Ted, Tiff, & the wrecking crew

the boys

2011-08-09T10:06:00.004-04:00

so... I scored a power-wheels type Jeep for Seth from a guy I work with, and it was free!! and Seth loves it, and Zach probably will too... soon. for now, he just sits there until he falls out (and is caught by the non picture-taking parent) also, note the model name on this bad-boy: LIGHTENING... not to be confused with lightning... we're in no way trying to condone or glorify Mother Natures wrath on a child's toy, just to set that straight. it's just not what we're about.

quote of the day from Seth

2010-12-27T19:59:00.001-05:00

"Milk comes out a cow's butt."

It's been a while

2010-12-17T09:50:00.004-05:00

It has been forever since I posted anything on here. It has been quite crazy around here now with 2 little kiddos. I am slowly learning how to meet both of their needs while trying to remain sane and get things done that need to be accomplished.

Seth is now 31 months old and talks, talks, talks all the time! He knows most of the alphabet and can count to 10. He still has a LOVE for chocolate and a bit of a sweet tooth that we need to keep under control. He enjoys playing with Daddy but often wants Mommy to read to him at night before bed. Seth loves reading books but doesn't always like when I sing to him :( -He will often say, "Mommy stop" I didn't think my singing voice was that bad! However, he does like when I sing "Away in a Manger" and "You Are My Sunshine." We are working on potty training him which has been up and down. Somedays he has much interest and others not so much. In time we will get there I guess. He recognizes and can say many things. He will describe his food as juicy, crunchy and delicious.

Zach is 3 months old and we just love his smile. He has also started cooing a bit and makes bubbles a lot with his mouth. He is doing well overall with his night sleeping. Usually sleeps from 11pm - 6 or 7 am. He eats throughout the day about every 3hrs. In the next month I will be working more so on getting him on a schedule. He is also still sleeping in the pack 'n play in our room so we will be transferring him to his room and the crib in the next few weeks.

Ted and I are doing well. Adjusting to having 2 kids and trying to find time for eachother. Ted has been biking off and on, running and swimming to prepare to do a sprint-triathlon. I on the other hand need to figure out how to fit in some more exercise to lose the rest of the baby weight I gained. That is all for now. Can't believe another year is around the corner. Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Seth & Zach

2010-12-17T09:35:00.003-05:00

Zachary Konrad Eby

2010-10-15T19:29:00.005-04:00

Hey everybody, my name is Zachary!!! My parents only took a month to introduce me, which actually isn't too bad considering I'm the second child... My hobbies are eating, sleeping, and eating some more. I was 6lbs 14 ounces and 19 3/4" long, and was measured at 21" at a checkup three days later. Anywho, I'm off for another nap, see you around!

Strasburg RR

2010-08-10T09:54:00.009-04:00

Saturday, July 31st we visited the Strasburg RR to take Seth on his first train ride. We got off at a picnic area and had our lunch before boarding the next train. The weather was nice and we all had a good time. Hopefully we will do it again next year!

Seth & Daddy

Emsley and Seth on the see-saw

Pappy & Seth and Seth swinging

Paw-paw and Maw-maw

Pappy and Nana (Nani/Gram)

Ashley, Bobby and Emsley

more OBX

2010-07-21T15:56:00.003-04:00

OBX

2010-07-21T15:25:00.004-04:00

slide + pool = awesome

2010-07-04T20:05:00.003-04:00

oh to be two again... note the shovel in the background supporting the slide. totally ghetto!

Road Trip

2010-07-04T19:41:00.005-04:00

Here's a quick update on our summer so far. The first event was a road trip out to Iowa for Andrew and Emily's wedding. We had a great time staying with the Armbrecht's in Des Moines, catching up with some friends, and of course attending Andrew and Emily's wedding. Congrats once again guys! It was fun being part of your special day and getting to see everyone from Willow Creek church too. We also had an awesome time with Todd and Paige, and got to meet Atticus and Penelope. We went to Cornerstone for a Saturday evening service, ate at Hickory Park, and got to reminisce about our two years living in Ames. We tried to catch up with as many people as we could, but I know we missed several we would have liked to see!! After we got home we realized we had a grand total of about two pictures from the trip, but here they are anyway:

Congrats Andrew and Emily!

Roadtripmobile. And yes, that is a real word... I made it up myself

Updates

2010-06-11T15:31:00.004-04:00

It has been a while since I've been on here so I will give you some updates on what has been going on. I am getting bigger & hungrier but doing well overall and as far as we know all is well with the baby. We haven't come up with a name yet, so if you have any boy name suggestions that go well with Eby then let us know! Hopefully this time around the name will be decided before we have to hand in the papers with his name on at the hospital! (Last time we waited until the very last second to decide and so Seth was called "Baby Boy Eby" for the first 2 days of life!)

Seth has been in his "big boy" bed now for a week and we couldn't ask for it to have gone any smoother. He hasn't once gotten out of the bed in the night or for his nap. When he wakes up, he waits in bed until we come get him! I am hoping that he continues to do well and not later on down the road, get out and play with toys in the night. We let him pick out his own sheets and he chose "Cars" over "Thomas the Tank Engine" which surprised us a bit. We now read on his bed instead of in the glider and he likes that a lot too. He has picked up on a few more words: help, yes, out, and shoe. He refers to himself as "you" instead of "me" which always gives us a good laugh. He prefers to wear his sneakers instead of his new sandals even on the hottest of days. He has become bothered by some of the tags on his shirts and so I have had to cut a few off already. If his clothes get wet, he usually wants to get dry ones on. When his hands are sticky, he likes them to be wiped clean. Seth LOVES playing at the park but he doesn't like to swing and he won't go down the slide or through the tunnels if they are too hot to the touch. He enjoys throwing his football to Ted and I and kicking his extra large ball to us. He is generally a happy little guy who gives us lots of laughs and tires us out by the end of the day.

24 Months

2010-05-20T10:26:00.004-04:00

Seth at 2 years:

Length: 36 inches (90%)

Weight: 27 pounds (10%)

Recent words added to his vocabulary: Elmo, Bye, Cup, Dig, Dirt, Couple, Two, Choo-choo, Caillou, Door, Home, Hi, Pop, Car. (There may be others but that is all I can think of right now)

He currently LOVES bubbles and to play outside. He likes to slide down his sliding board but isn't too fond of swinging. Seth also LOVES to water the flowers/plants and is a good helper at doing so. He enjoys playing with his cars, building towers, flying the helicopter, coloring, hitting his golf balls outside and hammering/fixing things at his new workbench.

2nd Birthday

2010-05-12T09:39:00.005-04:00

HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY SETH!
2nd Birthday

1st Birthday

Birth- May 12, 2008

Seth's 2nd Birthday Party!

2010-05-12T08:56:00.005-04:00

On Mother's Day we celebrated Seth's 2nd Birthday! His party was held at Pappy & Grammy Mellert's house. We had a nice time and Seth enjoyed licking the icing off the bottom of Thomas the Train as you will see in one of the photos! He has played with many of his new toys already and we've read some of his new books. He particularly likes his camera, golf clubs, car, and loves the reese's peanut butter cups his Aunt & Uncle gave him.

We're not in the Friendly Midwest anymore...

2010-05-06T12:48:00.006-04:00

Yesterday I decided to ride my sweet Huffy 10-speed bicycle to work. You know, it's a fun way to get a little exercise and save some money too. Anyway, on the way home I was really having trouble getting up to speed. Just as I was begining to question my manhood, I noticed my back tire was flat. So, I called my awesome wife Tiff, and she jumped in the van to come pick me up. I was still about 10 miles away at this point, so I started walking along the road while watching for Tiff to come from the other direction. It's a very busy road during rush-hour, with lots of traffic in both directions. As I'm walking, pushing my bike, literally hundreds of cars are passing by, none of them slowing down or even moving over to give me a little room. I couldn't help but think of the time I ran out of gas halfway between Slater and Ames, and all three of the cars that came along stopped and asked if I needed help. That's right, all three of the three total cars that were on the road stopped. Much nicer than the 0 for 542 that I scored here. Welcome to Pennsylvania!!

Expensive Taste

2010-05-04T22:02:00.004-04:00

Last Tuesday as I was getting Seth ready for bed our ordinary routine quickly became eventful. I had taken off my rings and placed them next to me on the floor because I was going to put lotion on Seth (I don't like to get lotion all over my rings) Anyway, before I knew it I looked up and Seth was putting my engagement ring in his mouth. I went to fish it out of his mouth only to discover it wasn't there. I looked around real quick and then went to get Ted. We looked around but I decided that he definitely swallowed it. There was no choking, coughing, or other odd behavior. Ted spoke to the doctor who wasn't too concerned and just asked if Seth could talk ok and wasn't coughing or choking. The doctor then said that it could take 3-4 days and up to a week for the ring to reappear but if we wanted to come in for an x-ray we could. We decided to wait on getting an x-ray as Seth acted fine and just like himself. So, the search began and I will say I was never happier to have to change a poopy diaper! Although, the searching through the diaper was stomach churning as you can imagine. My ring made its grand entrance on Saturday morning and we made our phone calls to all who were waiting to hear. Oh my what an experience this was for me. It was scary, embarrassing and funny all at the same time. We are sooooo thankful that all turned out well and Seth is fine and we didn't have to take him for an x-ray.

Ultrasound

2010-04-20T20:46:00.002-04:00

We had our ultrasound today! Here is a profile picture of baby BOY Eby #2.

23 months

2010-04-13T14:36:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, Seth turned 23 months!! One month to go until the big 2nd Birthday!

He has added a few words to his vocabulary since last month: car, beep, hole, me, choo choo, bee, door, shut
Can recognize the letters B, C, D, O, S, T
When asked he can point to his eyes, ears, nose, mouth, teeth, tongue, fingers, hands, toes, feet, knee, head, and hair.
Loves when Daddy comes home and flies the helicopter
Loves reading books and playing outside
Absolutely loves chocolate
Working on his two bottom 2nd year molars
Likes elmo, clifford, thomas the train and veggie tales

Tatooed Seth

2010-04-09T15:54:00.002-04:00

Seth was coloring with markers until he decided it was time to tatoo his legs and the palms of his hands! Thankfully, it was washable marker and came off very easily in the tub.

Easter

2010-04-09T15:44:00.001-04:00

Road Trip

2010-03-30T20:43:00.003-04:00

To all our friends in Iowa, we will be coming out for a visit June 24-27 to attend Andrew's wedding. We will most likely be driving out which is about a 16-18 hour journey but it's cheaper than flying. Sadly, we will probably not bring Seth since it is such a looong drive in the car. We would love to meet up, if you are interested and available please let us know.

Seth's 2nd Easter Egg Hunt

2010-03-30T09:53:00.005-04:00

Seth enjoyed his 2nd egg hunt at Grandma & Grandpa Eby's on Sunday. He liked the eggs that had goldfish inside but LOVED the eggs that had chocolate!

Seth's 1st Easter Egg Hunt

2010-03-30T09:40:00.002-04:00

Walking on the kid sized train tracks at the park

Pappy & Seth (enjoying some chocolate)

Seth showing Grammy one of his eggs

Cousins

2010-03-30T09:19:00.001-04:00

22 months

2010-03-24T15:49:00.002-04:00

On March 12, Seth turned 22 months.

Things he really likes:

playing outside
going down the sliding board
being chased by Daddy
his new Thomas the Train book
ice pops
playing with his little cars
giving biscuits to Bear (Grandma & Grandpa's dog)
exploring with a flashlight
Daddy's toolbox
coloring (scribbling)

His current weight is approx. 27-28 pounds. He is starting to want to be more independent particularly in going up and down the stairs by himself.

three becomes four...

2010-02-24T21:18:00.002-05:00

coming middle of September

21 Months

2010-02-20T09:25:00.004-05:00

Here are some updates on Seth. I am a bit late in listing as he turned 21 months last Friday!

Weighs approx. 26 pounds
Is beginning to want to do a few select things "on his own"
His vocabulary includes: Hot, Daddy, Mommy, Bobby, Bob, Pappy, Hi, Yeah, Wow, Whoa, My, No, Uh-Oh, Hat, Tea and others that we can't always decipher
He can sign "more"
His interests are: Dogs, Trains, Tractors, "Fixing Things", Music, Chocolate
Loves building things and is becoming an expert at doing so
Likes coloring with crayons and markers
Likes when we read books to him
Can follow simple commands

Emsley

2010-02-20T08:54:00.005-05:00

Congratulations to Ashley (Tiffany's sister) and Bobby on the birth of their beautiful daughter. She was born on her due date, February 11 and weighed in at 6 pounds 6 ounces! Her name is Emsley Ann Krome. What a wonderful blessing!

more pictures

2010-02-06T19:22:00.002-05:00

Finally some serious snow!!

2010-02-06T14:09:00.009-05:00

It started snowing Friday late afternoon and didn't stop until late Saturday morning. All told we got around 14", with 20" or more in the drifted areas. Good stuff!!

Silly Seth

2010-01-19T15:06:00.004-05:00

Seth found some felt pads that go on the bottom of different things to prevent scratching on surfaces and decided that they would work best as hair decorations!! I think he ended up with about 8 of them in his hair! He was distracted when I took them out so no crying was involved. What a great laugh he gave me!

20 Months

2010-01-12T15:56:00.003-05:00

Seth is 20 months today! Here is a little about him:

weighs in somewhere around 25-26 pounds
beginning to imitate us
pretends to talk on the phone
LOVES chocolate and also peanut butter
likes playing with his hot wheels
enjoys building towers
really likes "his" table and likes to pray at pretty much only "his" table
continues to start the dishwasher when he feels like pressing the button
likes sitting on his potty and accidentally peed on his potty time with elmo book!
LOVES when daddy comes home to play
enjoys going to the library
loves getting read to
bathtime is generally a fun time for him
knows where the deli counter is at the grocery store because that's where he gets to eat a piece of cheese!
gives hugs and kisses but not all the time and only when asked
still likes to help do the laundry
likes driving around, eating in, and pushing his new little car
enjoys coloring

First Wheels

2010-01-08T21:43:00.005-05:00

I am not sure who but someone gave Seth his drivers license and even allowed him to drive inside the house! Thanks Ashley and Bobby for getting Seth his first car for free!!

Christmas with the Mellert's

2009-12-28T16:07:00.005-05:00

We spent our Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and the day after with Grammy & Pappy Mellert. We also got to see Ashley & Bobby and all the Mellert's. We had delicious food to eat and a fun time (although the time flew by). Oh and Pappy got a havoc razor helicopter for Seth. He really enjoyed watching it fly all around or rather crashing all over the house. And you can guess who was flying it......Pappy, Daddy & Uncle Bobby! We also discovered how much Seth LOVES chocolate. He got a reeses peanut butter cup with his gift from grammy & pappy and protected it so no one could have a bite. Thanks again for a fun time and all the gifts!

A Realistic Family Photo (with a toddler)

2009-12-27T12:01:00.009-05:00

We did get one nice picture out of this whole shoot, however this is a shout-out to what the other nine looked like. I'm sure anyone with kids understands! Hope you all had a Merry Christmas!!

Happy Birthday Grandpa

2009-12-23T10:15:00.003-05:00

On the 20th we also celebrated Grandma & Grandpa's 29th Anniversary and Grandpa's 55th Birthday!

Christmas with the Eby's

2009-12-23T09:33:00.008-05:00

We celebrated Christmas with the Eby's on the 20th. We had really good food and were stuffed when we left. Seth accomplished opening one gift before moving on to other things that kept his interest. I enjoyed opening the rest for him! Seth got a table his size, a sled, gloves, wooden blocks, books, socks, and a dvd. He LOVES the table and eats at it all the time! Thanks for all the fun gifts!

Grandpa & Seth

Seth & Aunt Melissa

sitting at his new table

sledding

eating chocolate

opening gifts

Snow

2009-12-16T15:21:00.002-05:00

Here is a picture taken up at my parents a few weekends ago at the start of the snowfall. While we were visiting it snowed a couple inches and Ted decided to go have some fun!

19 Months

2009-12-16T14:52:00.003-05:00

This past Saturday Seth turned 19 months! As always we will give you a run down.

LOVES peanut butter
Likes drinking water out of little things. He gets out the smallest tupperware container, half of a plastic Easter egg, or a lid to something and points me in the direction of the faucet!
Attempts to water the Christmas tree
Runs in circles around the dining room table
Still loves to help do the laundry
Enjoys being pushed around by Daddy in an empty diaper box
Carries his little blankie with him many places
Loves to read books about dogs/puppies
Shakes his head "no" but hasn't uttered the word "no"
Likes to color but has colored more on the walls so far then on paper
Recognizes home
Has said "uh oh" (once or twice) and "Bobby" (a number of times)

More Photos From Ashley's Shower

2009-12-10T10:10:00.004-05:00

We held a surprise baby shower for my sister this past weekend up at my parents house. She said she was surprised but had started becoming suspicious a half hour before she arrived at the party! She is having a girl and is due February 11, 2010.

Ashley's Baby Shower

2009-12-10T09:39:00.003-05:00

Mellert Christmas Picture

2009-12-10T09:29:00.002-05:00

Bobby, Ashley, Ted, Tiffany, Seth, Jane & Konrad

Christmas Tree

2009-11-27T22:00:00.005-05:00

Seth was amazed by the Christmas tree! He kept taking off the already in place ornaments and in the process broke two of them. He also really liked the beads we put on the tree and was wearing some of them as a necklace.

Seth

2009-11-27T21:46:00.002-05:00

Slam Dunk!!

2009-11-27T12:08:00.002-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T08:44:00.004-05:00

Enjoy your turkey!!

18 Months Update

2009-11-25T15:17:00.003-05:00

Seth finally had his 18 month check-up today. He was so pleasant. He didn't try to get off the scale or tear all the paper off the table where they measure him, or squirm all over the place. He kindly allowed the nurse and doctor to do their jobs without a fuss. He didn't even cry when he got his shot in the leg! Great job Seth! You made the visit stress free for your mommy! Anyway, here are his latest measures.

Weight= 24 pounds (30%)

Height= 34 1/2 inches (92%)

Head circumference= 19 1/4 inches (80%)

Thanksgiving Weekend

2009-11-25T14:24:00.004-05:00

This past weekend we celebrated Thanksgiving with the Mellert's. The food was delicious (thanks mom!) and we were all stuffed to the brim. Seth can sometimes be a picky eater but he enjoyed some turkey & gravy, corn, and pumpkin pie! In one of the photos you can see my pregnant little sister! We are so excited for Seth to have a cousin and we are anxiously awaiting her arrival in February.

wall graffiti

2009-11-19T22:38:00.004-05:00

Our new dining room wall graffiti!

Created with love by: Seth

Little Red Truck Inspector

2009-11-19T22:34:00.002-05:00

18 Months

2009-11-16T13:27:00.003-05:00

Seth turned 18 months on November 12th! Here's his latest:

can now drink from a straw
gives kisses and hugs
babbles a lot more
likes to wave hi and bye
likes to stand on the bed and let himself fall backwards
climbs, climbs, climbs
pretends to vacuum
still loves building towers
likes to help make toast & coffee
loves pressing the buttons on the microwave& dishwasher
loves being outside
generally likes going shopping as long as he has his sippy cup and snack
loves seeing Bear (grandma & grandpa's dog) and giving him a treat

Seth the Flute Player

2009-11-07T22:04:00.003-05:00

we were at my (Ted's) parents house and Seth finally got the concept of blowing into the flute. it was quite an accomplishment. who knows what's next, perhaps drinking out of a straw?! we shall see...

Fireman

2009-11-02T15:48:00.007-05:00

We didn't take Seth trick or treating but
dressed him up anyway.

Here he is visting with the neighbor's dog,
who was dressed up like a bee!

playing with blocks and

riding his dump truck!

Building Towers

2009-11-02T15:42:00.001-05:00

Seth and the outdoors

2009-11-02T15:19:00.003-05:00

Raking

Playing

Exploring

Seth using the little railing that Pappy Mellert made for him.

A Rainy Thursday

2009-10-15T13:10:00.003-04:00

17 Months

2009-10-15T10:00:00.004-04:00

Seth at 17 months:

Weight=26 pounds
Height= approx. 32 inches
Loves pressing buttons (constantly turning on and off the DVD player and starting the dishwasher! I am finding myself saying, "NO" a lot!)
He loves playing out in the yard and it is really hard to get him to come inside
He likes to put coins in his bank (I made an extra wipe container his temporary piggy bank. It is easy to take the coins out so that he can put them back in again)
He gives us hugs when we ask him to (but unfortunately not every time!)
He enjoys taking walks in his stroller
Still has fun empting out the cupboards
Tries to open anything he can with keys
When he hears an airplane, he looks all around until he can find it
When asked what a cow says, he responds by saying "mmmm"
When asked what a dog says, he responds by panting
He can point to his (but usually someone elses) nose, ears, eyes and mouth
He LOVES when daddy gets home from work
He likes turning lights on and off
He is very good at communicating by pointing

Fall Fun at the Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-13T20:16:00.006-04:00

This past Saturday we took Seth to the pumpkin patch. He really enjoyed it, but would get mad when the pumpkins were too big for him to lift! Luckily we found an apple gourd that was just his size!

Yogurt & Seth

2009-10-07T11:28:00.003-04:00

I let Seth eat his yogurt on his own and here are the results:
Yogurt in his eye, yogurt in his hair, yogurt in his nose, yogurt on the chair, yogurt on the floor, yogurt yogurt everywhere!

house photos

2009-10-07T10:47:00.005-04:00

Front of house

Front of house- red half

Backyard

Backyard-Ted & Seth

Kitchen- we painted because it was bright yellow!

Kitchen- dishwasher installed by my dad (tiffany)

and so nice to have since we didn't have one at

the apartment

Kitchen- new appliances

Living Room (hopefully we will be getting some

new furniture in the near future!)

Dining Room

updates, updates

2009-10-01T13:08:00.003-04:00

It has been waaayyy too long since we last wrote. I will give you a few updates for now and post up some pictures sometime later.

House
We had settlement for our house on August 28th. We spent the following week painting the kitchen, laundry, 3 bedrooms and bathroom, putting on new door locks, putting up new light fixtures, investigating some leaks, and buying and installing new kitchen appliances. September 4-6 was spent packing up, moving, and unpacking. The time in between and up until now, we've been hanging up curtains, some pictures, cleaning, unpacking, and are overwhelmed by all that still needs to be done. It is a ton of work to move and a ton of work to move in and get settled. We still have much to accomplish before it really feels like home (warm & welcoming) to us. We are so greatful for our families and friends who helped make our move possible!

Seth
Seth is now 16 and 1/2 months old. He is active and into everything! He loves playing in the yard and would probably live there if he could! He had a rough 1st week-week 1/2 in the new house but we think it was a combination of things being unfamiliar and teething. He woke up through the night for a week straight and it would sometimes take an hour and some nights a little more to get him back to sleep. I think he now has 13 or 14 teeth! They just keep coming and keep waking him and us up at night. Hopefully our next child will not be bothered by their teeth coming in. Every single time Seth has gotten a new tooth, he let's us know about it. But overall, he is cute and funny and is learning a lot about life.

Us
Ted and I celebrated our 3rd Anniversary on September 24th. His parent's kept Seth so we could go out to dinner, get coffee, and go to home depot for a toilet seat!! We had a nice time but it went too fast. My parents kept Seth at their place this past weekend so we could get some more accomplished on the house and have some quality time together. It was funny how at the same time I was enjoying the lack of parenting responsibility, I really missed Seth and couldn't wait to see him at the end of the weekend. We would LOVE another weekend to ourselves, it really does give you a break from the stresses of parenting and helps to rejuvenate you and your relationship! I guess though that we would like to be better at having a date night once a month. That would really be wonderful! Our anniversary was the 1st date night we had in 3 months. Anyway, we are doing well and are thankful for all God has blessed us with.

15 Months

2009-08-13T10:51:00.002-04:00

Seth turned 15 months yesterday! Here are his latest updates!

Weighs 24 pounds
Has 11 teeth (0ne more molar to go for now then hopefully a little break!)
As of last week he is completely off his bottle
He loves getting up on the couch and playing with the pillows
He is really into climbing up things
He LOVES to press buttons
He loves to brush his teeth
He enjoys reading books and currently really likes an alphabet book we read him
Often when he is hungry he will go to the fridge and pull on the handle
When he needs help with something he makes a whining noise (will have to work on teaching him a different way of asking for help)
He loves playing with his daddy
He carries his little blankies with him
He tries to unlock anything he can around the apartment with keys
No other new words yet, but sometimes it sounds like he is speaking Chinese! (gives us a good laugh)
Each day he is understanding more and more and it is amazing

Pray for the Shellenberger Twins!

2009-08-10T20:11:00.002-04:00

Sometime when you get a chance, click on the image over on the left of our blog and you will be re-directed to Mitch and Heather's blog concerning their precious preemie twins that were born on Thursday at only 25 weeks. There you can follow their journey, leave an encouraging comment, and even sign up for a time-slot to pray for them! Don't miss out on what the Lord is doing through little Jaron and Teagan!!

A House At Last

2009-08-10T12:51:00.004-04:00

So, we haven't blogged about this yet, but we bought a house! We settle at the end of August and will be doing some painting, etc. before moving in. When we get a chance we will take some photos so you can see. It is not a single home :( but a 1/2 double or semi-detached (whatever you prefer to call it). This will be a first home for us in hopes that in 5 years or so we will be able to move into a single home.

Things we will be looking forward to:

more space
a tub/shower- Seth will finally move up to taking a bath in a real tub vs. his infant tub he currently bathes in
no carpet in the bathroom (yes, we currently have carpeting in the apt. we rent!)
peace and quiet from the roar of traffic we constantly hear
a fenced in yard
a sidewalk!- we can finally go out the door and be able to take a walk. Also, there is a nice park within 4-6 blocks
a place to finally paint and make our own

We were planning on going to visit some of our Iowan friends (that we miss so much) in September but now the house kind of got in the way of things. So, we will keep you updated about when we think we will make the journey. Maybe October or maybe springtime?? Or possibly next summer?

Things you find without looking

2009-08-06T17:58:00.004-04:00

I was vacuuming today and found many things that I wasn't even looking for!

Here they are:

Sippy cup under the chair in the living room
Book under the chair in the living room
Crumpled up coupons under the couch
Tupperware in the seat of Seth's bouncy horse
Tennis ball under our bed
Tennis ball under the changing table

Now, you might want to take a look under the items in your place and see what treasures you can find!

last of the photos

2009-07-28T11:46:00.008-04:00

Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel

more photos

2009-07-28T11:35:00.003-04:00

Seth & Grandma

Mom & Dad Eby

The Eby's

Seth & Grandpa

beach & pool photos

2009-07-28T11:10:00.005-04:00

On the Beach

2009-07-28T10:53:00.003-04:00

Forgot to mention that we went to the beach with Ted's mom, dad, brother & sister. That is who you may see in some of the photos.

Ted's 26th Birthday- 7/20

2009-07-28T10:20:00.006-04:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TED (DADDY)

wright brothers national memorial

2009-07-28T09:39:00.007-04:00

We left Saturday 7/18 at 9:45 pm on our journey to the Outer Banks and arrived in North Carolina Sunday at 5:30 am. We drove through the night thinking Seth would sleep the whole 8 hours but he only slept like 5 or so. We couldn't check-in until 1pm so we went exploring and ended up nearby at the wright brothers national memorial.

14 Months

2009-07-14T21:02:00.004-04:00

Seth turned 14 months on the 12th! Here are his latest stats:

Weighs 24 pounds
Learned to scribble a little with crayons
Bounces, throws, and sometimes kicks his ball around
Likes carrying around Ted's old tennis racket and sometimes hitting a ball with it
We think that he says, "tickle" but it is a little hard to decipher
Gets into everything
Starting to learn to climb up things
Loves helping close the trunk of the car
Loves being read to
Beginning to take one nap a day

Words of Wisdom

2009-07-08T16:13:00.002-04:00

I am attending a baby shower this weekend and need to take some words of wisdom along with me. I have some in mind, but thought I would ask anyone out there to offer some too, that I might be able to share as well. Maybe you will think of something I missed or that might be really important. Some of the best advice comes from those who are currently on the parenting journey. So, if you get a minute please do share!

Help!

2009-07-08T14:29:00.004-04:00

So we've been back here in Pennsylvania for 16 months and are still clueless about where to live. And it is really starting to drive us crazy! We just can't wait for that settled down feeling. We haven't really invested in too many relationships since being back and maybe that has a little to do with being first time parents. And we miss what we had and the relationships that were starting to develop with people in Iowa. We are limited as to where to live because of employment. Ted wants to stay with the company he is with but isn't fond of the nearby towns within driving distance to work. There are a few towns he would be ok with and I as well but some of them would probably mean finding new friends all over again. (which can be done of course) I was friends with some people in the city but since being back it seems everyone is busy and the 20 minute drive sort of hinders things for some reason. And I just dont' know of any other "stay at home moms" who are close by who I could visit or vice versa. We have been hesitant at times to really invest in where we are because we both know that we don't want to be in the town that we are currently living in. We are praying and need to pray more and more specifically. We go back and forth in our minds about if Iowa is where we are suppose to be. We absolutely know that we liked the town of Ames and loved our friends we made and enjoyed Cornerstone Church. But we hate the huge distance it is from our families (especially now that we have started our own family). Ted also really liked his job in Iowa. He is still engineering the trailers for Iowa but just from Pennsylvania but that can be frustrating to him because if they have a problem in the shop when building the trailer, he can't be there to go out and help since he is not in Iowa and he would love to be more hands on at his job rather than sitting at a desk all day long. We just need to figure out where we are suppose to be. So, if you have time and have any suggestions, ideas, etc. please, please, please let us know!

swimming, jumping & riding all at a graduation party!

2009-07-05T20:53:00.007-04:00

A fun new seat

2009-07-03T10:32:00.004-04:00

Seth found this tray that I had sitting on the bench in the background and I guess thought it would make a nice seat!

Why get a bowl? When you can eat it off the floor!

2009-07-03T10:03:00.005-04:00

A clever Seth has figured out how to get the childproof locks off of the cabinets! He found and emptied a box of Life cereal which thankfully was almost gone anyway.

biking in abandoned turnpike tunnels

2009-06-27T22:50:00.010-04:00

Here's a fun thing to do if you have a Saturday free and live anywhere near the Breezewood exit on the PA Turnpike: Bike through some abandoned tunnels! Apparently they re-routed part of the turnpike awhile back, and it left a couple of the tunnels abandoned. They're planning to make it into a complete loop that you can ride, with a trail-head and whatnot, but for now you're allowed to enter at your own risk. It's a pretty neat experience, feels kind of post-apocalyptic to say the least.

First Haircut

2009-06-23T16:41:00.008-04:00

We gave Seth his first haircut this past Saturday. It was very tricky and we were a little nervous, but we got the job done! Here are just a few photos:

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-21T08:51:00.007-04:00

Happy Father's Day!

Thanks for being wonderful, caring, patient, kind, helpful, loving, understanding, fun, & giving.

We love each of you!

road trippin' to Iowa

2009-06-15T22:16:00.003-04:00

The Road Trip Mobile... and yes, it has a spoiler. not really sure why

To all of our Iowanian friends, we are thinking of taking a little road trip out your way either September 1st through 8th, or September 4th through 12th. Of course this would include driving days on each end, hopefully a day and a half or two days at most, but with a one-year-old who knows. We will have a little test run when we drive down to the Outer Banks in July, so hopefully it goes well! Anyway, take a look at your calendars and let us know what you think. It should be fun to come out and hang around Ames for a couple days, catch up with friends, eat at Hickory Park, go hike at Ledges, etc. Anyone with experience driving long distances with a little tyke can feel free to offer suggestions too! I was thinking we could just take the back seat out of the van and set up the Pack 'n Play back there... kidding of course. kind of. Let us know what you guys think!!

Swimming at the Mellert's

2009-06-15T11:38:00.014-04:00

Our day at the beach

2009-06-15T11:21:00.002-04:00

This is the only photo of our day at the beach a few weekends ago. We got the picture from Ted's parents since we forgot our camera :(

13 Months

2009-06-13T14:30:00.002-04:00

More updates on Seth:

weighs 22 pounds 10 ounces
frequently rips off his bib
still loves being chased around
purposely throws anything on the floor or ground and thinks it is funny
loves pears
has discovered the buttons on the tv and presses all of them
likes climbing up and down the stairs
likes sharing his food with others by feeding it to you
enjoys when we read books to him
helps put the laundry in the dryer
this past week he has only been drinking a bottle at bedtime (no more naptime bottle!)
has fun playing with lids (any kind) and putting them onto where ever they belong

One Year Ago Today

2009-06-10T07:57:00.009-04:00

1/2 of the apartment roof missing

Pieces from our roof blown into a corner of the yard

A piece of roof on Ted's car

Once we removed the piece of roof this is what we saw

Our landlords truck and our roof in their yard

A better picture of our roof in their yard

A look from the other side of the apartment

Back Seat Bike Rider

2009-06-04T14:48:00.008-04:00

Ted was dying to get one of these bike seats for Seth

to ride in. As you can see, he liked it from the start!

So we took the helmet off, but just for this time of riding.

Next time we will have to enforce it!

Weekend

2009-05-26T15:56:00.006-04:00

Friday:
We had Ted's parents come over to watch Seth for us while we got out for a little date. However our date was a little boring as we spent the few hours dropping off the van to get inspected, finding and driving past a house we saw for sale, shopping at Babies R Us and a few various other stores to find something for Seth to wear for his pictures, and then finally getting some ice cream from Cold Stone before heading back home.

Saturday:
We took Seth for his first photo session at The Picture People. We were a little nervous and stressed out wondering if he was going to even sit or stand still for a moment for them to capture him on camera but he did and we got so many nice shots it was hard to choose which ones to purchase! Then we drove across the street so I could return something to Babies R Us and Ted dropped me off at the door while he and Seth went to park and wait for me. I came out of Babies R Us to find that in the short time I was away Ted and another couple had a fender bender in the parking lot. Thankfully all were ok. Ted even said that Seth seemed like he hadn't noticed a thing.

Sunday:
We journeyed two hours to the beach with Ted's parents, brother and sister. We had a picnic lunch and ate dinner at a nearby restaurant. The weather was nice but a bit windy and cool. So we didn't really sun bathe. Oh, and it was Seth's first time on the sand and he liked it!

12 months

2009-05-20T09:37:00.003-04:00

Updates on Seth:

Turned a year old on May 12
First word other than ma-ma and da-da is "hot"
Weighs 22 pounds 8 ounces
He is becoming an excellent walker and working on becoming an excellent runner
He loves when you chase after him
He is enjoying facing forward in his new car seat
Waves "bye-bye" but not really on demand, rather more like whenever he feels like it
He doesn't like getting baths anymore (which may be due to the crampiness of his infant tub since we only have a shower at our apt.)
He has become very clingy to his mom's leg and to his mom in general
He has a total of about 8 teeth

When biting your tongue isn't the best option

2009-05-14T22:08:00.003-04:00

We had a little scare with Seth yesterday around 4:45 pm. Ted and I were in the living room putting his carseat back together when he came walking over to where we were and tripped, hitting his chin on the coffee table and biting his tongue. He started crying and his tongue immediately started bleeding. He had made a nice little gash in his tongue with his two front teeth. We took him to the doctor and he prescribed some medicine to ward off infection and said it would mend itself back together fairly quickly. Thankfully, Seth has been a happy little boy since and we are glad he didn't need stitches. Sadly, I am sure this is probably the beginning of many scrapes cuts, gashes, bruises, and bumps. I guess I better prepare myself!

One Year Ago Today

2009-05-12T22:17:00.008-04:00

Happy 1st Birthday Seth

May 12, 2008 at 11:08am
weight: 6 pounds 1 ounce
length: 19 inches

Happy 1st Birthday

2009-05-12T21:09:00.017-04:00

We held a birthday party for Seth on Saturday at his Grammy and Pappy Mellert's. Here are some photos from the day!

Family Photos

2009-04-30T21:21:00.005-04:00

Out in the green green grass

2009-04-20T14:09:00.003-04:00

These are just some photos of Seth out in the yard at our apartment. We had beautiful weather over the weekend so it was nice to spend some time outside. This was just one of the first few experiences Seth enjoyed out in the grass! It was neat to see him explore around and of course attempt to eat a blade of the bright green stuff!

Seth's new mode of transportation

2009-04-20T10:19:00.003-04:00

** It is a little ridiculous that you have to watch this video sideways! I have yet to figure out how to get it in the correct position. For now the easiest solution is for you to move your head to the left to view the video clip! Enjoy!

11 months

2009-04-15T10:33:00.006-04:00

Our little Sethy turned 11 months on Easter!

Here are some new updates in his life:

He has taken his first steps!! (we are sooo excited for him and proud too)
He weighs in at 22 pounds
He got another tooth (new total of 5)
He has tried many new foods
He is starting to drink cows milk
He will walk holding just one of your hands instead of both
He is an expert at crawling
He constantly has little bruises and scrapes on his forehead
He continuously amuses us

We will follow up later with some new photos!

My Handsome Boys!

2009-03-28T11:59:00.009-04:00

First Tantrum

2009-03-27T16:10:00.003-04:00

I am pretty sure I (as well as Seth) experienced his first tantrum today. He kept trying to get into a kitchen cabinet that has matches, soap, spray, etc. and I told him "No" and he got mad and threw himself back on a box of Life cereal (the cereal was on the floor from another cabinet he had been rummaging through). He continued to pout for a while until he finally got over it. I didn't think he was suppose to have tantrums until he was two. But this says otherwise:

Tantrums In Toddlersby Dr. Benjamin Spockreviewed by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P.

Although many people think of tantrums as part of the "terrible twos," many children start having them between 10 and 24 months of age.

He has also been throwing himself back when he doesn't want to get into his high chair or his car seat! What a fun new season of parenting we are entering! Haha! So all you parents out there, take note!

hair do

2009-03-19T15:29:00.008-04:00

Here are some pictures of Seth after playtime in the sink! I was washing his hands in the sink and of course he tried getting in so I decided to let him! The pictures are after the fact and in new dry clothes. Believe it or not his shirt is just wet from drool! His hair went this way just by combing it, thought it was cute and funny!

10 months

2009-03-12T11:58:00.014-04:00

Seth is 10 months old today!!

He has learned where we keep the tupperware and enjoys pulling it all out of the drawer

He points his finger at various things and nothing at all
He eats toilet paper
He is learning the word "NO"
He says, "da da" and "mum mum"

He loves being in his "birthday suit" and taking baths
He is starting to eat some solid foods but still loves pureed

He likes opening and closing the bedroom door

He still has just 4 teeth

His feet extend over the edge of his carseat

I had a quite a time trying to compose this blog! I will add more photos later.

Auction

2009-03-11T15:07:00.002-04:00

As some of you know (those who've read previous posts) we were interested in a house for auction. Well, it has come and gone and we don't have a house. It went just over our price range. :( I am working on "getting over it" and trying to think positive (which is sometimes really hard). I just want a single home and it is going to be a challenge to find one. I just want to move away from 322 and out of this apartment. It is soooo noisy from the constant roar of traffic day and night. We only have a shower here so I can't give Seth a bath in a real bathtub, which makes me sad. Anyway, we will let you know if any other possible houses come up.