Team Schuurman
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Thursday, January 19, 2012
16 Months Old
Yesterday our sweet baby boy turned 16 months old. Yes, I know what some of you are thinking. "Are you going to do this every MONTH?" The answer is no. I'll just try to keep a monthly track until he's 2. We'll see. I digress...
It's fair to say that Mark and I both fall more in love with Marcus each day. As I type this, he's standing beside me, pushing buttons on a penguin that plays music. He brought it up to me and said, "peese!" which is his translation for "please." He was asking me to turn it on and once I did it brought the biggest smile to his face. He raised his hands and started swaying his little booty from left to right. We love to watch him "dance." Sometimes it looks like he's praising the Lord as he has his hands and head held high and he just rocks from side to side. Other times he just spins in circles. Either way, it's precious to watch.
He continues to love books, balls, tractors, cars, and animals of all shapes and sizes. And if you put two of those together, it's a winning combination. For example, if you have a book about tractors or animals, he goes bonkers. Mark's Aunt Ran gave him a book with real animal pictures in it and currently, it's his favorite book. We hope he continues to love reading as he gets older. Luckily for him, I kept all the books I purchased for my classroom when I was teaching, so we have a plethora of literature downstairs, in our basement.
Marcus is finally feeling better after probably 3 weeks of different ailments. He had a virus the week after Christmas and had 2 molars popping through, then he had a double ear infection with a doozy of a cold, followed by a fungal diaper rash caused by what the antibiotics did to his digestive tract. He now seems to feel good again and act like his "old self." I would say the only thing we can complain about physically is that he seems to hit his head on something DAILY. He literally has a new bruise on his head every few days. He's top-heavy, so if he bends over even slightly, he topples, landing head first. Last night in church he was riding an airplane that rocks like a rocking horse. Another child came over to "help" him (aka-he rocked him really fast) and he fell off. As he was descending, he hit the handle of the rocking horse beside him and literally BROKE off the handle. His poor head! Of course he screamed and cried for a little while, and of course there's a new mark on his head today, but it's just another day in the life of Marcus. Our child is literally and figuratively hard headed. :)
Finally, I know everyone has different experiences and their children are all different, but I'm curious if we should try potty training any time soon. I know it might sound too early, but he's been telling me when he's pooping and he's been right every time. He'll say, "pooooooo!" and grab himself (sorry if that's TMI) then we'll go change him. So who knows? We might go buy a potty, but then again, maybe not. I just don't want to squander this "opportunity" if you can call it that.
Alright, that's all for the "Life and Times of Marcus Paul." Even though we still don't have a camera, I thought I could at least fill you in on what this precious child has been doing lately.
It's fair to say that Mark and I both fall more in love with Marcus each day. As I type this, he's standing beside me, pushing buttons on a penguin that plays music. He brought it up to me and said, "peese!" which is his translation for "please." He was asking me to turn it on and once I did it brought the biggest smile to his face. He raised his hands and started swaying his little booty from left to right. We love to watch him "dance." Sometimes it looks like he's praising the Lord as he has his hands and head held high and he just rocks from side to side. Other times he just spins in circles. Either way, it's precious to watch.
He continues to love books, balls, tractors, cars, and animals of all shapes and sizes. And if you put two of those together, it's a winning combination. For example, if you have a book about tractors or animals, he goes bonkers. Mark's Aunt Ran gave him a book with real animal pictures in it and currently, it's his favorite book. We hope he continues to love reading as he gets older. Luckily for him, I kept all the books I purchased for my classroom when I was teaching, so we have a plethora of literature downstairs, in our basement.
Marcus is finally feeling better after probably 3 weeks of different ailments. He had a virus the week after Christmas and had 2 molars popping through, then he had a double ear infection with a doozy of a cold, followed by a fungal diaper rash caused by what the antibiotics did to his digestive tract. He now seems to feel good again and act like his "old self." I would say the only thing we can complain about physically is that he seems to hit his head on something DAILY. He literally has a new bruise on his head every few days. He's top-heavy, so if he bends over even slightly, he topples, landing head first. Last night in church he was riding an airplane that rocks like a rocking horse. Another child came over to "help" him (aka-he rocked him really fast) and he fell off. As he was descending, he hit the handle of the rocking horse beside him and literally BROKE off the handle. His poor head! Of course he screamed and cried for a little while, and of course there's a new mark on his head today, but it's just another day in the life of Marcus. Our child is literally and figuratively hard headed. :)
Finally, I know everyone has different experiences and their children are all different, but I'm curious if we should try potty training any time soon. I know it might sound too early, but he's been telling me when he's pooping and he's been right every time. He'll say, "pooooooo!" and grab himself (sorry if that's TMI) then we'll go change him. So who knows? We might go buy a potty, but then again, maybe not. I just don't want to squander this "opportunity" if you can call it that.
Alright, that's all for the "Life and Times of Marcus Paul." Even though we still don't have a camera, I thought I could at least fill you in on what this precious child has been doing lately.
Friday, January 13, 2012
It's MY couch!
Marcus got this kid couch for Christmas and he absolutely LOVES it. Today, when he got home, Mark tried to take a nap on it and Marcus wasn't having it. He was crawling all over Mark, spilling juice, and yelling, "da-da" all at the same time. When I asked Marcus to give him a hug, I think it was more of a head-bang. It was quite amusing to me, but not so much for Mark who had been up since 3:45am.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
No Camera
Dearest Blog Followers,
I apologize, but I may take a small break from blogging. I realize most of you follow our blog to keep up and see Marcus. While in Canada, our camera officially died and we're currently looking for another one. But until then, tell me if I'm wrong, but I think most of you do enjoy my writing, but it just won't be worth it without pictures of our sweet baby boy. So I will continue to video him and yes, I'll post the occasional video (like the "Dancing" one), but it may be a little while until we meet again. But in the mean time, do you have any suggestions as to which camera we should get? I'll take any and all suggestions.
Still in love with Jesus and my 2 boys,
Leah :)
I apologize, but I may take a small break from blogging. I realize most of you follow our blog to keep up and see Marcus. While in Canada, our camera officially died and we're currently looking for another one. But until then, tell me if I'm wrong, but I think most of you do enjoy my writing, but it just won't be worth it without pictures of our sweet baby boy. So I will continue to video him and yes, I'll post the occasional video (like the "Dancing" one), but it may be a little while until we meet again. But in the mean time, do you have any suggestions as to which camera we should get? I'll take any and all suggestions.
Still in love with Jesus and my 2 boys,
Leah :)
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Another Year Bites the Dust
Well, another year passes and a new one begins. I'm always intrigued as we enter a new year, filled with wonder and curiosity about how it will end up. I felt the same way at the beginning of 2011 and had no idea what it had in store for us.
In March, Marcus and I got to join Mark in Atlanta for a Pepperidge Farm Conference. While he was in his meeting, Marcus and I got to tour Turner Field, home of our Atlanta Braves. It was a highlight of my year for sure.
In life, there are highs and lows, and on April 6th we had a low. My sweet Grandmother Bolen died and met her maker that day. I started to write, "passed away," but smile as I remember how she hated that term. She'd say, "Baby Girl, you don't pass away. You die." I giggle just thinking of her truthful, sometimes less than tactful, way of telling you how it is. In her last days, we were able to go to her and say good-bye, and she hung on to see her first grandson, Max, who she hadn't seen in years. As he left to go back to Alaska, she left this world. Mark had the privilege of speaking at her funeral and did a great job, telling fun stories, but also sharing how Grandmother Bolen loved her family and JESUS. I still have days when I pick up the phone to call her and realize I can't, but then again, I find peace in knowing where she is because she knew her maker, and I believe she's with Him in Heaven.
When the summer rolled around, our family spent Mark's days off at the pool that is affiliated with our gym. He'd bribe me into working out so we could go to the pool afterwards. It was a fair trade, but I had rather just go to the pool and skip the workouts. Marcus enjoyed the water and usually napped in his car seat carrier while his daddy and I tanned. It was a good set-up.
Labor Day was next and Marcus got to experience it for the first time, post-womb. I was probably more excited than he was but we still enjoyed a day of seeing old friends, finding bargains, and spending time with family when they weren't selling items from their booths.
Just a few short weeks later, Marcus turned one and we celebrated here at our home with family and close friends. Mark's parents drove down and surprised us so they, too, could be here to celebrate his big day. Aunt Liv made Marcus an AMAZING sports-themed birthday cake and we all enjoyed it, along with chick-fil-a nuggets and juice boxes. After his party, we went to UNCA so Mark could pitch in the annual UNCA Alumni game. It was a great way to end the day because Mark's parents hadn't seen him pitch in years and yes, he still had it. He put away all of the batters he faced. Also in September, Mark accepted the position of Sunday School Director at our church and I was hired at the Nursery Coordinator. We love serving at Newbridge and continue to do it in the future.
September was a fun month, but October had it's shares of difficulty as my Papa, my mom's father, died also. Grandmother, on my dad's side, and Papa were my two remaining grandparents and they both left this earth within a matter of months. Just like with Grandmother, the Lord was gracious enough to let us come into town to say good-bye to Papa. Because of what I had seen with Grandmother, I knew Papa wouldn't last much longer, and sure enough, he passed away the following Monday morning. He was a D-Day veteran who faithfully served his country and it was rumored that he told nurses many times that he had two good wives in his life (my Grandma died in 1993 of Leukemia and Papa remarried a few years after). He had a full military funeral and all respects were paid before we laid his body to rest beside my Grandma's.
In November, I turned the dreaded thirty years old and I must say, it's not as bad as advertised. Mark threw me a surprise party with other stay-at-home moms and their children one morning for a brunch and it was just wonderful. On top of all that, our beloved Camry of ten years died and we purchased a new vehicle. Our final choice was a stone blue 2003 Toyota Highlander. We felt it was the best deal and best fit our family. After driving it for a month now, including to Canada and back, we're really happy with our choice.
And finally, in December we finished the year off with a bang, or a boom, or a bam...whatever you want to say. But Marcus woke up to the sound of hammering in our basement the first weekend in December because my dad came to town to help Mark install new flooring! We chose a hardwood laminate that just snaps in, so it was easier to install and still looks great. I am MORE than pleased with the final outcome and look forward to the cold winter day that we're "stuck" inside so Marcus can play in his new space and I can organize my large pile of books from school.
For Christmas, we spent Christmas Eve with my Dad's family, Christmas Day with my mom's family, and then drove up to Canada beginning at 5am on Monday morning. We were lucky enough to spend the rest of the week with Mark's family and really enjoyed our time there. My camera broke the first night we were there, so I don't have many pictures from the week. What I do have is below.
We drove to Kentucky and spent the night with friends on Friday, then finally arrived home at 5:30pm last night, New Year's Eve. It was absolutely exhausting and incredibly fun all at the same time. Marcus slept from 6:45pm-8am this morning, so it's fair to say he was glad to be home, too.
We rang in the new year sound asleep in our own beds, snoring, I'm sure. So there you have it, a year in review. Did we have any idea all this would happen? No. Do we have any idea what 2012 brings? No. But we do know this: The One who knows the hairs on our head and who made the fish in the sea is who we serve and who KNOWS the future. We don't know what this next year brings, but we do know the the Lord is in control of it all. Knowing this, we are eager to face 2012 and everything else that comes with it.
In March, Marcus and I got to join Mark in Atlanta for a Pepperidge Farm Conference. While he was in his meeting, Marcus and I got to tour Turner Field, home of our Atlanta Braves. It was a highlight of my year for sure.
In life, there are highs and lows, and on April 6th we had a low. My sweet Grandmother Bolen died and met her maker that day. I started to write, "passed away," but smile as I remember how she hated that term. She'd say, "Baby Girl, you don't pass away. You die." I giggle just thinking of her truthful, sometimes less than tactful, way of telling you how it is. In her last days, we were able to go to her and say good-bye, and she hung on to see her first grandson, Max, who she hadn't seen in years. As he left to go back to Alaska, she left this world. Mark had the privilege of speaking at her funeral and did a great job, telling fun stories, but also sharing how Grandmother Bolen loved her family and JESUS. I still have days when I pick up the phone to call her and realize I can't, but then again, I find peace in knowing where she is because she knew her maker, and I believe she's with Him in Heaven.
When the summer rolled around, our family spent Mark's days off at the pool that is affiliated with our gym. He'd bribe me into working out so we could go to the pool afterwards. It was a fair trade, but I had rather just go to the pool and skip the workouts. Marcus enjoyed the water and usually napped in his car seat carrier while his daddy and I tanned. It was a good set-up.
Labor Day was next and Marcus got to experience it for the first time, post-womb. I was probably more excited than he was but we still enjoyed a day of seeing old friends, finding bargains, and spending time with family when they weren't selling items from their booths.
Just a few short weeks later, Marcus turned one and we celebrated here at our home with family and close friends. Mark's parents drove down and surprised us so they, too, could be here to celebrate his big day. Aunt Liv made Marcus an AMAZING sports-themed birthday cake and we all enjoyed it, along with chick-fil-a nuggets and juice boxes. After his party, we went to UNCA so Mark could pitch in the annual UNCA Alumni game. It was a great way to end the day because Mark's parents hadn't seen him pitch in years and yes, he still had it. He put away all of the batters he faced. Also in September, Mark accepted the position of Sunday School Director at our church and I was hired at the Nursery Coordinator. We love serving at Newbridge and continue to do it in the future.
September was a fun month, but October had it's shares of difficulty as my Papa, my mom's father, died also. Grandmother, on my dad's side, and Papa were my two remaining grandparents and they both left this earth within a matter of months. Just like with Grandmother, the Lord was gracious enough to let us come into town to say good-bye to Papa. Because of what I had seen with Grandmother, I knew Papa wouldn't last much longer, and sure enough, he passed away the following Monday morning. He was a D-Day veteran who faithfully served his country and it was rumored that he told nurses many times that he had two good wives in his life (my Grandma died in 1993 of Leukemia and Papa remarried a few years after). He had a full military funeral and all respects were paid before we laid his body to rest beside my Grandma's.
In November, I turned the dreaded thirty years old and I must say, it's not as bad as advertised. Mark threw me a surprise party with other stay-at-home moms and their children one morning for a brunch and it was just wonderful. On top of all that, our beloved Camry of ten years died and we purchased a new vehicle. Our final choice was a stone blue 2003 Toyota Highlander. We felt it was the best deal and best fit our family. After driving it for a month now, including to Canada and back, we're really happy with our choice.
And finally, in December we finished the year off with a bang, or a boom, or a bam...whatever you want to say. But Marcus woke up to the sound of hammering in our basement the first weekend in December because my dad came to town to help Mark install new flooring! We chose a hardwood laminate that just snaps in, so it was easier to install and still looks great. I am MORE than pleased with the final outcome and look forward to the cold winter day that we're "stuck" inside so Marcus can play in his new space and I can organize my large pile of books from school.
For Christmas, we spent Christmas Eve with my Dad's family, Christmas Day with my mom's family, and then drove up to Canada beginning at 5am on Monday morning. We were lucky enough to spend the rest of the week with Mark's family and really enjoyed our time there. My camera broke the first night we were there, so I don't have many pictures from the week. What I do have is below.
We drove to Kentucky and spent the night with friends on Friday, then finally arrived home at 5:30pm last night, New Year's Eve. It was absolutely exhausting and incredibly fun all at the same time. Marcus slept from 6:45pm-8am this morning, so it's fair to say he was glad to be home, too.
We rang in the new year sound asleep in our own beds, snoring, I'm sure. So there you have it, a year in review. Did we have any idea all this would happen? No. Do we have any idea what 2012 brings? No. But we do know this: The One who knows the hairs on our head and who made the fish in the sea is who we serve and who KNOWS the future. We don't know what this next year brings, but we do know the the Lord is in control of it all. Knowing this, we are eager to face 2012 and everything else that comes with it.
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| Grandma, Beppe, Mark, and Marcus - 4 generations |
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| Cousins! Alyssa, Emma, Marcus, & Sam |
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| These three kids have my heart! |
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| He gave a sweet smile here, even though he hated this photo session. |
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| Grandma and Grandpa still like each other (most days). :) |
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| Here's all ten of us! |
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| Marcus was less than impressed with this part of the picture taking. |
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| A new background & the paci helped. |
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| Outside shot - The Schuurman Family December 2011 |
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| I just LOVE this picture of Emma Grace. |
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| Alyssa Janelle - world's sweetest owl baby :) |
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