A day in the life

Since this blog is a way for me to record memories for our family, I thought I'd write down what a day in the life of the Sievert's looks like right now. I love when other people do this on their blogs, and I know that someday I'll be able to look back and remember what these days were like:)

Saturday, August 20, 2011

6:00-Owen wakes up talking-I go in to get him settled back down because we don't usually let him get up before 6:30. Since Jared is working a 3rd shift-I'm on my own:) A little snuggle with the lovey and finding the paci in the dark pays off and Owen goes back to sleep. I go make his formula for the day and get the coffee started.

7:00-Owen wakes up for good this time and is one happy guy. He's so stinking cute when I go in his room because he pops his head over the side of the crib and gives me a huge grin from behind his paci. Time for a diaper change while the bottle is warming.

7:30-Owen's done with his bottle and I change his clothes. While I'm changing him, he manages to pull the quilt that is next to the changing table off of the wall and on top of him. He thinks this is hilarious and proceeds to do it again right after I get it hung back up on the wall.

7:45-Owen plays in his jumper while I attempt to clean up the kitchen. We listen to the radio while I'm doing dishes and Owen tries to catch Ellie every time she goes by him (poor kid, he wants to get ahold of her so badly, but she walks way around him every time she goes near him).

8:00-Dishes are done, so Owen and I go in the living room and play on the blanket. His favorite toys right now are his giraffe (Sophie) and his crinkle paper.

8:30-Time for the first solid meal of the day. This morning it's prunes with oatmeal and peas. Owen happily eats it all and starts his "I'm tired and want to go to sleep" whine.

8:50-Jared gets home from work just in time to tuck Owen in for his first nap of the day.

9:00-I keep working on cleaning up the house and get the laundry going while Jared goes downstairs and does his P90X workout for the day (I give him a lot of credit, that stuff is intense!). While he's working out, I have breakfast and make a list for the day.

10:40-Owen wakes up and Jared gives him his bottle and changes him. We figure out what we're going to do today.

11:00-While I'm in the shower, apparently the boys decide that they need to do some line dancing in the kitchen. I get out of the shower to find the radio blaring some country song and Owen and Jared dancing around. Owen is loving it:)

11:15-Jared gets showered while I get Owen ready to go shopping. We're not sure how long we're going to be gone, so I also pack a bottle and Owen's lunch.

11:45-Shop at Target to get Jared some much-needed clothing items. Owen gets very sleepy towards the end, so we feed him his lunch (rice cereal with peaches and green beans) before we leave. On our way out the door we see that the sky has literally turned black and we manage to make it in the car before it starts pouring.

1:00-Leaving Target-we really needed to go to Old Navy because Target didn't have the pants that Jared needed for work. However, because of the storm, we scrap the plan and head home.

1:40-We finally get home. It took forever because of the rain-we could hardly see, but Owen slept the whole way home. We put Owen in his crib and Jared decides to go take a nap, seeing as he's been up since 9:00 the night before.

3:00-Owen wakes up from his nap and has his 3rd bottle. After his bottle, we rock and read a few books and then go play in the living room. Jared gets up from his nap for a while to play with us. I downloaded a new CD of children's songs in Spanish from iTunes, so we listen to that while Owen plays in his jumper and on the floor. He also practices sitting up. It involves lots of tipping over.

4:30-After playing for a long time, it's time for Owen's dinner (chicken and sweet potatoes, applesauce, and rice cereal). He's been having a horrible time trying to drink out of a sippy cup, but he seems to like the new kind of cup we got at Target and actually takes a few drinks out of it! After dinner, it's time for one more quick nap. Jared goes to lay down to try to get some more sleep.

5:45-Owen's awake, so we rock and read a few more books snuggled with a blanket. We also play in the living room and try to get Ellie to go within 3 feet of Owen-with no success. Owen sits up a little more and even holds himself up standing when just holding on to my hands for the first time!

6:30-Time for Owen's reflux medicine (we're working on weaning him off of it so he gets it every other night-so far so good) and his last bottle. After his bottle, it's time for a bath-he splashes everything within a 4 foot radius. Bath is followed by Pj's and reading a book while rocking and snuggling with lovey and his paci. After the book, it's time for prayers and then bed. Jared gets up to tuck him in and kiss him goodnight before he goes back to bed. Owen has a little trouble falling asleep tonight and it's about 40 minutes later before he is sleeping.

7:40-Both of my guys are sleeping, so I work on updating the checkbook/budget and paying bills. A few more loads of laundry, picking up the house, and then dinner before I settle on the couch to watch a movie on Netflix:)

Not the best picture, but this is what we've been working on:)

More pictures

We're very biased, but could this kid be any cuter:)

Five Months Old

How is it possible that you're 5 months old already! At 5 months, you...

-Are still sleeping through the night most nights and wake up smiling in the morning (most of the time:))

-Are taking four 7.5 oz. bottles during the day. You love your food and make sure that we know when you think you need to have it

-Are wearing all 9 month clothes now, and even have a few 12 month PJ sets that you wear

-Started eating solids this month! You started with rice cereal and have added peas and carrots to your repertoire so far. You love solids just as much as you love your bottles. Basically you just love to eat:)

-You started rolling over from your back to your stomach fairly regularly this month, but still get mad when you are on your stomach and cry until we help you turn back over

-You celebrated Daddy's first Father's Day. You and Mommy made breakfast in bed, then gave Daddy a special plate that has your hand prints on it, as well as a framed picture for the "world's best daddy". Mommy made Daddy a special lunch and attempted to replicate his favorite meal from Crazy Horse-steak with a boursin cheese sauce and sauteed mushrooms-it turned out pretty well, but you didn't get to enjoy any this time:)

-You got to go to the Farmer's Market for the first time and loved seeing all of the people and food and street performers

-You had a rash and had to go see Dr. Miller. When they weighed you (with clothes and diaper on), you weighed 17 pounds, 10 ounces! You are growing like crazy!

Four Months Old

Owen, you are already 4 months old! At four months, you...

-Are taking about 7 ounces in your bottle and you LOVE to eat. You get really mad when we stop half way to burp you and make it very clear that you want your food NOW

-You are wearing 6-9 month onesies now and mostly 6 month outfits. It's incredible how fast you grow out of your clothes:)

-You slept through the night! You are now on a pretty set schedule of waking up between 6:30-7 and having your first bottle, being awake for two hours, taking a nap for two hours, waking up to eat, staying awake for two hours, sleeping for two hours, waking up to eat again, then being awake until bedtime (sometimes taking a quick 3rd nap). You have consistently slept through since that first night and it has made Mommy and Daddy feel like new people!

-You got to experience your first Tulip Time. You went to the parade with Mommy and Daddy and your friends Charlotte and Natalie and their mommies. You weren't so sure about the bands-they were a little loud for you

-You giggled for the first time this month, and have decided that "Zippity Do Dah" is the most hilarious song you've ever heard-it makes you laugh every time. You also like to laugh in the bath tub when Daddy makes up silly songs about washing your hair

-At your 4 month appointment, you were 25 1/2" long and 15 pounds, 10 ounces. You are in the 75th percentile for both height and weight (we're not sure where you got the height from!). Dr. Miller commented that it's amazing to think that we were ever worried about you gaining weight:) You had your shots and handled them pretty well-you were cranky for a few days, but then you felt better

-You celebrated Mommy's first Mother's Day. You and Daddy made breakfast in bed and then gave Mommy a very pretty Willow Tree Figurine of a Mommy, Daddy, and baby. It made Mommy cry:)

-You are much more interested in what's going on around you. You love to be outside, and especially love to watch your puppy run around the back yard

-You love your nighttime routine-you have your last bottle, take your bath, take your Prevacid, then rock in your rocker with Mommy or Daddy and your lovey while we read you a book, then we say our prayers, and tuck you into bed and then start your CD. You have been listening to the same CD for the past 4 months at bedtime and really seem to like it

-You are hooked on your lovey. It was a gift from one of Mommy's co-workers, and we have found that you have to have it in order to sleep. You wrap your little fingers into it and pull it up by your face (still makes Mommy nervous) and go right to sleep. Ever since you were only a month old, that blanket is the only thing that will calm you down when you're upset. We call it your magic lovey, because it really is amazing how comforting it is to you

-You only wear cloth diapers now-both during the day and at night. Mommy and Daddy love using the cloth diapers and you don't seem to mind it. We do lots of laundry, but don't have to keep buying disposables and you have never had a diaper rash

Three Months Old

Our sweet baby boy...3 months have gone by so quickly! Every day we are amazed by you and who God created you to be!

At 3 months old, you...

-Are having so much fun at home with Daddy. Every day when Mommy gets home from work, she gets to hear all about the fun that the two of you had during the day

-Are now only eating from a bottle, you get a mix of formula and breastmilk. It was very hard for Mommy to decide to make this switch, but now you are much happier and feedings are actually enjoyable and a time that you and Mommy can bond instead of being stressed out. You are usually taking about 6 oz. in your bottle

-You had your first cold and when Daddy took you to Dr. Miller, you weighed about 14 pounds!

-You are mostly wearing 6 month onesies and outfits, but you can still fit in some of your 3 month pants

-You are on a pretty good schedule of eating every 3-5 hours. You still wake up 1-2 times during the night to eat, but then go right back to sleep

-This month, you found your thumb and have been working on sucking it when you don't have your pacifier

-You spent your first night in your crib, which went surprisingly well! You now sleep in your crib every night

-You rolled over for the first time from your stomach to your back. You have done it a few times since then, but seemed to have lost interest in it now:)

-You got to go with Daddy and the rest of our family to see Mommy graduate from GVSU with her Master's degree. You thought that the big screens they projected the ceremony onto were pretty cool, especially since you had never seen a TV before

-You started cooing, and Mommy and Daddy love hearing your little voice

We love you so much, Owen. The first few months were kind of rough as we all adjusted to being a family of 3, but this month things have seemed to turn around and we finally kind of feel like we know what we're doing and how to take care of you. You are a blessing to us and we think you're one special kid:)

Catching Up

Life has been busy at the Sievert Household-so we're way behind in our posts-for those of you who still read, we're going to try to catch up on the past 4 months:)

Two Months Old

Owen, you are already 2 months old! You are such a sweet baby and we love you so much. We are proud of you and all that you are learning how to do.

At 2 months old, you...

-Get to stay home with Daddy every day when Mommy goes to work. You are so lucky to have a Daddy who stays home with you and takes such good care of you!

-Have definitely learned how to eat and are doing a great job of nursing and taking a bottle. When Mommy is at work and Daddy gives you a bottle, you easily take 4 oz. You are growing so fast!

-At your 2 month appointment, you weighed 11 pounds, 13 ounces and were 23 inches long! We are pretty sure that you are going to be taller than Mommy and Daddy very quickly:)

-You had your 2 month shots and they made you uncomfortable and sort of cranky for a few days, but you handled them like a trooper

-You are now wearing 3-6 month onesies (because of how long you are and because of your glorious diapers:)) and mostly 3 month pants and sleepers

-You usually go 3-4 hours between feedings, and at night, you sometimes go 4-6 hours between feedings. Sometimes you eat at 7:00 before you go to bed, then at 1:00 a.m., and then at 6:00 or 7:00 again.

-You still sleep in your bassinet next to Mommy and Daddy's bed and are getting much better at sleeping on your back. You like to be swaddled with your arms in when you sleep. You also like sleeping with your pacifier but wake up when it falls out.

-You are much happier having your diapers changed and feel much better after you have a clean diaper.

-You started smiling! At first, you would only smile every few days, but lately, you smile several times every day, especially when Mommy and Daddy talk to you

-You really love bath time now and have discovered how to splash your legs around. Mommy calls you a maniac in the bathtub:)

-You have started to enjoy your swing and bouncer and will sit in them for a while when Mommy and Daddy need to get things done around the house

-You've gone on your first trip to Grandma and Grandpa's houses and were spoiled rotten. You are very blessed to have so many people who love you so much

When we look back at your pictures from the past 2 months, we see how much you really have changed. We thank God for blessing us with you and are so thankful that we get to be your parents. We love you!

1 Month Old

Owen Matthew, it's hard to believe how much you are changing every day!

Here's what happened in your first month of being in our family...

-Right after you were born, you got down to 8 lbs., 3 oz., and your Doctor was worried about how slowly you were gaining weight. Mommy and Daddy tried everything to get you to gain weight, and finally at 3 weeks old, you were back up to 9 lbs., 2 oz. and 21 3/4 inches long! Since then you have gotten much better at nursing and are filling out.

-You wear mostly 0-3 month clothing. Because you wear cloth diapers, you need bigger clothes to accommodate the extra padding:)

-You aren't on much of a schedule and eat at different intervals around the clock. You mostly have breast milk, but when you had trouble gaining weight, you had to have some formula.

-You do not like to be on your back to sleep. For the first 3 weeks of your life, Daddy spent a lot of nights on the couch holding you so that you'd sleep and so that Mommy could get some sleep in between feedings.

-You do not like having your diaper changed and let Mommy and Daddy know this by screaming every time we change you:)

-You have reflux and are on medicine to help you be more comfortable and to help you keep your food down. You actually seem to like taking your medicine every morning.

-You sleep in your bassinet at night next to mommy and daddy's bed. You have to sleep propped up because of your reflux.

-You love it when Daddy reads to you (especially Dr. Seuss).

-You are learning to like your pacifier but are not very happy when you lose it in the middle of the night:) Mommy and Daddy help you out a lot with this.

-You LOVE your bath time, and it is part of your night time routine. You especially like having the water poured over your tummy.

We love you Owen, and love getting to know you. You are such a blessing to us and we can't wait to watch you grow!

Newborn Pictures

When Owen was 2 weeks old, we had Lindsey Iverson come and take some pictures of him. We absolutely love them and will look back and remember just how tiny Owen really was!

Welcome Owen Matthew

Owen Matthew joined our family on Wednesday, January 26 at 12:14 a.m. He weighed 9 pounds and was 21 inches long. He has a ton of hair and the most beautiful blue eyes! After 2 days in at the hospital, we went home as a new family of 3. We were lucky to be home together for 6 weeks before Janelle went back to work and Jared started his new job as stay-at-home daddy to Owen. Owen had some trouble figuring out how to eat, so the first 4 weeks were kind of rough, but thankfully, he's figured it all out and now eats like a champ! We adore our son and are so thankful that he is here!

The countdown...

If Baby Sievert doesn't make an appearance on his own today or tomorrow, we'll be going in to the hospital on Tuesday to encourage him along. We are both eagerly and nervously looking forward to the big day, but since this is our first baby, we have no idea what to expect! The bags have been packed for a while, the nursery is completely ready, the house is clean, the freezer is full, the carseat is in and has been inspected by a very friendly Holland firefighter. Nesting set in this weekend with a vengeance, and poor Jared got roped into completely organizing and cleaning the basement with me:) He's such a wonderful husband:)

Friday was my last day at work for 6 weeks, so I'm "officially" on maternity leave now. It's a very weird feeling knowing that I'm not going to be at work for a while (although I know myself and I'm sure I'll be in there before the 6 weeks is up:)) Tomorrow Jared and I are going to finish a few projects and run a few last-minute errands. It's a very surreal feeling to know that tomorrow is our last day as just the two of us, but we are so excited to meet our little man:)

We had a family friend come up and take some maternity pictures a few weeks ago-I'll leave you with a few and the next time we post, it will be to introduce you to our little guy!

Coming Soon...Baby Boy Sievert

Sometime in the next three weeks, Baby Boy Sievert should be making his appearance in the world and we are so ready to meet him! We have been so thankful to have had a relatively easy pregnancy and we are filled with awe at the blessing that God has trusted us with. Every night when we pray for our little guy, we thank God for this little miracle that's about to join our family.

Below are some pictures of the journey so far (sorry about the sideways ones)...


11 Weeks










15 Weeks










17 Weeks









21 Weeks










28 Weeks









37 Weeks









Pictures of the nursery