And Time Goes On!

I dutifully brought our camera to Strathroy for the Thanksgiving weekend - and left the memory card in the computer at home.  So much for taking pictures!  I was able to borrow a 16 MB card from Mom, on which I was able to take 3 pictures, lol.  One third of these pictures is posted below, along with a few others I have taken recently. 

One of my only Thanksgiving pictures - here is Peter 
enjoying his dessert!!  I think he was just about in heaven - 

until he learned he had to share it, that is. 

And I wonder why the kids' socks seem so warped 
out of shape sometimes.  Maybe this is why:

It's pretty fun to give each other rides in the laundry basket.  

Not as much fun when you're both in it, but that's still a little bit fun too

Peter, almost always so serious and unwilling to smile for the camera.  

He's concentrating hard on playing with his garbage truck

Aaron's a little more willing to ham it up for the camera.  

Here he is in a typical pose:  in a container of some sort.  

He seems to have a thing for climbing into boxes and containers 

After the exciting opportunity to have a ride in a combine 

on the Thanksgiving weekend, Peter has been talking a LOT about 

combines, wagons, and soybeans.  This baby gate has been his 

"combine" lately - might be hard to see the resemblance but 

that moveable bar is the "pipe" that the "soybeans" (blocks) 

travel through to the "wagon" (an empty ice-cream bucket).  

Gotta love that imagination!

My littlest little man looking all handsome!

He is getting so alert now.  5 weeks old today! 

And who doesn't love little baby feet?  So sweet!

Coffee Child

Peter:  "Mommy, what are you doing with the coffee machine?"
Mommy:  "I'm making coffee"
Peter:  "You're making coffee for me?"
Mommy:  "No, I'm making coffee for me"
Peter:  "Oooohhh, you're going to make me cry!  I don't like juice, I like coffee!"

Excavators, Diggers, and High Hoes

Peter:  "Mommy, please sing the excavator song!  The excavator song, please Mommy?"
Mommy:  "I don't know what the excavator song is, Peter.  Can you sing it for me?"
Peter:  "No, Mommy, you sing it.  You sing the excavator song.  Sing the high hoe song"
Mommy: "Oooooohhhhhhhh.  The high hoe song, now I know.  'Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work we go, doodoo doo doo doo doodoo doo doo doo, hi ho, hi ho!'"

Help me!!!

Peter:  "Mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy..."
Mommy:  "Peter, you only need to say 'mommy' once.  What is it?"
Peter:  "Mommy, say 'mommy' once, mommy, say 'mommy' once, mommy, say 'mommy' once, mommy, say 'mommy' once, mommy..."

Sometimes, I wonder how it is possible that I have not yet been driven entirely crazy.

Three Weeks Old!

Three weeks later, and we are as busy as can be.  Things are going fairly well here with three boys at home - it is busy but most of the time things are relatively under control.  Of course I haven't tried to take them all out by myself yet, and I imagine that won't be happening very often.  Peter and Aaron are quite in love with their little brother, and offer him many hugs and kisses during the day.  Aaron especially is very excited to introduce anyone who comes in the door to the "baby", and he loves to come up to Nate and watch him.  So far, they have been quite gentle with him although I am sure to keep a close eye on them to make sure Nathaniel doesn't get smothered with their affection. 
Nathaniel weighed in at 10 lbs 15 oz at his two week appointment (at that age, Peter weighed 8lb7oz, and Aaron 10lbs7oz).  He continues to be a fairly content baby, which is a huge blessing considering the busy age of the older two boys.  He is awake and alert more and more during the days, although there are some days still where he seems to sleep almost the whole day.  Since he was just a few days old, he has been giving us quite a few smiles, to the point that we can't really believe they are involuntary gas smiles, as it seems that he is smiling on purpose.  He's even giggled for us a few times!  Maybe they are all accidental smiles, who knows, but we enjoy them greatly.  He is eating and sleeping well, often going for one four or five hour stretch at night and then a few shorter ones.  It will be nice to get out of the sleepless-haze that comes with a newborn.
Peter is growing up so fast it seems.  We enjoy listening to him talk and reason things out, and find it amazing how much he picks up and what he takes in.  Sometimes he says the most ridiculous things - our kids certainly give us a lot of laughter.
Aaron is also growing up quickly.  He's not the baby of the family any more, but has been promoted to "middle child".  I gave him his first haircut last week and it was a little sad to see all those little red curls laying on the floor but also good to have him looking a little less scruffy and a little more grown-up.  He's saying a few more word lately - Mommy, juice, up, tractor, soothie, among others.  He said "Hi Daddy" yesterday when Mike came home from work, and the other day he even attempted "helicopter"!
Anyways.  I have a whole bunch of photos to load up for your enjoyment, and the kids are up from their nap so I have only a short amount of time before some disaster or toy-sharing-fiasco unfolds in the living room. 

"Mommy, I am giving Nate blankets, he is cold"

Oh dear.  I'm going to have to keep a veeerrryyy close eye on these kids! 

 Big eyes taking in the new world

 Aunt Dell visiting with the boys

 No luck getting a picture of all three boys with their aunt, so 

two at a time will have to do!  Cute shirts eh?  Thanks Aunt Dell!

 Sweetie!  What a lot of hair he had before that haircut!

 So good to have these boys back home again!

 Caught mid-yawn

 Somebody was a wee bit too tired to finish lunch

 Reading books with Aunt Dell.  I just realized that I loaded up a lot 

of pictures of you, Yell.  Thanks for all your help and company!  

I do actually play with my kids too but there usually isn't 

anyone to take pictures...

 Giving my middle munchkin his first haircut - scissors on the top and 

the buzzer on the sides.  He wasn't too pleased with me but the 

job got done, and it turned out to be a half-decent haircut

 When someone is too grumpy to eat supper, 

perhaps a change of utensils might help!

Aaron has definitely developed a love for books just like Peter,

and they both love to sit with us and have books read to them

 This picture of Nathaniel reminds me very much of Peter as a baby

Nathaniel was baptized on October 3.  Here he is wearing the Eleveld family

baptism gown - he was number 29 to be baptized in it!  It was first worn in 
1917 for the first of my Oma's siblings, and has been worn by almost 
all the babies born into the Eleveld-Vos-Mussche family since then.  

Carefully getting the buttons done up on the fragile gown

Danielle had the honour of holding Nathaniel during the service

A family picture taken after the service

 Aaron loves to give his brother hugs and kisses!

 And Peter's quite in love with his brother as well

Trying to get a good smile picture is hard, but here's one

Mike insists Nate was excited about this picture as well, but decided

to "deadpan" for the photo so his Dad would look like a dork. 

9 Days Old

It's hard to believe Nathaniel is already over a week old!  So far, he has been a pretty easy baby, sleeping lots and generally quite content.  At his 3 day appointment, his weight had dropped to 9 lbs 12 oz, and it was back up to 10 lbs 5 oz at his one week appointment.  9 oz in 4 days is a fantastic weight gain - the midwife actually weighed him twice to make sure that was the correct weight!  They expect them to gain at least half an ounce per day, so with more than 2 oz per day, Nate's doing great.
Since the older two munchkins are returning home tomorrow morning, I thought I should put in a quick update with a couple of pictures.  Probably won't have a whole lot of time for posting and updating once they are home again!  We've missed them tremendously, and I can't wait to give them all the hugs and kisses I have stored up for them from the past 10 days.  It's the longest we've been away from either of them, and it's due time for them to come home again!  Not that they haven't been having a fantastic time - lots to do and see at Grandma and Grandpa's, and lots of time playing with their cousins.  I hope it won't be too boring at home for them!
On to some pictures... all the ones of the older boys at Grandma and Grandpa's were stolen (in a friendly sort of way) from Mom and Dad VD's Facebook page.  Enjoy!

 

 Getting weighed at 1 week old - 10 lbs 5 oz

 

 Enjoying some ice-cream on the front deck

 What a little goofball!

 The train set seems to have been quite a hit!

 Freezies on the back deck

 Checking out the barn at Uncle Jeremy and Aunt Sarah's farm

 This little guy LOVES animals! 

 I can just imagine the screeching that goes along with this photo!  LOL!

 Getting right down to work

 Climbing into the pen

 They were gone on my birthday, so they did some painting for Mommy! 

Introducing... Nathaniel David!

We are thrilled to announce the safe arrival of our third son, Nathaniel David!  We welcomed little Nathaniel into our arms on Wednesday Sept 15 at 10:44 p.m., arriving a week early and still weighing in at a hefty 10 lbs 7.5 oz, and measuring 22 1/4 inches long.  He is healthy, beautiful, and a joy to snuggle with!  We thank the Lord for his great blessings to us, and pray that He will continue to grant us all that we need to raise our dear sons in the love and fear of His name!

Nathaniel's first picture!  

His first bath - he wasn't a big fan

Peter and Aaron meet their little brother for the first time

They were pretty excited about him!  

A smile caught on camera - a little fuzzy but it made me laugh!

Sweet little newborn...can't get enough of cuddling this guy!

Sorry about that, TOM.

After discovering that I had inadvertantly posted a picture of him online without permission, and after a highly unbelievable display of protest at releasing said photo, I have decided to repost the nuptual announcement from a few weeks ago. 
Congratulations to my dear sister Lauren, who was married to her sweetheart, _ _ _ at the beginning of August.  We are so happy for you and hope that things are going well for you as you settle into the happiness of married life!  My oh my, Lauren, you snagged yourself quite a handsome fellow!  

Yummm.... not

On the way to get some groceries this morning, both kids are buckled in their carseats with a juice cup.  We're driving along, and Peter informs me, "Mommy, I have a booger".  A few minutes later, he tells me, "Mommy, I'm washing my booger".  I'm a little puzzled.... , "What do you mean Peter?  How are you washing your booger?"  As he takes a swig from his juice cup, he replies, "With my juice.  My booger is in my mouth and I am washing it."
Lovely.

Pushy Readers... What to Do About Them?

To acquiesce to one particularly pushy blog reader (haha you know who you are!), I will publish a breviloquent blog post with a few prodigious words. 
Yesterday morning, Peter informed me that "I am Daddy's lizard, Mom.  I am grey.  I need to go downstairs."  Later on at lunchtime, he kept on asking me to give him "5" across the table, and with my 9 month baby belly in the way that gets a little difficult, so I told him no, since Mommy is too sore.  He proceeded to firmly chastise the baby, "don't give Mommy owies, baby, that's BAD.  Get a different baby, Mommy?".  I assured him that we love this baby very much and aren't going to trade for a different one.