart, not to mention he's bigger than most 18 month olds we come across, but that's another story.
     Jesus Christ is THE LIGHT of my life and He is my first priority.  Mark Schuurman is a close second, being the best husband a wife could ever want and one I don't deserve.  But not far behind in 3rd place, is the world's cutest little toe-headed, baseball throwing, strong-willed, balloon-loving little boy (and he's ALL BOY) named Marcus Paul Schuurman. 

WE LOVE YOU MARCUS!

Party table

The cake Olivia made was beautiful AND yummy!

Our sweet birthday boy and the awesome cake!

Singing, "Happy Birthday"

He wasn't impressed with getting his hands all sticky...

But he didn't mind eating it off the spoon!  In fact, he LOVED it!

5 Schuurmans :)

Grandpa and Marcus, playing in Daddy's pick-up truck.

Cutie pie

Marcus and I got our picture made with the UNCA mascot, Rocky the Bulldog!

Daddy pitching

Flame thrower

Uncle TJ and Aunt Liv were a GREAT help with Marcus at the game.

Saying good-bye to Grandpa and Grandma after Daddy pitched.

Baseball Alumni Game 2011

Mark played with all these guys and now we're starting the next generation of gamers!

Our sweet family - BLESSED!

A year ago today...

     A year ago today, I was already in labor, but I wasn't SURE it was labor.  I knew it felt "different" when Mark got up to go to work and I had a few pains.  I was 3 days over-due to have our baby.  I had taken the day off because Dr. Cobb scheduled me for a non-stress test (NST).  He wanted to make sure the baby was not in distress and also to do another ultrasound to estimate his/her size.  Remember, we didn't yet know if we were having a boy or a girl.  The ultrasound estimated that our baby was 9 pounds, but could be as little as 8, or as much as 10!  I sure felt like I was carrying a 10 pound baby.  During my NST, I thought I was having contractions, so once Dr. Cobb came in, I asked if the machine could tell if I was or not.  He said, "yes, in fact, you're having one right now!"  Obviously, I already knew this, but this made it REAL for me.  I now knew what I was feeling.  He did say, "well, it could be tonight or another few days.  You never know."  Luckily, it was that night.
     I left the doctor's office and ran some much-needed errands.  I went to the eye doctor's office to pick up my contacts, but they were closed for lunch, so I went to the grocery store to gather some groceries.  While in there, my contractions were getting stronger and I was feeling yuckier.  At one point, I had to stop and just hold onto my cart.  After gathering my groceries, I filled my car up with gas & went back to the doctor's office, only to see that I still had 10 more minutes before they opened.  That was a LONG 10 minutes because the contractions were now HURTING.  I knew I needed to get home, and get home fast.  They finally opened at 1, I got my contacts, and drove home in painful joy, knowing what was going on, for sure, now. 
     The next 4 hours, I labored at home, waiting for Mark to finish his route.  I was able to make cookies for the nurses and Mark's supper in between contractions.  I used our big yoga ball to get through each one and taking a hot bath helped some.  By the time Mark got home, I was READY to go to the hospital.  My contractions were about 5 minutes apart and lasting longer than before.  He took a shower and away we went.  I don't remember the whole ride, but I remember getting in the car and thinking, "we won't come back here without a baby!"  Then another contraction hit and I was gripping the car door in pain.
     For the REST of the story, come back tomorrow, on Marcus' real birthday (since he wasn't actually BORN until the 18th).  Until then, enjoy these pics of our time with Mark's parents. :)

Grandma went with Marcus & I to Weaverville Elementary to take their free Chick-Fil-A Sandwiches.

Marcus laughing at Grandpa.

Who cares if it's 60 degrees outside?  Rules go out the door when Grandpa is here! :)

First "Real" Haircut

     We're having a super small birthday party for Marcus on Saturday and I wanted to take him to get a "real" haircut before then.  Mark has trimmed his hair a few times before, but it was time to take a little off the top and smooth out the back.  Since he's such a wiggly worm, I had no idea how to get him to keep still, but a friend suggested to give him a sucker during his haircut.  Well, this worked like a charm!  The whole haircut didn't take an entire 10 minutes, but he sat there and played with my keys, then sucked on the sucker.  While it was still in the wrapper, I tried to let him hold it and he threw it.  So once I opened it, I held onto it while he sucked the sweetness out of it.  He's not a baby anymore, but a BIG BOY!  It brings a tear to my eye, but not one of sadness, but of joy, really.  I didn't even know for sure if we'd be able to have a child and the Lord has blessed us with this amazing little man.  I can't believe he's been in our lives for nearly a year now.  What a wonderful savior we serve! :)

We went to Camp Windy Gap on Saturday to visit with Aunt Liv & other Young Life women.

Marcus definitely loves his Aunt Liv

It was nap-time and he got fussy, but Daddy calmed him with a shoulder ride.

Pre-haircut

Check out those baby blues.

He LOVED the sucker (his first) and did really well holding still.

First Steps

     On Tuesday, September 6th, Marcus took his first 5 unassisted steps!  He's been almost RUNNING while holding onto our fingers for over a month now.  In fact, I thought he'd be walking by August since he did it so easily.  Well, he showed us this week that it's not a matter of ability, but of will. 
     Mark was at work when he first did it, and when we tried that evening, he just wanted to plop down and crawl over to Mark.  So on Wednesday, the following morning, Marcus and I were playing in his room when Mark woke up.  As soon as he saw his daddy he wanted to get to him, so I said, "walk to him" and sure enough, he did!  We cheered and kissed him as we sent him back and forth between the two of us for a number of minutes.  It was a big game to him. 
     Later that morning, when Mark and I went to pick him up at the gym nursery, we wanted to try to show Miss Ashley his new skills.  He did even BETTER this time, walking clear across the room once (as he was walking to me, I kept backing up and he kept coming!).  He probably took close to 20 steps that time!  Since then, we've tried it a little each day and if it's not in the right room, he's NOT interested.  He'll bend and bounce his legs as he refuses, so we don't push the issue.  He'll be all out running soon enough, so we'll let him walk at his own pace. :) 
     In other news, this past Wednesday started our church's annual AWANA program.  This year, I'm in charge of teaching the Puggles class (birth-3 years old).  I was excited to flex my teaching muscle again, but was quickly introduced to a new age group as we had 2 children with "accidents" and Marcus cried 3/4 of the time, whether that was because he thought I was going to leave or because he didn't like me loving on the other children.  It was GREAT FUN, but exhausting, nonetheless.  Hopefully he'll get more used to it and I'll be better rested before next week's Puggles.
     Finally, next week's blog will probably be on Sunday since that'll be Marcus' FIRST birthday.  We're having a small party with close friends and family on Saturday and I want to post pictures from that, too.  Have a great week, everyone! :)

Here are our Puggles!

From the top going counterclockwise, we have Isabella, Dane, Mariclaire, Nicholas, and Lily

Mrs. Gerry got to feed sweet little Davis (3 weeks old).

We had to contain him while we did the lesson since he kept trying to grab things off the table.

He joined the crew for snack time.

We still make Marcus' baby food, but he's eating less of it and more table foods by the day.

It turns out, he is Mark's child after all.  He LOVED sloppy joes.

He had a red face for days (just kidding).

 

Our Beloved Gunshow

     This past weekend was our beloved gun show.  We got there just before 4pm Friday afternoon and enjoyed showing off my new figure, uh, I mean our son.  You see, last year, I was 48 ½ weeks pregnant and it was exactly 2 weeks later that I had Marcus.  So needless to say, I was LARGE last year and I’m minus a belly, but have a beautiful child this year!  We didn’t stay long because we were going over to my cousin Shad’s house for supper.
     Shad is a cousin I haven’t gotten to know until just the past few months, but what a blessing he and his wife, Lauri, already are to Mark and I.  They have 8 incredible children (4 girls, then 4 boys), they home school, and live out their love for the Lord!  When we pulled up to their home, we saw a large garden, a big chicken coup and pen, and tons of land for children to play in.  When we arrived, the children warmed right up to us as if they’d known us the whole time.  The children played together while Lauri finished everything & Marcus acted like he owned the place.  We had beef roast from a cow that they raised themselves, a salad from their garden, corn from Shad’s mom’s garden, and LOBSTER TAIL that Shad’s brother Brett caught in the Florida Keys.  He was still there on vacation, but had dry iced and shipped them to Shad and family.   It was uh-maze-ing!  Lauri was quite the cook! 
     When supper was over, we really enjoyed visiting with them.  Their home was beautiful and filled with love.  I admired the pictures of their family on the walls and especially loved the scripture that was everywhere.  It was on pillows, on cabinet doors, everywhere.  We loved it.  After finishing the evening off with ice cream and good-byes, we left for Dugspur and headed to dad’s house. 
     By this time, it was 9:30 and we thought Marcus would just go straight to bed, but he woke up from the car ride and EXPLORED!  He was climbing up and down the stairs, picking up anything his little hands could touch, and he especially loved the bear at the top of the stairs.  We finally got him to bed after 10, but he slept late the next morning.
     When Saturday arrived, we did our normal morning routine then headed to the gun show.  We spent the whole day there, seeking out good deals, listening to Uncle David’s, “wisdom,” and just relaxing under the canopy.  Mark and TJ got their yearly supply of razors for a fraction of the drugstore price, Granddad bought Marcus 2 camo shirts (since he let Marcus soak his own shirt with a water bottle…), and Aunt Liv bought Marcus a $7 portable high chair – STEAL OF A DEAL!  We ended the day sharing a few large pizzas and Marcus ate nearly an entire piece!  Mark cut it up for him and he gobbled it all down!  As many people say to me (almost weekly), he doesn’t miss many meals.
     The next morning Dad & Sonya left early to work the gun show, and our trio went to church with TJ & Olivia.  It was great!  Marcus didn’t cry in the nursery and we learned lots from their preacher, who did the most thorough of jobs teaching/preaching from Colossians 1:1-2.  After church we headed over to mom’s house.  We met her and John for lunch, which he had cooked.  We had a great time eating with them and then just visiting for a little bit.  While we were there, Olivia changed Marcus’ poopy diaper, but not without plastic gloves.  It was hysterical!
     Finally, before heading back to Asheville, we visited my sweet Papa.  He turned 90 years old this past Monday and his health is going south quickly, but during our visit, he was precious.  I’m not sure he knew who we were, but he was polite and loving, especially to Marcus.  When Marcus was holding onto the furniture and walking around him, he stepped on Papa’s foot.  Papa pretended to cry and Marcus just looked up at him, then at me like, “is he serious?”  It was a good time. 
     We had a TON to do over the weekend, and enjoyed every second of it.  It was fun, relaxing, and memory-filled.  Only 51 more weeks until next year’s show!
     

Yes, his mama is a dork, but we were excited to get there...

Some of Shad & Lauri's children playing with Marcus.

John Wesley, Rebekah, Abigail, Stephen, Micah (on top), Lydia, Luke, & Elizabeth

This picture cracks me up.

John Wesley - such a cutie

It was foggy Saturday morning when we got there, but got hot quickly!

Marcus' first nap.

He found out that he could turn the water bottle upside down for a drink (or shower).

This is the same sticker that I had on my belly last year.  Now, it's on his back. :)

Marcus and Olivia were good buddies this whole weekend.

The notorious Uncle David

Nap #2 - Granddad had to buy him a new shirt since he let Marcus douse himself with water.

You know that's cute...

Olivia made him laugh... A LOT!

Playing with his new truck from Grandma and Papa John.

Playing peek-a-boo with Grandma was FUN!

Yes, those are rubber gloves...HILARIOUS!