our growing family- The Zoodsmas

A little update

2009-05-01T13:14:00.004-05:00

It's been a while since I updated this thing. Not a whole lot going on here, just enjoying the day to day changes in our life. Caleb changes every day it seems. He's getting his own little personality. His newest thing is laughing. We have yet to get this act on video but he is very very very adorable.
We will be headed home to G.R. next weekend for Mother's Day. I am anxious to do this with Caleb now that he is a little older and more alert. I'm sure it will be just fine. Well that's about all for now, here's a link to some of the latest photos...click here

smiles, hiccups, and spit

2009-04-16T21:42:00.003-05:00

I took this video of Caleb yesterday. Wait unti the end to see the huge glob of spit that he works up. It's pretty funny and of course he's pretty cute the rest of it too. Like normal he's got the hiccups.
Enjoy!

Our little heart breaker

2009-04-05T14:59:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone...so a little update. Things are going great! Caleb is growing like a weed these days. I can't believe how fast time is going and how big he is getting. He is over 13 pounds already! We have his 2 month check-up tomorrow. Unfortunately this means his first round of shots :( I'm really not looking forward to it. I'm sure I'm dreading it more than he is.

The big news is that Caleb slept through the night last night! 7 hours straight in his crib. This is verrrry exciting. We'll see if this becomes a habit but I'm not getting my hopes up.

A friend of mine took some very cute pictures for us the other day, but for some reason I couldn't get them to load, so here is a link to a few of the favorites...http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=237169&id=500420412&l=b2aa7e9664

2 Months!

2009-03-27T20:04:00.004-05:00

Happy Friday everyone! This week Caleb had his 2 month birthday on Monday. He is getting so big. My mom is here for the end of the week while I was working. The work week has wrapped up and I am very glad that it is over. It has confirmed my decision not to return to work permanently. It has been great having my mom's help these last couple of days. We have taken some new pics this week so here they are...

Here was Caleb at dinner tonight, can't even stay awake! :)

Grandma got ahold of the camera and got some smiles

Hangin out in the kitchen while we made dinner

The cutest outfit

THIS ONE IS MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE!

New Pics

2009-03-19T12:40:00.004-05:00

Hello everyone!
I just thought I would post a few more pics to keep you updated on the latest Caleb. He is getting so big! I have been putting him in some 3-6 month clothes already (he's not even 2 months)! We are all doing very well and are really enjoying some nice weather this week.
Next week I have to go back to work just for a few days to train the replacement that they hired this week. I am a little nervous about it, leaving Caleb all day mostly. It's only a week and I will get through it.
Here are the pictures...

Caleb's cute faces

2009-03-14T20:40:00.003-05:00

We took this video this week while Caleb and I have been in Michigan.
Enjoy!

The latest

2009-03-05T09:38:00.004-06:00

Hello everyone! I apologize sincerely for not posting any pictures lately. I hadn't realized how long it had been until someone reminded me. Time is just flying by and Caleb will be 6 weeks old tomorrow! He was up to 11 lbs 3 oz on Monday of this week.
Lots of new things are going on around here, the biggest being my decision not to return to work. It was a hard decision, as I really did love my job, but I just couldn't bear giving up my baby. I am very excited about this. I plan to finish the salon in our basement and set up shop (so if you live in Cedar Rapids, spread the word! :) )
Here are a few pictures for now, I have to head to a doctors appointment and will try to post more later...

Hangin' with Daddy watching some Michigan football

Sleepin' with Daddy (a regular occurrence)

More pics...

2009-02-04T14:33:00.002-06:00

So I have officially decided that he is by far the cutest, most precious baby in the whole world!
We are so blessed to have this healthy baby boy in our lives, and even though it can be rough and I wish I could sleep more, it's so worth it.

Oh so peaceful sleep...

In the midst of a sneeze, one of my favorite things :)

Wide awake

the apple of our eye

2009-01-29T20:54:00.009-06:00

So here are some more photos...Trying to keep all you people updated. Enjoy!

Just hangin out at home. He actually wore this same outfit all day, without blowing out or peeing in it. This is a milestone.

Just sittin with daddio

Proud (but very tired) daddy

Wide awake little boy

Very happy little boy, when he's not hungry, dirty or wet. :)

Already praying..."Now I lay me down to sleep..."

He spent most of the morning bright eyed and bushy tailed.

Not so crazy about the bath time...

But the after part is precious. snuggly :)

More Pictures of Caleb

2009-01-26T20:43:00.003-06:00

Follow this link to see more pictures of Caleb.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2067800&l=48093&id=15302117

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2067988&l=5b884&id=15302117

Welcome to the world Caleb Matthew Zoodsma

2009-01-23T21:14:00.002-06:00

Caleb Matthew Zoodsma
Born: 5:38pm January 23, 2009
Weight: 8lbs 13ozs
Length: 22 inches

Overdue

2009-01-21T13:46:00.003-06:00

So...I am officially overdue! God is definitely testing my patience. I just have to keep reminding myself that I have made it 40 weeks, I can make it one more. At the doctor yesterday I was 2 1/2 cm dilated. This is progress from 1 cm last week. She will induce labor next Tuesday if it doesn't happen before then. I'm really praying that it doesn't get that far. I took a walk on my lunch break today to try getting things moving around in there. I did start to get a little uncomfortable, but I think it was mostly my hips and now my back is sore. We just keep praying that baby Z will be ready to come out soon. We are so ready to meet him! I will surely keep this updated when the big day finally arrives...hopefully soon!

Any day now...

2009-01-07T11:48:00.003-06:00

So, if you haven't heard yet I am VERY READY to have this baby. The countdown is down to 13 days till D-day. As I sit here this big guy in my belly is kickin to get out!! And I just want to say..."Fine, come out!" Sleep is rough and I am anxious to get to know this little human that's been growing inside of me for 9 months. I spent all day Monday preparing. I did all the baby laundry including all of his clothes, bed sheets, changing pad covers, and burp cloths. It was so fun to go through all of this stuff again and see how little he will be to fit in to his newborn clothes and newborn diapers! It is still amazing and slightly hard to believe that God has entrusted Brad and I with this little son. I feel very blessed to have such a helpful husband who is just as excited as I am to start this new adventure in our lives.
I finally feel like I am ready as far as getting all of his stuff opened, cleaned, and set up. As far as the rest of the house goes...I've got a little work to do.
Hopefully I can make it through this weekend as I have a Youth Group retreat. I will be north about 20 miles with the High School kids from church Friday night and Saturday night. Although I have let my fellow leaders know that if Friday night does not go well as far as sleep for me I will not be spending the night Saturday to Sunday. I am looking forward to the weekend, I just hope it goes fast as well as the next week afterwards.
I will try to post pictures of our new vehicle sometime this week, but I should sign off for now! Have a great rest of your week all, and the next time you hear from us we will probably have a baby!!

Neglect...

2008-12-09T10:03:00.004-06:00

So I know I have been really bad about updating this lately. I have been a little preoccupied since we got home after Thanksgiving. If you had not heard yet, we've had a little car trouble. While our Malibu was in the shop in Wyoming, I had a little spin out in the Saturn here in Cedar Rapids. I am ok along with the baby, but the car is not...because it wasn't worth much hitting the curb caused too much damage to fix it. So Brad and I get some real bonding time everyday on the way to and from work everyday. It's not so bad. We will be trying to make do at least until after we get home from GR at Christmas. We will then re-evaluate our budget and see what we can purchase. We have a busy couple of weeks here before heading back east. We are trying to get in some alone time, just the two of us before it's too late. It hit me the other day, not out of regret but purely shock, that this is the last 6 weeks or so where it's just the two of us (and Maggie of course). I have also been told by many that an updated picture is in order. I have to admit that I have been delaying this for quite some time now as I have been feeling not so pretty lately, and FAT. But I just need to remind myself that I am pregnant and it's ok... so here it is:

I am getting very ready and anxious for this to be over. I am very blessed to have had an easy pregnancy (if there is such a thing), but still look forward way more to the next part. This last 30 weeks or so has flown by, I don't think 8 months has ever gone so fast in my life.

I have a doctor's appointment in about 45 minutes. My 34 week appointment. I am on the every 2 week schedule now. I think I actually get to see MY doctor today.

On Saturday we went and took a tour of the women's center at the hospital where we will be delivering. It is top notch! I may not want to go home ;) Just kidding... But it is a really nice facility with great staff. I can't wait to make those phone calls! Well I'm off the doctor. Pray for me, I always get really nervous that something is going to be wrong... See you all soon!

Finally

2008-11-14T11:43:00.002-06:00

So I was told today by a very lovely person :) that I have slacked off in my blog posting. So I suppose I should post a little update.
I have officially started counting down the days...66!!!! That doesn't seem like a lot. That means this week I am 30 weeks. I am getting really anxious to have this baby out of me. Although I'm not sure I am ready for motherhood yet. I suppose I will adjust. The house is about ready. The nursery is finally complete with a chair. Now all we're missing are the toys and goodies...oh and I suppose the little guy growing in my belly. :)
We have our first "friend" visitors this weekend. All of our visitors up until now have been our lovely families. Jordan and Anne Clegg arrived last night and will be staying until Saturday afternoon. It is great to catch up with them! We are going to see the new James Bond movie this afternoon and go to dinner afterwards. Brad is currently taking them on the not so exciting Cedar Rapids tour.
The weather is COLD here and we are supposed to get our first real snowfall tonight. BRRRR! I'm not sure I'm ready for this weather again. I also don't have a choice. At least I have a good excuse this year not to shovel the driveway! :D Poor Brad. I suppose we all have our jobs.
Well it's lunch time and baby Z is hungry:) Have a great weekend everyone, see you in a couple weeks!

Back at it

2008-10-28T10:07:00.002-05:00

So we're both back at work after a very busy week last week. It sure was nice to be home, I just never imagined it would be under those circumstances. It was a rough week, but great to spend some quality time with family remembering some great things about Grandpa Holwerda. Brad was able to see his Great Grandma Rozema for the last time on Tuesday afternoon. For those of you who don't know, she passed away on Sunday, Oct. 26 while we were on our way home to Iowa. It was a long week for both of our families, but at least we all have peace that our loved ones are dancing in Heaven with Jesus. I like to think of my grandpa chatting and taking afternoon walks with my cousin Matt and my brother David. Lucky guys!
We have a much slower week this week with a couple of football games (Brad) and lots of LAUNDRY! We will probably spend a quiet halloween evening with some friends for dinner and a movie or something. Saturday will be a nice work day to get some much needed cleaning and picking up around the house done.
Well I suppose work is calling... Have a good week!

Michiganders

2008-10-18T14:50:00.006-05:00

So here are some photos of our activities over the last two days. Mostly of Elliott and his new friends (the dogs).

Elliott and I spent the evening coloring dinasours and Mary spent the evening...
with the armed forces. :)
We are having a GREAT time. Don't worry about us Em, we're takin care of your kid like he was our own :D He does miss you even if he won't talk to you. See you soon!

Haircut

2008-10-14T18:19:00.003-05:00

So the last time I got a haircut I neglected to post a picture. So this time I will post the latest baby bump picture and a picture of my haircut from today. So no complaining anymore... You know who you were ;) Well I'm off to make applesauce with the girls. Have a great night!

Date Night!

2008-10-11T08:58:00.003-05:00

So last night Brad and I went out for a much needed date night. Instead of just going out for dinner and a movie (like usual) we went out to "Bloomsbury Farms." We went with the plan to go in the corn maze. Well we found out when we got there that the only corn open at night is the HAUNTED corn maze. YIKES!!! Well I didn't chicken out. We did it, and I didn't pee my pants! Afterward we walked around and saw some of the other things that they have on the farm. Here are some pictures:

And then we picked out some pumpkins. We had a great time, and it was fun to do something different. I'm off to the apple orchard with the girls. Have a good day!

Michigan Game

2008-10-08T21:52:00.006-05:00

Well the weather was perfect for the Michigan game on Saturday. However the game was a little bit more lopsided than I had hoped it would be.

There was quite a sea of people in the street walking to the game with us

The Marching Band and Alumni Marching Band played at half time. It was homecoming weekend.

Me and Loren in our seats in the Student Section at the game

109,750 people at the game!

Our new bedroom!!

2008-10-06T13:32:00.005-05:00

So finally, the long awaited bedroom pictures. So far it still feels kind of like a hotel room to me. I love it, and turns out Brad is quite fond of it as well.So I am thoroughly enjoying my first Monday off! I am getting a lot done around here and getting some relaxing in as well.
That is all I have for today. Have a good day everyone!

Thursday

2008-10-02T09:28:00.002-05:00

Today is the day. The day that Brad ditches me to go up to Michigan. I'm okay with it...I think. I'm sure I'll be fine, I just really don't like coming home to a dark house at night all alone. I've also been really homesick lately but I just have to keep reminding myself only a couple more weeks and my parents will be here. They seem to always make everything ok. And then the next weekend we go to sunny Florida!
The next couple months will FLY by, I'm sure of it. We have quite a few busy weekends in the next two months with visitors and trips planned.
I had a regular OB check yesterday and the doc. says everything looks great! The baby's heartrate was 145. I've gained 10 pounds to date. (The only time in my whole life where I will update you on my weight gain) I am 25 weeks this week. I think this means officially in my third trimester!? I can't believe it!! I don't mind this whole pregnancy thing.
Well I should probably get back to work now, maybe an update later this weekend. Have a lovely day!
Mol

picture

2008-09-25T19:52:00.003-05:00

Ok, so I sure have gotten a lot of slack about the hair picture. So I took my hair out of my day long ponytail and made it look pretty. It is grown out about 2 weeks, but still looks pretty good. This also shows how much more I am showing...I think a lot. Thanks for the shirt Em! The first night I've been able to wear long sleeves. (Em sent a whole bunch of fun winter maternity clothes with the Zoodsmas last weekend. It was like getting a whole new wardrobe.)
We have a pretty busy weekend ahead of us here, as Brad told you earlier. Tomorrow is the work get-together, Saturday morning (8AM!) is praise team practice, and then in the evening we are taking a family of girls (3) from church out for pizza and bowling to give their parents a break. It should be a fun weekend.
So Brad and I are off to his football game. Have a good day all!

More House Work

2008-09-24T20:45:00.001-05:00

So...I thought that I would give this thing a try once since I have let Molly do all the posting so far. I put another coat of drywall on the basement tonight, hopefully this will be the last one. We shall see once it dries and I sand it. Molly is baking cookies tonight for our neighbors who helped us this past weekend. On Friday we are going to a work party at my managers house. It will be a fun night full of wii bowling and good food. My manager is going to be cooking four different kinds of meat and we have to bring a salad or desert. We will be bringing some sort of nacho chip dip. I think I have played wii bowling once so it should be interesting. There is going to be a tournament with the people there, I just hope I don't embarrass myself.

Next weekend I will be heading to a Michigan vs. Illinois game at the big house with a friend of mine. I am really looking forward to it, I just hope its a decent game. I have also been playing some football of my own. I am on a flag football team that plays on Thursday nights at a Rockwell Collins field. We had our first game last week and lost pretty bad, but I think now we have some kinks worked out so it should be better this week. Anyways I am going to read some news about Matt Millen being fired or quitting or whatever happened and check on my fantasy football team. I really need to turn one of my teams around.

Brad

Wrapping up the weekend

2008-09-20T21:26:00.000-05:00

So...the weekend is coming to an end. And it has been exhausting but very successful. I can't believe how much we have gotten done. Yesterday the boys got drywall put up in the basement and one layer of mud. They also decided to tackle the tree. Now just so you all know, they did not take down the whole thing. I will post pictures of what was left when they were done tomorrow. It is dark out now and pictures won't turn out. But it looks very different! (a very good different) Brad's friend Loren came over this afternoon, along with our great neighbor skip and helped Dad and Brad tie up all the branches. It looks great. Mom and I got all of the nursery furniture together. How fun! Again it was like Christmas. It could not look any better. It is exactly what I remember. Mom did some carpet cleaning while I was at work. Today Mom and I went to the outlet mall and found some fun baby stuff and a few other things for ourselves. When we came home Mom did some more cleaning and I put linen shelves in the nursery closet. Although not perfect, they will do the trick. And that is why I am not a carpenter:). The boys did some more mudding this afternoon and primed tonight after dinner. We are spending the rest of the night relaxing. We will all sleep very well tonight! (Even Maggie) I have posted some pictures tonight, but will post more tomorrow when I get some more taken in better light. Along with these I will also post a nice picture of Brad and I. Here are some pictures that you have all been waiting for.

Our beautiful new crib!
The Changing Table

The antique wardrobe from my mom, that matches perfectly!

The inside of the crib with comforter and bumper pad

The linen shelves that I put up all by myself!
My new diaper bag, that I love!

Happy Birthday Brad!

2008-09-18T11:01:00.000-05:00

Today is Brad's 24th birthday. How much better can a birthday get, his parents come tonight! Unfortunately they won't get here until after his birthday is over. But he does get to play football on his birthday. It's his first game (the last two have been rained out). I will be home cleaning like a banshee. I hope this day goes by really fast because I am so excited! Sadly I do have to work tomorrow, but hopefully I'll be out by early afternoon. I guess people can't live without their bulletins :) Well I will get back to work now. I will update again with the progress of the weekend.

a new week

2008-09-15T22:14:00.000-05:00

So today is Monday. The beginning of a new exciting week. It seems like each week has it's own first or new event.
Tonight we put the second coat of green paint in the nursery. We hope it turns out like we expect. You just never know what you're going to get with paint color. Our baby furniture (crib and changing table) will be arriving this weekend with our house guests. We will be able to put it all together!
But of course the most exciting part of this week is that Mom and Dad Z. will be visiting Thursday night through Sunday. We have a lot of things to be done while they are here. Some work will be done Friday on the bathroom downstairs and some other drywall repairs. Saturday will be the big tree-cutting day. A friend of ours will be coming over to help Dad and Brad to take down a very large tree in our backyard. Mom and I will be going to the outlet mall :) I really don't want to be around, and we surely won't be of any assistance. Hopefully the rest of this week flies by because I can't wait to see some family!!

Baby Bedding!

2008-09-12T16:12:00.000-05:00

Today is a great day! I came home today and to my delight there was not a "you missed a package" note on our door. 10 minutes later Maggie was barking at the FedEx man in the driveway. It is like Christmas in September. This is the first thing that we have bought for baby Z. We will go out tomorrow morning and buy paint. Tomorrow hopefully our furniture will be ordered as well. Mom and Dad Z are going to the big sale to order it. It's all becoming so real now. The picture to the right is the quilt/comforter. It is very soft! We also got the bumper, crib sheet, window valance, dust ruffle, and diaper stacker. How fun!

Wednesday

2008-09-10T12:42:00.000-05:00

Today is Wednesday, and I am at work. Work is getting quiet these days. This past Sunday was our pastor's last Sunday at our church. He is moving to Calvin CRC in GR! Today is moving day so they got all of the stuff out of his office. It sure will be different around here. Today is a pretty busy day as I have Youth Group after work. I get to go home for 2 hours or so and then I'm right back here. I practically live here.
Brad is starting flag football this week with practice tonight and then his first game tomorrow. He will be playing in a league with other Rockwell employees. For those of you who don't know, Brad and I are doing fantasy football for the first time ever. I know, you're thinking I'm crazy...well this is my effort to get more interested in one of my husband's favorite fall hobbies. We'll see if it is successful.
I am really excited, we are supposed to recieve our nursery bedding in the mail on Friday! This means we can pick out paint colors and get started on Saturday. This will be our first step in the preparations for baby boy Zoodsma. Just so you all know, we have not picked out any names yet, and we won't be sharing them with anyone until THE day. Some of you may be skeptical of my secret-keeping abilities, but I am going to try my hardest. So it might be best if you just don't ask, then I won't be temted.
I got my haircut yesterday...and love it! I've been going shorter and shorter each time. This one was perfect. I don't have any pictures of it yet but Brad and I need to get one together for this page. Soon.
The next week and half will be preparation for our house guests next weekend. I couldn't be more excited! We have lots of projects for Dad Z and Brad to complete over the three days that they will be here. I can't wait.
So this has gotten really long and I suppose I should get back to work. Have a great day everyone!

our first blog post

2008-09-08T14:33:00.001-05:00

Hello everyone!

I am starting a blog for all of you who would like to keep updated on our life. We have got some crazy stuff going on right now. Of course first on our list is the baby boy on the way! We cannot wait for January, but time sure is flying. We have a lot to look forward to until then. Mom and Dad Zoodsma are coming out next weekend (Sept. 19-21) and then Mom and Dad Rottman are making the trip in a month (Oct. 17-19). This will be my dad's first trip out since last October! I can't wait. We have lots of projects for them to do :) On this post you will find my first "baby bump" picture. I'm sure some of you have really been wondering what I look like, and now you know. It seems to grow everyday. I hope to keep this updated as often as I can with doctor reports, house improvements, and other important info on our everyday life to keep you all in the loop.