Variations on a Christmas Card

White Christmas

Tonight we decorated for Christmas. This holiday has become so much more exciting experiencing it through a little pair of eyes. Christmas lights and bright wrapping paper give Jacen the giggles.

I have to tell you, though, we have the ugliest Christmas tree you have ever seen. Ethan and I bought it while we were engaged on an after-Christmas clearance sale at Wal-Mart for $15. It looked OK our first Christmas, but every year a few more branches break off and a few more needles fall off, so that by this year it has so many gaps that we couldn't find branches to hang ornaments on to cover the gaps. I think it's going in the dumpster after we take it down this year.

Jacen is starting to develop a personality. He has started doing things purposefully to make us laugh. He does "So-Big", gives high-fives, plays peek-a-boo, and babbles in response to a question. He's also developing preferences in toys and clothing. I can hold up two pairs of pj's and he'll tell me clearly which one he wants to wear. He's still very laid back and only gets upset if he's hungry or if you're eating and he's not.

Have I mentioned that we have a new puppy? Her name is Autumn, and she's a Pembroke Welsh Corgi. Our last dog, Bella, is back living with her original owner, Ethan's sister Cassie. Autumn has been a very good dog so far. She learns quickly and is nearly house broken. She plays well with Jacen, although sometimes she gets too excited.

I guess that's all for now. It's about time I went to bed.

GUILT!

This morning I got up for work and Jacen was babbling to himself in his crib. I poked my head around his door, and as soon as he saw me he stood up in his crib and started laughing and bouncing. I picked him up and brought him to Ethan so that I could get ready for work. As soon as I handed Jacen off to Dad, he started crying. After getting dressed, I picked him up again to say goodbye and he clung to me and buried his head in my shoulder. I walked out of the house to the sound of him wailing.

I spent 2 hours with my own baby today and 8 hours entertaining someone else's kids. I don't think I've felt worse about anything in my whole life.

This is the best thing ever...

There are so many moments with Jacen that I think, "This is the best part of being a mom. This is the best thing ever." Here's a few I noticed this weekend.

~Jacen laying on the couch cuddling with me while we take a nap.
~The way he laughs when you tickle him.
~The proud look on his face when he waves hello or gives you a high-five.
~When he stands up in his crib because he is so excited to get up in the morning.
~The way he babbles and grunts on his stroller ride--trying to tell me about everything he sees.
~Watching him figure out something new--you can see the wheels turning.

Its so great to watch him and play with him every day--he keeps learning new things. Like Ethan always says, "He's getting to be such a little people." ;) And I love it.

It's been a while

Hello to all.

It's been a long time since I've posted--things got busy when school hit! I started working full time the same day that Ethan started classes. I'm nannying for a family whose mom had back surgery and can't do any lifting or bending. She's actually doing pretty well, I just have to be there in case she gets too tired or the kids don't listen. It's a good job, pretty slack for the money. But I'm away from home more than I'd like.

Ethan's in his last year of law school! Yay!! Here's the catch: now he needs a job. In the legal field, the more lawyers you know, the easier it is to find a better job. Unfortunately, we don't really know any lawyers, so that puts Ethan at a little bit of a disadvantage. Hopefully a few doors start opening soon.

Jacen will be 9 months old next week. He's at a point where he's learning something new every day; either he babbles a new consonant, or pulls himself up to standing, or takes a few steps next to the couch. He changes so fast.

We just returned from a 5 day trip to see family. My dad's family (he's one of 5 brothers) has a golf tournament every summer, so we went up to Rochester, MN so Ethan could participate in the tournament. The guys all golfed terribly, but it was fun to spend a few days with family anyway.

Jacen got thoroughly spoiled because my mom and both of my grandmothers were there, so Jacen had 3 grandmas around who all smothered him with kisses every time he squeaked. My mom is always so excited to play with and take care of Jacen that I actually start to miss him. By the time we go home I'm excited even for a chance to change his diapers. It's so great for Jacen to have so many grandparents, tho.

On the way home we stopped in Des Moines, IA to stay with Ethan's cousin Curtis and his wife Adrian. Their son Owen is almost a year old, so we were excited to get the boys together. They played together pretty well, although Jacen was a little bit scared of Owen, and Owen was a little bit rough with Jacen. We're hoping by Christmas they'll be a little more evenly matched.

It was a really good trip. It's great to see both sides of the family.

Summertime

Here's a few of Jacen's six month pictures. Hard to believe he's that old already.

So...What's new with the Huizenga family?

Not much.

We've been staying busy this month, tho. The beginning of the month we went to Chicago for the Fourth, and for the bridal shower for Ethan's cousins, Lisa and Julie. We stayed with Dan and Mandy, went to parades, fireworks, and saw as many family and friends as possible in between. Sorry again to anyone we missed--we promise we'll see you next time.

Since then, I've been working like crazy. My nanny job is fitting perfectly into our schedule. I'm hoping that by working extra this summer, I can work less while Ethan is in school. In August I'm training to be a Doula, which is a person who helps families care for their newborn during and immediately following labor, and in the weeks after the baby is born. I will only be a postpartum doula, which means I won't be present during the labor itself. I love working with infants, so I'm really excited to complete the training.

Last weekend we went camping with my parents at Wallace State Park near Kansas City. It was a beautiful park and perfect weather. We had a great time hiking, swimming in the lake, playing with Jacen on the playground, and, of course, sitting by the campfire.

Other than that, not much has happened. August is going to be a whirlwind of weddings and family reunions before school starts again.

Hope you all are well.