Adventures of the Devlaeminck Family

Dad is FUN

2010-06-20T17:51:00.000-07:00

Dad is the best. He is super awesome and teaches me fun things like how to hold worms and cast a fishing rod, how to ride a tricycle, and how to say funny things like "hey, what's the big idea?". He loves me all the time even when I am being a stinker and screaming and talking back. He tells me how wonderful I am all the time. He encourages my silliness and will always shake his booty with me. He is the best tucker inner and says the best prayers at night - he is always praying for everyone else and never himself. He gives me suckers when I go poop. He listens. He is the best hugger ever. He designs really neat t.shirts. He ROCKS!

Love, Sadie

Spring time is the best time

2010-05-03T16:52:00.000-07:00

Happy Spring!

We have been having so much fun this spring, I just have not had the chance to post anything.

Our lives are pretty crazy right now, but I can't complain. Kurt is working steadily at Amway and has a few other clients that keep him up until 1 or 2 a.m. On top of it all, we are getting ready to launch Pirates & Pigtails with 5 t.shirt designs. I am so excited I can hardly stand it. For me, work has been madness and it's been an adjustment with Kurt working at Amway full-time. Let's just say that we used to eat at around 5:30 and now we are lucky if we eat by 7.

Baby D#2 is doing great - growing big and mama is growing right along with him/her. I feel fantastic and am in the utopia stage of pregnancy - tons of energy, people commenting how cute you look, feeling great, and of course that glow (or maybe it's just sweat from this hot weather we've been having)!

Enjoy some pictures from this spring....

Way back during Easter:

...And then it was Uncle Eric's birthday. Yummy, Arnie's cake. Sadie loves to eat the frosting first - hmmm, she truly is a Devlaeminck!

...next, we went to Traverse City to spend some time with Lisa and the family. We had so much fun and Sadie even drew her first blood. She ran for the big girl swing and dove onto it with her belly and overshot and ended up face first in the mulch. It was truly a horrifying sight, but just a little bloody nose and some scratches (as you can see on the last pic). She's a tough little cookie.

It's a...baby!

2010-04-05T17:55:00.000-07:00

We had our 20 week ultrasound last week and baby d#2 is doing fantastic. We are old school and wait until the moment when the baby takes her first breath to find out what he is. The ultrasound tech did mention one thing...'wow, long legs' - well, imagine that!

So, what do you think we're having? Put the old wives tales to work and cast your vote for boy or girl on our blog.

Aloha

2010-03-25T15:03:00.001-07:00

Kurt's folks just returned from a wonderful trip to Hawaii and they look tan and relaxed! They had a great time and said it was beautiful and sunny every day. Now, that sounds awesome.

Sue made this beautiful fresh flower headband for Sadie and carried it all the way back from Hawaii. Sadie did not want it on her head, so we only got this one shot. It was so thoughtful of Susie to do that - thank you so much for the lovely gift, it is gorgeous!

We are really glad to have them back and Sadie missed them tons. Welcome back to the cold weather, guys :)

Could it be spring? So many good things!

2010-03-07T11:05:00.000-08:00

The sun is shining and it is above 20 degrees - could it be springtime in Michigan? I sure hope so. This winter has been pretty long for me, but I am ready to shed those dark, wintery blues for warm days, sunshine, and lots of ice cream!

It's been a while since I last posted, so just wanted to share with you what is happening in our lives.

First and best - we are expecting baby D #2 in mid-August. Things are going really well and after a very fun (I am being sarcastic here) first trimester, I am finally feeling better and getting my energy back. We are so excited to be experiencing this again and can't wait to meet the little one. And for all of you that want to know what we're having... It's a BABY! You'll have to wait until August :)

Second and pretty cool - Kurt is doing awesome and is going to launch our kid's clothing line pretty soon. We are calling it Pirates & Pigtails and we are starting with a few super adorable t.shirts! We'll keep you posted on all the fun details.

Third - I just wanted to share some fun pics from the past few weeks. Sadie is a delight and so much fun to be around. She sings all the time and is pretty hilarious. Last night, we were driving to a friends house and she said 'I love cars... they are so cute.' Kurt and I just cracked up.

Snowy and cold Ludington - this is just a week ago! Let me tell you, I have never seen so much snow. It was so fun to see mom & dad, relax in the hot tub, and play in the snow!

The sun is shining!!!! We got to visit the fire station for one of our friend's birthday party - it was super fun!

Bonjour Butterfly! The butterflies are blooming at Fredrick Meijer Gardens and it is such a spectacular sight. If you have not been, you must go! Sadie had a love/hate relationship with the little buggers - she adored them from far away, but as soon as one flit toward her she freaked out.

Sadie's 2nd Birthday

2009-12-12T11:18:00.001-08:00

Click here to view these pictures larger

I can hardly believe it, but our baby turned 2! We had a wonderful Butterly Birthday Brunch on Saturday with friends and family... Great Grandma Gerry was even here from Arizona to celebrate with us - that was the best present ever! Sadie is doing all sorts of wonderful things like:
counting to 10
singing her abc's and other adorable songs
speaking in 3-4 word sentences
running and jumping
taking showers with us
crawling out of her crib

Enjoy the pictures from her party and the celebration from her actual b.day on Tuesday. Thanks to all that made it and for all of your love!

HERE'S TO YOU, SADIE!

Sadie's First Haircut

2009-10-04T17:06:00.001-07:00

Before + After

We did it... we took Sadie to get her first haircut and of course we went to cousin Jen at Capelli Salon. We heart Jennifer - thanks so much!

We were a bit worried that Sadie might not sit still, but she did AWESOME! She sat on my lap and had a very serious look on her face the entire time. She sat completely still and didn't even lick on her lolli until AFTER she was done with the haircut.

Enjoy the pics from Sadie's first hair cut:

...can you say super adorable????

Crazy Times for Our Family

2009-09-22T18:43:00.001-07:00

Kurt was laid off last Friday and I have been trying to process what this means for us for the past few days. I have had feelings of sadness, anger, frustration and hope. I am also pretty scared out of my mind. I am not scared or worried that Kurt will not find an amazing opportunity, but just scared of what the future holds for us. We will be okay. The support and kindness of our friends and family has been amazing and we are truly blessed to be surrounded by such LOVE. So, thank you for your words of encouragement, your leads on job opportunities, and for the yummy food :)

Keep the positive job vibes coming our way!

Summer's All We Ever Wanted

2009-09-17T18:24:00.000-07:00

Sunshine is the best thing ever and we've been having such a great time enjoying the last warm days of summer/fall. Just think that in a few months we'll be knee deep in snow and wearing warm turtlenecks and boots - YIKES.

In February when we are shoveling snow, I can look back on these pictures full of blue skies, sunshine, and beach and SMILE!

Hanging out at Pier Marquette beach with Grandma Johnson. We are so lucky that she is so close and we have the opportunity to get together so often. I LOVE seeing my mom... she is a ray of sunshine!

We had a beautiful hike with the MacIntyres into Saugatuck State Park and ended up at this amazing beach. The water was crystal clear & calm and the kids (both young and old) had so much fun swimming and running around the beach. We LOVE Saugatuck and vow to go there much more next summer.

Random act of KINDNESS

2009-09-08T10:17:00.000-07:00

I was mopping the floors today and the UPS man stopped by and delivered a package. I thought it was our Charlie's Laundry soap (which we use for diapers), but it was something from Best Buy. WHAT??? I was super confused and dumfounded.

I opened it up and there it was... a brand new, shiny, digital camera!!! We for sure did not order anything from there (as many of you know our current economic situation), so someone out in this world sent us a wonderful gift and I have a sneaking suspicion of who it was :)

We've been without a camera for about a month and it has been miserable. Sadie's been getting so big and changing everyday and not being able to capture some of these great moments has been really a bummer.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to whomever sent us this wonderful surprise. We are super excited to have a camera again and to start taking millions of pictures and updating our blog with our exciting adventures!

This is the best package we have ever gotten.

Some Pictures from the past few weeks

2009-07-07T18:17:00.000-07:00

Thanks mom & dad for taking such awesome pictures these past few weeks!

Vacations all I ever wanted...

2009-07-07T11:16:00.001-07:00

Vacation had to get away!

YAY, Kurt finally took a week off. The last time he had that much time off, we were moving - yuck.

We were sooooo excited to get away to the little cottage in Hagar Shores (10 miles south of South Haven) that it really didn't matter that the weather was gloomy for the entire time we were there. It was just so great to be together as a family and have Kurt around for a whole week - YAY!

We went to the beach our first day and enjoyed swimming and building sand castles. Sadie is fascinated by lady bugs there was one on a piece of driftwood that kept her attention for a long time. The weather turned and it got super windy and a little gloomy, so we packed up our beach gear and headed into South Haven for some yummy dinner at The Vineyard. This place has great pizza (Kurt says their pizza could use more sauce, but he could eat just sauce...) and is in an old church. It's a cross between old Italian mafia hangout and family restaurant - pretty nifty.

Our next few days of vacation were gloomy, but great! We went into St. Joeseph and walked around and spent an hour or so at their children's museum. This place was AWESOME - I think Kurt and I had more fun exploring than Sadie :)

All in all, our 3 days @ the Hagar Shores cottage was delightful. We read, relaxed, played soccer, went flamingo hunting, played cards, read some more, took outdoor showers, went for walks, had a bonfire, and just had fun exploring new places.

After our Hagar Shores adventure, we headed up to my folks place in Ludington. We went to their children's museum, ate some yummy food, relaxed in the hot tub, drank some cocktails, went on a hike in the state park, watched the Badger (car ferry from Ludington to WI) come into the harbor, and played played played. We had such a fun time on the 4th, grilling out, going to the parade, and watching the fireworks - Sadie was pretty tired, but was a trooper and would look up now and then and say 'boom' or 'pretty' - it was cute! Sunday was finally nice enough to head to the beach and we had a perfect day swimming, playing in the sand, and skim boarding (okay, we tried but didn't do so hot).

It was so great to be in Ludington for the 4th and we couldn't believe how many people were around! Thanks mom & dad for an awesome end to our vacation - it was super fun!!!!

*note - we also had ice cream every day of our vacation *

...and sorry that we don't have any pictures - I washed our camera a few weeks ago :( If anyone has an old digital camera they would like to loan us, that would be awesome. I am going crazy not taking any pictures.

Happy Dad's Day, Kurt!

2009-06-21T16:42:00.001-07:00

Kurt is an amazing father and wonderful husband. Want to know why?

He changes numerous diapers and always washes out the poopy ones
He loves bathtime and night night time with Sadie
He makes us laugh and is goofy and doesn't care what people think of his silliness
He makes Sadie breakfast every morning and they read a daily devotion
He has a HUGE heart
He gets up with Sadie in the middle of the night
He is calm and relaxed
He doesn't get mad when I wash my cell phone and our camera
He brings me flowers
He is the best hugger (if you ever need one, he's the one to call)
He likes FUN

...these are just a few reasons and there are so many more!

Kurt's Bday, Hiking in Hoffmaster, Easter, Tiger's Game - it's been a busy month!

2009-05-09T19:30:00.000-07:00

WOW, a month has already passed since my last post? So many things have happened in our lives... many glorious things and a few challenges that have made us stronger and closer.

Sadie is a spitfire and is constantly pushing boundaries. Our latest challenge has been around her hitting, grabbing, and biting us and other kids. We just continue to be consistent with her discipline and give her lots of LOVE LOVE LOVE!

Some of the wonderful, fascinating, and fun things she is doing (that far outweigh her bad behavior) are:

giving tons of hugs and kisses
coloring
dancing
putting shapes in the shape toy
playing the kazoo (yep, she's a pro)
playing outside and going up & down the slide by herself
feeding herself with a spoon
trying to jump, but not leaving the ground
saying a ton of new words like: papa, gramma, baby, outside, milk, thank you, apple, shoe, poop, dog, gentle

Enjoy the pictures from the past month or so and I promise to be more consistent with updates *note - this is a pretty long post*

I'll start with Kurt's 33rd birthday, since that was April 1st!

We had a great time hanging out with family

and enjoyed a relaxing evening at home.

Kurt is so wonderful and anytime we can celebrate his

awesomeness I am all for it.

I am so thankful that you were born!

Sadie loves to help out with projects around the house

and we finally got her a toolset so she doesn't poke

her eye out with a real screwdriver.

Playtime with friends is the BEST time!

We are so blessed to have met such wonderful friends in the area. After only living here a year, our lives have been enriched by the friends we've gotten to know and cherish.

Thanks to all you ladies for your support, love, patience, kindness, and laughter!

3 Easters and 3 Easter egg hunts... we are pros!

Our 1st Easter was with my family up in Ludington and it was Sadie's first go with the easter egg hunt. She was a little apprehensive at first, but once she got the hang of it she was off - she actually was more fascinated with what was inside the eggs than finding more. It was so awesome spending time with my mom, dad, angie, and the 3 boys... we of course went to house of flavors - awwwww yummy ice cream!

Our 2nd Easter was with our playgroup friends - Mandy and Michele organized a hunt for the kids and families and we all brought a yummy dish to pass. It was a great way to spend a Friday afternoon with some great friends on a gorgeous day.

Our 3rd Easter (and final) was really on Easter and started with just the 3 of us and ended at Kurt's folks place with his family. It was great to hide Sadie's and Kurt's Easter baskets and watch her discover it - there were fun things like a slinky, headband, and stickers in her basket.

Kurt's family is super awesome and his sister Lisa and her family were down from Houghton, so it was such a treat to hang out with them. We also got to see some extended family that we don't get to see very often, so that was great to catch up with them. Plus, we got some awesome outdoor toys from Kurt's cousin (princess house, coupe car, and slide)!

Connor's 5th birthday party and Tigers game

We always have such a great time when we visit the Cooper family and this time was no exception. Angie, Adam, and the boys are the best hosts and we had a blast at Connor's 5th Birthday party at the YMCA pool, playing kickball, jumping around in the bounce house, and going for walks!

Sadie and Granpa taking a nap on the way to Angie and Adam's - super adorable

...our visit ended with an impromptu Tigers game on Sunday afternoon. It was a brilliant day, so what better way to spend it than at a baseball game. It was super fun and Sadie did fantastic - she was entertained by the boys, my mom, and Angie the entire game. It really helped that Angie had a few tricks up her sleeve - the BEST being a tootsie pop (how many licks to get to the center???).

Much love and hugs to you all,

-Kurt, Alisa, and Sadie

Bye Bye Green Floors!

2009-04-02T10:18:00.000-07:00

We are super excited to have one major project done with our new home! When we were looking at homes in the area, we had to look at the home we bought 4 times. I think it was the green floors that really turned us off. Well, we bought the house with green floors and they are FINALLY GONE!!! Farewell to green and hello to gorgeous wood floors. It really feels like we have a new place and it is starting to feel like our HOME.

BEFORE

AFTER - YAY!!!!

Her future's so bright, she's gotta wear shades...

2009-03-22T08:45:00.001-07:00

Yes, our little fashionista is wearing yellow shades. Well, she doesn't really wear them... she just takes them off and chews on them. It's a start.

We are super excited for spring and summer and can't wait to do all of our fun outdoor things like the beach, long walks, the playground, eating al fresco, and just sitting outside on our porch. We hope that by summer Sadie will get used to the shades :)

Springtime and Butterflies

2009-03-18T05:16:00.000-07:00

It's time to come outside and PLAY!

We have had a few really nice days, so have been spending a lot of time outside. It is great to get out of hibernation and see neighbors, walk up to the playground, Kurt is riding his bike to work, and we even grilled and ate outside last night - I LOVE SPRING!

Sadie is going to take after Kurt - she loves being on a bike. We really need to get a little seat to go behind the bike so we can go on excursions! Now, when Kurt rides up on his bike the first thing she wants to do is get on his bike - next is the skateboard!

The butterflies are back at Fredrick Meijer Gardens and what a fun place to be. We went as a family one evening, but the butterflies must have been tuckered out because there were NONE flying around. We still had a great time walking around and looking at the flowers and little birdies.

We went again with our friends and saw a ton of butterfly buzz. Butterflies would fly right by Sadie's face and she would get a little scared, but overall she was pretty intrigued.

...and look at these cutie pies - this is Sadie's good friend Lyla. They have tons of fun together and will be friends 4ever. Lyla is now a big sister - congrats Kevin & Katherine on your new beautiful baby boy, William!

My Beautiful Mother Turns 60 in Sunny Puerto Rico

2009-03-13T10:25:00.001-07:00

HAPPY 60th MOM!

My beautiful, courageous, giving, and loving mother turned 60 on March 2 and we were so lucky to get to spend it with her in sunny Puerto Rico.

Why Puerto Rico? Well, that is where everything started for our family... my dad was stationed in Puerto Rico and Angie was born there. So, basically our family really did start there and it was such a treat to finally go back.

We surprised my mom with the trip and she had NO CLUE at all. We woke her up at 3:30 a.m. with some champagne and a sign that had a clue of where we were going. She got it instantly since the pictures on the sign were of times they spent in Puerto Rico. She was soooooooooo excited and surprised, it was FANTASTIC.

Here's the sign we gave her (and the views from our balcony in PR)

We spent a lot of time relaxing on the beach, shelling, swimming, and riding the waves. Our resort beach was awesome and the service the best. We also drank our fare share of Don Q rum - CHEERS!!!

Cha, cha, cha - we took a basic latin dance class and found out we could really shake it. Mom and dad had a great time showing off their new dance moves.

We spent a day hiking down to a waterfall at El Yunque Rainforest. This place is gorgeous and so peaceful and serene.

My favorite part of the trip was our sailing/snorkeling trip on my mom's actual birthday to a secluded island off of the main island. It started at 9:30 a.m. (with Pina Colodas, of course) and we sailed for about 45 minutes and landed on this gorgeous island with turquoise blue waters and white sand - it was AMAZING. The snorkeling was fantastic and we saw a lot of pretty fish, sea urchins, an eel, and gorgeous coral.

Our crew was awesome and they had a cake for my mom and we all sang her happy birthday!

We spent our last full day in Old San Juan. Old San Juan is a quaint, spanish style section of town with tiny cobblestone streets and vibrant colored buildings. It felt like we were transported to a European city. The fort we visited was massive and took care of our history part of the trip. Okay, we're ready for more cocktails :)

...and yes we took siestas!

Who says brushing your teeth isn't fun?!

2009-02-17T10:44:00.000-08:00

Sadie LOVES to brush her teeth and we do it twice sometimes three times a day. She especially likes the new kid toothpaste and the fun Crayola toothbrush we got her. She just kind-of eats the toothpaste and sucks on the toothbrush - hey, I guess it is a start!

She seems to really enjoy brushing her teeth in the buck before bed

(as documented from last night's session)

totally cute!

Happy LOVE Day

2009-02-16T19:03:00.000-08:00

Hope you gave lots of hugs and kisses to peeps you love this valentine's day - Sadie sure did!

LOVE was in the air and so was some yummy chocolates from Grandma & Grandpa J

Reeds Lake Kite Festival '09

2009-02-09T11:50:00.000-08:00

Yes, the SUN was out in Michigan in February and it was about 50 degrees - what an amazing weekend! People just seemed to be in better moods and smiling more. I love what a dose of sunshine can do.

We spent Saturday afternoon at the Reeds Lake Kite Festival with some good friends. We had a great table on the deck, friends to chat with, some beers, free hot dogs, and cool kites to look at. It was a pretty perfect Saturday!

The dads carting around the little ones

The Custers enjoying the kites and beers on the deck

YAY, we ran into Robert, Genevieve, and Michele - it was super nice to see them. They've been incognito for a while with some yucky sickness. Plus, I am so happy Kurt finally got to meet these guys - he wasn't sure they really existed :)

Watching all the kites, kids, and dogs on the lake

Chicago Trip to Meet Baby Desmond

2009-02-02T16:59:00.001-08:00

YAY for Baby Desmond!!!

What a doll and he looks exactly like his daddy, Jason (good thing he's a cutie, too). Let me tell you, this kid loves to eat, sleep, and poop a TON. He seems to do everything with extreme passion. I only heard him cry 2 times while I was there and he is just such a little angel! Mom & dad are very lucky to have such a chilled out baby :) New parents have it rough - I remember those first few months and it is baby bootcamp, so we decided to head over to Chicago and help out. Sadie was a huge help of course (just being cute and all).

Jason & Margaux with new baby and Sadie - Wow, she can almost touch the ceiling (okay, not really). Hanging out in their new bright orange kitchen... LOVE IT!!!!

Just hanging out and relaxing with Desmond. He's pretty neato!

HILARIOUS - big yawns

At brunch with friends - it was soooooo great to hang out with everyone and eat yummy food at Feast.

Winter in Ludington

2009-02-02T11:48:00.000-08:00

We LOVE going up to visit Grandma & Grandpa Johnson in Ludington. Especially when there is a ton of snow to play in. We have had such a great winter sledding, snow shoeing, skiing, and just enjoying the beautiful snow. Okay, so we are kind of ready for spring and long walks outside, but winter in Ludington is pretty darn magical!

Yep, this is in my folks backyard. It is so pretty that it takes your breath away. We went back here to go sledding, but it was more like pulling Sadie up and down the hill. Kurt got a pretty good work out! Grandma J tried to get Sadie to eat snow, but she was having none of it.

Let's teach them young. It was funny because Kurt said that he would not let Sadie have a toy cell phone and now she has 2 play cell phones and my old real one!

Grand Rapids Children's Museum with Angie and the Boys

2009-01-14T10:43:00.000-08:00

Angie and the boys came to visit us over Christmas break and we had such a blast! Here are some fun pics from our time at the Grand Rapids Children's Museum. This place is just fantastic, especially on cold and snowy days.

There was this crazy mirror triangle thing you could climb through and they loved it. It was super fun to take pics of, too. Below is Garren with his missing bottom tooth!

...and Sadie, Garren, Connor, and Owen playing at the drive-in bank.

Give me some money!

Owen putting together the choo choo tracks - he is all about building stuff.

Happy Birthday, Owen #2 RULES!!!!

Happy Christmas and Merry New Year!

2009-01-06T10:57:00.000-08:00

We had such a wonderful and busy Christmas and New Years that I have not posted anything in ages... I am so sorry. So, what have the Devlaeminck's been up to?

Our Christmas was wonderful. We headed over to Angie and Adam's place the day before xmas eve and I surprised Kurt with Pistons tickets! I had a t.shirt wrapped up for him and was about to tell him my surprise when our sitter said 'are you excited for the Pistons game?' - OH NO!!!! Oh well, Kurt said he had a suspicion that we were going to the game. He said he saw they were playing the Bulls, so he put 2 and 2 together - what a smarty pants.

The crew having some drinks during half time (the guy in the background wasn't with us). Had such a blast hanging out with Angie and Adam and of course the Pistons WON!

Christmas Eve was wonderful!

We had some fun times playing the snow, making a snowman, and going for a walk (or sled). That evening, we had a great spread of yummy appetizers, cookies, and of course toasted the holidays with our traditional Pina Coladas! So, we didn't have warm weather and sunshine, but we had some yummy foo foo drinks :) Angie organized a very nice little service, we sang some carols, and opened presents... it was a fantastic x.mas eve with a fabulous family!

Garren & Connor posing with their totally AWESOME (and very heavy to make) snowman.

Sadie thought she'd make a great head to the snowman

Sadie, Owen, and Connor on a sledding adventure

Christmas Cheers - Our traditional Pina Coladas - yummmmmm! Sorry, Kurt to chop your head off - no, it wasn't because I had too many coladas! (connor, garren, sadie, grandma j, owen, alisa, grandpa j, angie, adam, and kurt)

Angie mixin' the magic

Sadie in her pretty Christmas dress (if you've seen this dress before it's because it was also her pretty 1st Birthday dress)

On the lookout for Santa

What, Yoda showed up to Christmas? Oh, wait... nope, that is just Sadie. Sometimes I feel like she does use jedi mind tricks on us...

Yay, time to open presents!

Look how adorable these 3 boys are? Waiting so patiently to open their gifts.

Garren wrote a note to Santa and I think it worked because when we woke up there was a bunch of really cool stuff!

Sledding Fun

2008-12-11T08:31:00.000-08:00

Sadie got this fantastic red sled from her Aunt Angie for her 1st birthday and we took her out sledding last Sunday. She LOVES it! She was also very excited to just sit in her sled and eat the snow. It's amazing what little ones find fascinating.

We walked up to the very small sledding hill at the elementary school and she went down the hill!

Sadie's sled and Daddy's sled

Yummy snow... watch out for the yellow stuff!

At the sledding hill with mom. She's checking out the hill and wondering what is going to happen next!

down the hill she goes! Okay, no need to worry because this 'hill' was very very small and perfect size for our first time sledder. She had a blast. Although I think she was more intrigued by eating the snow, but all in all it was a fantastic time!

Happy 1st Birthday Sadie!

2008-12-08T17:22:00.000-08:00

happy birthday our little Sadie

I think I am still trying to come to terms that my little baby just turned ONE!

It honestly seems like yesterday that Kurt and I were heading to the hospital with so much anticipation, that I pushed for an hour and she came flying out, that Kurt announced that we had a girl, that Sadie laid on my chest all tiny and perfect looking up at me, that Kurt changed all of her diapers in the hospital, that I was throwing up and pulling the emergency cord in the bathroom, that we were getting about an hour of sleep before either the nurses or Sadie woke us up, that we were swaddling and cuddling with her and just looking at her for hours on end. Yes, these are the things we were doing this time last year!

Sadie has had a really amazing 1st year on earth and is one happy, beautiful, social butterfly. We are truly blessed she is in our lives!

Thanks for all of your warm birthday wishes.

Pretty girl in her birthday party dress

Yummy cake

Hmmm, not really sure about this cake??? It's pretty sweet and yummy!

Don't worry, we won't take your cake away.

Connor was making her crack-up by singing 'rudolph' and Sadie wanted to be close to Grandma J

Kimberly and Uncle Eric

The grandpas!

Ready to go sledding (well, maybe she'll need to change out of her pretty dress). Thanks Auntie Angie for the awesome red sled!

Sadie was so lucky that she got 2 birthday parties! Sadie and her cousin Adam celebrated their first birthdays together when Lisa, Mike, and the boys were down from the UP.

All the cousins playing together - Luke, Kyle, Adam, and Sadie

Sadie got an adorable tutu from the Mikkola's and she is giving Adam a big hug for the gift!

CAKE!

Is it Party Time... No, it's Potty Time!

2008-11-24T20:31:00.000-08:00

Who is ready to 'POTTY'... Well, Sadie is!

About a month ago I tried putting Sadie on the potty after she got up from her nap and she actually went pee and poop... oh my goodness did we have a celebration! I thought it was a fluke, but every time I put her on the potty she would go pee (and sometimes poop).

She LOVES it and claps when she goes and waves bye bye when we flush.

Of course she has her own cushioned, purple handled potty (fits right over our big potty) and she will cross her legs, play with the toilet paper, and peep right when she sits on it.

Sadie is pretty AWESOME!

Just some cute pictures

2008-11-06T17:36:00.000-08:00

Sadie loves to get into the fridge - she usually ends up on the floor gnawing on the bottle of mustard.

Hey, look at my two bottom teeth!

Our little pointer - she is pointing at everything.

helping me rake the leaves...

and then finally playing in the leaves!

Halloweeeeeeeeen

2008-11-01T06:36:00.000-07:00

We had such a great Halloween day with our little monkey!

Here we are getting ready to go out an trick or treat.

Going around the neighborhood with our buddies Will and Avery (our neighbor's kiddos)

Kurt had the day off, so we got to hang out as a family ALL DAY!!!! We went to swim class together and Kurt almost drowned (he lost his footing in the shallow end)... yes, quite hilarious since he is a giant! Sadie does great in swim class and LOVES the water.

Kurt's folks, Eric, and Kimberly came over and we feasted on chili and drank some spiked cider. Since Sadie is too little to understand the concept of getting candy from strangers, we visited the houses of folks we know.

Grandma Johnson gave Sadie a little pumpkin just her size and she loved to try to eat it.

We ended the night with a bonfire and some beers with friends. What a fantastic day!

A Beautiful (and Busy) Fall Day in Michigan

2008-10-30T20:11:00.001-07:00

Today was an absolutely beautiful day and a very busy one, too. We started the morning off at a local bakery with yummy coffee and pastries (for mom) and lovely conversation, then we had our friends over for playgroup, and finally headed to Meijer Gardens for a walk and some fantastic photo ops with the gigantic pumpkins. Whew, in between all that there were naps, too!

Hmmm, I think Sadie is ready to go outside. She loves standing at our front door and when Kurt comes home from work, he'll make funny faces at her on the other side and she'll crack up.

We love going to our playgroups and hanging out with all the kiddos and moms. My new friends are fabulous and it wouldn't be the same around here with out them!

Kendal as a tiger, Sadie our little monkey, and Elle the spider. Can they get any cuter?

Okay, so this shot wasn't from today, but I had to post it on here. This is from our larger Monday playgroup. How adorable are these little ones (and their mama's, too)! This shot was almost impossible to get, but fun trying.

Here are some fun pictures of Sadie hanging out with the huge pumpkins at Farm Garden. They have the best pumpkin patch! She has been pointing at everything... the light, mama, dada, pumpkins, birdies, the sky... it's pretty darn cute.

We then found this neat structure that housed some old husks of corn. It was fun to sit and play in here and had some really fun light coming through.

Hangin' out by the barn. This lady LOVES to stand - she'll pull herself up on everything. I think she'll be walking soon...

Our last stop was in the Michigan Shade Garden. This spot is just so magical and peaceful. It's pretty amazing that this is in the middle of Grand Rapids.

The first picture is sadie looking up to the sky 'singing' twinkle twinkle little star'. We sing this in swim class and the bath when she floats on her back and she has started 'singing' along with us. It is the cutest thing - when she sings, she looks up like she is trying to lay back and float on her back.

The next picture - you can see her two bottom teeth. She is still teething and we think she'll get her two top teeth next.

Enjoy the rest of this gorgeous fall weather because next up is snow... Hugs from the Devlaeminck's!

Splish Splash

2008-10-22T11:45:00.000-07:00

Sadie LOVES her bath time with daddy and can't get enough of her fun toys, splashing, and floating on her back. Enjoy the pics from her bath last night.

She loves to watch the water fill up the tub. She has also started to point at things, especially lights. We'll ask her where the light is and she'll point to it... miss smarty pants. Kurt also enjoys giving her a disco light show at night :)

When she gets a shampoo, she also gets a very sweet mohawk! You can also see her little tooth in this picture.

Some fun videos

2008-10-21T06:46:00.000-07:00

So, Sadie is on the go constantly... she is walking (with assistance of her walking toy) all over the place. No more sitting and relaxing for us!

She is also a very good helper. Like here, helping with the dishwasher. Whew, it's good we have an extra helper :)

We're Back!

2008-10-20T17:07:00.000-07:00

We got a camera this weekend and now I can snap tons pictures of Sadie and post them for you all to enjoy. She is just changing so much everyday and getting such a little (and sometimes very loud) personality. She is pointing at lights and it's amazing how aware she is of everything. She is also eating with a fork... what? She also cut her second tooth, so now she has her 2 bottom teeth! Yippee, it is about time. I feel like I've been medicating her for months.

One of Sadie's favorite things to do is take a bath with daddy. She loves to chew on her toys, float on her back to get her hair washed, and splash. After her bath tonight, she roamed around upstairs in the buff.

Sadie is also a huge helper in the kitchen, especially with the dishwasher!

Michigan is the best in the Fall - Sadie was just hanging out in our front yard

Sadie's sweet hairdo after her nap. She must have slept really hard.

Our life without a camera :(

2008-10-07T18:24:00.000-07:00

I am very bummed because our camera is currently very sick (aka, broken) and I am going crazy without the ability to snap thousands of pictures of Sadie.

She is now 10 months old - holy cow! She is cutting her first tooth and has had a hard time sleeping, but it is getting better. Sadie is pulling up on everything and is starting to walk around using her kiddie 'walker' toy. She is very observant and takes a few minutes to take new things in and then is ready to have some fun playing. It is so fun to watch her just look at everything and take it all in. We've had a great time hanging out with our new friends, visiting Chicago, spending time with family, and just relaxing at home taking in some Grand Rapids sights.

I hope that we fix or get a new camera soon, so you can actually SEE for yourself just how darn adorable Sadie is getting.

Have a great fall!

Weekend at Portage Point Inn

2008-09-09T07:12:00.000-07:00

wonderful family, expansive beaches, beautiful sunsets, fun tennis matches, passionate political discussions, much needed relaxation, and lovely walks... yep, that pretty much sums up our wonderful weekend we had up at Portage Point Inn with Alisa's family. Enjoy the pics.

Sadie's 8th month has been very busy...

2008-08-27T08:17:00.000-07:00

WOW, Sadie's 8 month on Earth has been super fun and filled with a bunch of new experiences and achievements. This time has really flown right by and we can't believe how big she is getting. Here are some fun things she is doing: clapping; saying 'da da da da da' and sometimes 'ma ma'; singing (or some would call it screeching); dancing; standing and taking a few steps when holding onto mom or dad's hands; army crawling; eating all sorts of yummy things like cheerios, cheese, chicken, avocado, crackers, bread; going to her first baseball game; visiting with chi-town friends; strolling around Meijer Gardens; and going to concerts in the park

This is Sadie's first time trying finger foods and she had a cheerio goatee. She wasn't too sure of it at first, but now she can't get enough of those little o's!

Cheering on the Whitecaps at her first baseball game. She would freak out if the crowd started yelling really loud - oh, our little sensitive Sadie. It was so fun to go with the Chi-town peeps!

Hanging out with Grandma, having a tea party, and splashing around at Meijer Gardens. This place ROCKS and I am so glad my friend Mandy took us here. This place is huge and has so many places and things to explore!

... and below are just some cute pictures from the past month - from top to bottom: eating a flower in our backyard; with mom at the lake; playing with her musical cube; chilling with dad at our block party; and playing superman with mary!

Having a BLAST in Ludington & Michigan Adventure

2008-08-08T12:07:00.000-07:00

Wow, I have been pretty slow at posting some new things about our summer adventures and let me tell you this family has been busy busy busy. But, it has been good busy like going to the beach, hanging out at the lake house, and eating a TON of ice cream. Here are some pictures from our trip a few weekends ago up to Ludington and our family's annual trek to Michigan's Adventure.

Our weekend started on Friday when we headed to the beach in Ludington and Sadie took a 2 hour nap, yeah for me - I even got the chance to shut my eyes for a while and go swimming - it was awesome. After she woke up, we played in the water and she loved her bucket and splashing Owen.

The next morning, Grandpa made some fun Mickey Mouse pancakes and we had a HUGE breakfast. Here are the boys and Sadie helping out... well, maybe not exactly - but, hey they are soooooooo cute

...and later on that evening, Sadie had just a little bit of ice cream. Yep, people were walking by her laughing hysterically and I didn't think it was too bad (I couldn't see her, she was in the baby bjorn) until I saw this picture - YIKES! This girl loves her ice cream and can't get enough of House of Flavors. Like mother, like daughter!

...and daddy went to the new skate park at the beach and we got to see a gorgeous sunset. Ludington's beach is just so amazing and beautiful and I had to take some pics of her here. Sadie and Owen were having some very serious conversations and then would laugh at each other.

On Monday we headed to Michigan's adventure for some fantastic water fun and adventure rides. We spent the majority of our time at the water park and even got to ride a few adult rides. Sadie just loves the water and here she is sliding with daddy (and Angie, Connor, and Garren) and hanging out in the Pirate's Cove with Daddio. It was such a perfect day. Thanks Mom & Dad for the great time and fantastic memories!

Our little beach bum

2008-07-27T19:08:00.000-07:00

We have had such a fun summer so far and I just wanted to share with you some fun photos of our little beach bum. We've been going to Grandma & Grandpa D's lake house a bunch and enjoying the water and numerous pontoon rides... plus, we've headed to Lake Michigan a few times and put our toes in the freezing cold water. Sadie absolutely LOVES the water!

Here we are hanging out in Muskegon with Grandma Johnson. This was Sadie's first time to Lake Michigan and it was such a gorgeous day. We had a great time and she loved her sand bucket and shovel, but was not too fond of the cold water.

Sadie and Grandma welcoming the lake express to Muskegon

Sadie's little toes going into Lake Michigan for the first time... oh, yikes it was cold. After this, we spent our time on the beach where Sadie decided to eat some of the sand - oh yumm!

Loving the sand bucket and shovel that Grandma J brought to the beach

Below are some pictures from hanging out at Grandma & Grandpa D's lake house. It is super fun to go here and relax, go swimming, and take boat rides.

Making some big splashes. She was very interested in eating the sand and rocks.

Big smiles on the deck and hanging out with the family

swimmin' in the nude

Our Family Adventures in North Dakota

2008-07-10T06:27:00.001-07:00

Our trip to exotic North Dakota was awesome and Sadie got to meet so many new family members (my mom comes from a family of 8), including her great Grandma Johnson (otherwise known as the 'real grandma johnson) and great Grandma & Grandpa Schmutzler. We had a great time playing golf (without baby), catching up with family, and relaxing at the lake.

Our adventure actually started at home in Grand Rapids with a crazy storm that caused the sewer system to back up right into our basement. Yep, that's right we had about 6" of raw sewage in our basement the night before we were leaving. We had to evacuate our home that night because the fumes were so terrible. After talking to our trusted insurance man (our brother-in-law) and both of our families, we decided to go on the trip as there was nothing we could really do until the hot mess was professionally cleaned. Kurt's parents were a God send and helped a TON with our clean-up. We owe them BIG TIME!

After a VERY long night and early morning, we headed out on our flight to North Dakota with Alisa's parents. Flying with Sadie was such a breeze and actually pretty fun. She was easy going and slept most of our flights. She didn't even cry when taking off or landing - what a STAR.

It was super fun to see all of our extended family and to catch up on everyone's lives. Here are some fun pics from the golf outing on Friday:

Sadie meeting great Grandma & Grandpa Schmutzler

Holy cow, look at all those grandkids and great grandkids! I think the total count of great grandchildren is 16 and my cousin Marie is due with #17 soon. How amazing to have such a big and loving family.

The ladies getting ready to golf (Donna, mom, Penny, Sheila, and Brenda)

Our standard picture every time we get together (me, Laila, Angie, and Marie)

Having a blast golfing. Kurt did great for his first time and only whiffed the ball a few times!

...and Sadie just wanted to eat all the golf balls

Saturday, Sunday and Monday were spent at the lake cottage with all the family. Here are some pics from the weekend. We had a great time swimming, boating, eating great food (thanks Sandy), catching up with family, and relaxing.

The Schmutzler cottage - I have been coming here since I was a little girl and always love coming back. So many wonderful memories and I can't believe that I am now bringing my daughter here. Oh my!

The great eight... what a good looking group

Sadie hanging out with Great Grandpa Schmutzler and Grandma J - She loved hanging out with great gramps - it was the best to see them together.

Our entire family!

Hanging out with Garren, Ethan, and Mason. They loved giving her zerberts and making her laught!

All the wonderful memories - what a great family...

Six months is FANTASTIC

2008-06-20T12:01:00.001-07:00

It's true, this time in Sadie's life is so fabulous. She is so curious and is such a little explorer. She is consistently rolling from front to back and vice versa and has started to scoot backwards... yes, SCOOT - yikes, it is the start of mobility. She is now pulling herself up on all fours and it will be no time before she is crawling around. She is also enjoying her new view of the world from her sitting up position. She is pretty steady, but I still need to be there in case she tips over.

She is eating all sorts of yummy foods like oatmeal, pears, apple sauce, peas, sweet potatoes and loves it all. She tends to make a mess of both of us in the process as she loves to blow zerberts while eating. She is also pretty fond of mushed up bananas and cheese.

She has quite the personality and is constantly smiling, talking, and laughing. She doesn't even cry in the morning when she wakes up.... we wake up to her talking to herself and her stuffed animals. Yesterday, Kurt was playing peek-a-boo with her and she was cracking up! It was awesome.

We have been going on many adventures and have met some great new friends from our library excursions. We are super excited to have met another infant girl who lives just down the block from us!

She played on the swings for the first time when we were in Ludington for Father's day. She LOVED it and could not stop smiling.

...and here are just some super adorable pictures of our girl. we are just so lucky to have her in our lives and could not imagine our lives without her. she is the best!

A day at the park

2008-06-01T19:00:00.000-07:00

Grandma & Grandpa Johnson were over to visit and we had a great time enjoying the lovely weather. We had a bit of a plumbing issue on Saturday, but got it fixed and can now flush our toilets and take a shower... this was just our homes way of welcoming us back to home ownership!

Sunday was such a fantastic day and we spent most of it outside at the park on the lake by our house. We packed a yummy picnic and watched the boats go by.

Sadie is starting to sit up all on her own. She'll sit up for about 10 seconds and then topple over. She had a great time at the park and then passed out on the stroller ride home... whew, learning to sit up is hard work.

Who's the cool chick in daddy's shades?

We love our area and this park is only a 10-15 minute walk from our house and is a few blocks from Kurt's work. How FANTASTIC!

Playing her new light up piano with Grandma and totally fascinated by Grandpa

Hangin' with the Coopers

2008-05-27T11:15:00.001-07:00

We headed over to the Cooper's place last week to help out with the boys and we had such a blast. I was in charge of getting Garren off to school in the morning and I did a pretty good job, except I forgot to have them brush their teeth. Connor and Garren rode their bikes and I took Sadie in the stroller... we did great and I could handle another one for sure (just not yet). I can't believe how big those boys are getting - Garren is 6, Connor is 4, and Owen is 15 months.

Connor loves to play dress up - here he is with Owen's surgery hat. He had it on the entire time we were there. Owen was in great spirits and is such a champ!

Smiles all over the place - Connor with his hat, Owen with his cute teeth, and Sadie just being herself - she loves hanging out with her nephews!

Bath time is the best time - taking a dip Owen

I take so many photos of Sadie that she is starting to reach for the camera. Smarty pants.

Memorial Day Weekend Fun

2008-05-27T10:34:00.001-07:00

We had a very productive and very FABULOUS Memorial day weekend. We hope you guys had as much fun as we did.

Eric had us over for a BBQ on Saturday and we went out on the lake for the first time of the summer and for Sadie's 1st ever boat ride! Oh my how fun - the lake was gorgeous and so quiet. The day was perfect - one of those quintessential summer days we all look forward to during those long winter days of being cooped up.

Sadie's first boat ride was so relaxing, Kurt caught her in mid yawn (or heavy metal scream). It was such a perfect evening for a boat ride - thanks Uncle Eric for having us over and the fun ride!

Sadie was fascinated by the water and the wheel of the boat and it was hard to get her to look up. She loved sitting with uncle Eric and steering us in the right direction. Before we know it, she will actually be driving the boat...

The family on a boat ride - we LOVE summer and can't wait to spend many more days/nights on the lake.

Sunday was the Theile (Sue's side of the family) family reunion out a great park, but we couldn't stay to enjoy it since Sadie and I were feeling under the weather. We were tough and got to spend some time with the family and Sadie got to meet all the fabulous Theile's! We stopped by our neighbor's house that night for a BBQ and met some more folks from the area.

Monday was spent trying to recover from being sick and doing some much needed yard work. We ended the day with dinner at Roses and ice cream (and of course the Red Wings).

All in all, it was a great long weekend albeit the ladies were a little under the weather.

So, we've had this little green chair for a few years and it is the perfect size for Sadie. I put her in it for the first time and she didn't really like it... She still looked so cute in it.

Oh, the lovely flowers... She loved these so much that she ended up pulling one of the gerber daisies off the stem. Also, notice the drool - yep, we think she is in teething mode. No pearly whites yet, just lots of liquid coming down her chin!

...and of course her flying in front of the flag - such a patriotic young lady!

Fun pictures from the past month

2008-05-19T07:22:00.000-07:00

We've been pretty busy these last few months and they really feel like they have flown by. We are soooooo ready for some summer like temps so we can head to the lake and explore Michigan! Enjoy these random pictures from the past few months.

We headed to Kalamazoo a few weeks ago to see Missy and her new baby girl, Sophia. Super cutie pies! Look how massive Sadie is compared to Sophia - wow, how fast they grow...

Fun times at Holland's Tulip time parade with the grandparents! This was Sadie's first parade and she was kind-of freaked out at first by the banging drums and loud noises, but soon got used to it. She ended up sleeping through most of it.

Hmmm, what's this a sippy cup??? We tried this one out, but she's not really ready for it yet. She can't really hold it on her own.

That's right, GO BEARS! This was a gift from Jason & Margs... we miss you guys

She really loves eating in her big girl chair - we are moving on to sweet potatoes this week!

Our first outdoor feast. Enjoying our backyard - can't wait until it's nice outside so we can spend our days outside!

Look who's eating like a big girl!

2008-05-14T18:22:00.000-07:00

On mom's day, we gave the high chair a test drive and gave Sadie her first 'big girl' meal. Although half of the food comes out of her mouth, she is starting to get the hang of it!

So proud and excited to be in her high chair - she loved it!

Eating her first 'meal' - rice cereal. Yep, I would spit it out, too! She didn't get too much in her mouth, but it was fun.

Saying Goodbye to Chicago & Hello to Michigan!

2008-05-12T10:12:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been awhile since I've posted anything because we just now got our internet hooked-up. Moving is such a strenuous and tedious process that we are not going to do this for a very long time. We are planning on growing up, raising babies, and growing old in this house!

Our new address is: 1422 Rosalind Rd SE, East Grand Rapids, MI 49506

We had such a great life in Chicago and had so many wonderful friends that it was really hard to say goodbye. We had a fabulous and very spicy last supper at Udupi Palace with our closest friends (thank you Margaux for organizing) and got to drink out of the boot one last time at the Brahaus. We will cherish all of our wonderful memories and look forward to coming back to visit soon and make new ones! Thanks to all of you who made such a huge impact on our lives and we look forward to all of you visiting soon.

Onto our move... it was a little hectic and thank goodness grandma & grandpa johnson were around to help with Sadie and cleaning out the place. We could not have done this without the love and support of our families! Sadie was such a trooper and went along with the flow.

Sadie among all the boxes - the packing portion of our move went great... and we didn't even pack the baby!

Hanging out with grandma & grandpa johnson in the nook

Sadie in the nook - we will miss this nook. we spent most of our time here and at one time had 12 people around this table!

Saying goodbye to some of our great friends. We will see you guys soon!

The movers we hired were HORRIBLE and please never use ASAP Vanlines for anything (and pass this along to anyone you know). I won't bore you with the details, but to summarize they broke/scratched our stuff and way overcharged us. Well, at least we got our stuff on time.

They packed up our things on Sunday and we headed out for Michigan that evening. We closed on our place on Monday and had our stuff on Tuesday. We are still unpacking, but are making great progress. We painted the living room and dining room a taupe/neutral color and that made a huge difference (since the floors and walls were both green).

Saying goodbye to 1704 Winnemac and Chicago - we headed out for Michigan shortly after this photo.

Goodbye Chicago, we'll see you soon! Thanks for a fabulous 7 years. Onto our next chapter...

Our U.P. Adventure, Part 2 The Trip Back Home

2008-04-22T06:28:00.000-07:00

So, here are some fun pics from our trip back home from the U.P. Sadie did great in the car, but got a little fussy about 20 minutes outside of Chicago (well, so did we). Oh, and she had her first outburst of laughter on this trip - it was fantastic.

Here we are at the A&W drive-in - how fun!

Hmmm, I wonder who Sadie looks like??? Like father, like daughter...

Our Adventure in the U.P.

2008-04-18T12:02:00.000-07:00

We had such a great time visiting family in the U.P. of Michigan and Sadie was a champ on the 8.5 hour car ride! And Yikes, there is still snow up here...

We were up here for Adam's baptism and the service was lovely and all the kids did fabulous in church. Adam gave a big smile after he got 'dunked' in the water - it was super cute.

Grandma & Grandpa had a hotel room, so we got to go swimming again. The boys and Sadie loved the water and we had such a BLAST.

Enjoy the pics from our trip:

Stopping on the side of the road for a diaper change and a little break. This was a pretty funny stop - she had a poopy diaper and then she peed while getting changed, so we had to change her outfit.

A great family pic on the side of the road!

Having a blast at Michigan Tech's Spring Fling. Kyle, Luke, and Kurt had fun bouncin' around in this blow up thing.

Swimming fun at the hotel pool. Grandma couldn't go in the water because of her knee (which is torture since she LOVES the water), but she got to sit on the side and splash around with the kids.

What are we up to?

2008-04-16T19:39:00.001-07:00

Well, with Kurt off work and the weather being so nice the Devlaeminck clan has been having so much fun! We have been going for a ton of walks, having lunch & dinner with friends, and of course packing for our upcoming move to Michigan. We are heading up the UP of Michigan tomorrow and we'll see how Sadie does on an 8 hour car ride.

Sadie also had her 4 month check-up (and her shots - yuck) and she is a GIANT. She is almost 27 inches long (average height for a 9 month old)!!!!

Enjoy the pics from this past week:

Julie and Sadie - yeah, it was so great to see Julie (our spicy granola friend from CA)!

Standin' tall in our kitchen. We think she might end up walking before anything else. She LOVES to stand up and is so strong.

Out and about for one of our many walks. This was her first time in her big girl stroller. We went out to lunch and for a long walk and she ended up falling asleep!

Yeah, it was so nice out that we got to hang out in our backyard (without socks)! Next stop... the BEACH

So cute in her bonnet

2008-04-13T20:25:00.001-07:00

Grandma & Grandpa Johnson gave Sadie this adorable bonnet for x.mas and look how cute she is.

Brunch time is the best time

2008-04-13T20:00:00.001-07:00

We had a great time hosting an engagement brunch for our good friends Courtney & Denise this Sunday. Sadie is such a social butterfly and loves being smudged by all of our friends. It was also such a treat to have our good friend, Julie back from California for the event (and to meet Sadie). Enjoy the pics of our cutie pie.

Standing tall & pretty in her new 'mary jane' socks from Julie

Hanging out with the girls... man, we are so going to miss you guys!

Awww, the love birds Denise & Courtney. Wishing you guys much happiness in your new journey together.

The very delicious desserts (and Margaux & Sadie)

Hanging out

2008-04-12T05:45:00.001-07:00

Kurt's last day of work was Friday and now we get 3 weeks together to hang out - we are super excited! We'll be busy packing and getting ready for our move. Plus, we are heading up the the UP of Michigan for Adam's baptism for a few days. Here are some fun pictures from us hanging out this past week.

Off for a walk. Finally a nice, sunny day!

We love having breakfast together in our little nook.

Sooooo adorable

Hanging out with the girls... We'll miss you ladies :(

We are on the move...

2008-04-08T19:46:00.000-07:00

Exciting news... We found a house in Michigan this past weekend and close on our new place on April 28! We can't believe how very fast everything is happening and how everything is just falling into place so easily. We found a great house in East Grand Rapids and are looking forward to being homeowners again. We are also really excited to be closer to both of our families and for Kurt to start his new adventure at Designvox.

It will be really really hard for us to leave our great friends and such a fabulous and vibrant city, but we will be back to visit often. Please know that all of you are welcome to visit us at any time.

Here's our new home! It is super cute, has 4 bedrooms & 2.5 baths - Kurt and I are super excited that we finally get our own bathroom! Plus, it is only a 5 minute bike ride to Kurt's work and downtown East Grand Rapids/Reeds Lake.

As you can see, Sadie digs the place - she slept the entire time we were there writing up our offer.

Someone has found her voice!

2008-04-04T08:24:00.000-07:00

Wow, Sadie is such a great singer. We love to hear her voice and sometimes she can't even get the noises out because it is too high pitched. It is super cute and she makes the funniest faces. This is how she wakes us up every morning! What a ray of sunshine. By the way... she slept 12 hours last night.

Spring is in the air

2008-04-03T08:17:00.000-07:00

It was finally a sunny and somewhat decent day yesterday, so we had to take some fun spring time pictures :) Sadie loves her tummy.

Yippee, show those toes. Soon we'll be walking in the grass!

Look who found her toes

Some more cute pictures. She loves blowing bubbles and drooling.

...and a cute one of bath time!

Easter Fun in the Cold Sun

2008-03-31T14:11:00.000-07:00

Easter seems ages ago, but it was just a few weekends ago. Whew, it is sometimes hard to keep up with this thing. Sadie is doing fabulous and is a girl on the go. She is super content and is always smiling (even when she has a pooh diaper). She even slept a 9.5 hour night last night and it was AWESOME! Enjoy the pics from Easter and some other fun things:

The family taking a break from the Easter egg hunt - man, Sadie was fast and almost found all of the eggs (j/k). maybe next year, kiddo!

look at me on my tummy...

Hangin' out with cousin Adam (gurth vs. height)

Getting ready for bath time

Shopping on MI Ave with Eric, Kimberly, and dad

14 weeks and having a blast

2008-03-19T06:58:00.000-07:00

Sadie is 14 weeks and is just a peach. We are having so much fun going to mommy/baby yoga and stroller strides. We are also starting a music class 'lullabies' at the Old Town School of Folk Music... singing and smiling are a few of our favorite things. Sadie is so amazing and changing every day. She is grabbing for things and loves her plastic keys (before we know it she'll be driving). She is a fabulous sleeper and has been getting about 8-9 hours of shut eye a night - YIPEE for us! Here are a few pics to enjoy:

So pretty in her flower explosion dress - yes, we are ready for spring!

Enjoying tummy time!

Hanging out with her babydoll

Sitting pretty in her Bumbo (the best invention ever)

She loves holding her own hands (and mom & dad's, too)

Look who is on a ROLL! 3/5/08

2008-03-04T18:05:00.000-08:00

Sadie rolled over for the first time this morning!!!! Oh my how strong she is and just 12 weeks old. She is amazing us every day. She is really talkative (yes, we have very intense and thought provoking conversations) and is constantly smiling. Her new thing is to squeal and it is so darn cute. enjoy the video of her first flip - the first step to mobility... watch out.

Meeting Mr. Adam

2008-03-04T17:48:00.000-08:00

We had such a blast seeing the entire family a few weekends ago and we finally got to meet cousin Adam. He is just 9 days younger than Sadie and they are just the cutest together. Below are some pics of the 2 sweet peas.

...and a video

Swim Time is Fun Time!

2008-02-29T15:48:00.000-08:00

Sadie took her first plunge into the pool this past month and she LOVED it (no surprise since she loves taking baths)!

We were in Michigan for Owen's 1st birthday party and Garren's state swim meet and had a blast seeing everyone and watching Owen make a crazy mess with his cake (we can't wait to do that with miss Sadie - only 8 more months to go).

Sadie at her first swim meet hanging out with cousing Connor

Swim time - her first plunge! She had the cutest tulip suit on and we can't wait for the summer to head to the beach and swim in the lake.

Happy HEART Day - 2/14/08

2008-02-14T08:28:00.000-08:00

Happy LOVE day! We hope you are out there hugging, kissing, and smudging your favorite people. Will you be my valentine???? I am super adorable and smile all the time!

oh... and this video is pretty hilarious!

2 months and loving it!

2008-02-09T14:57:00.002-08:00

Wow, Sadie is 2 months old (well, actually 2 months and a week) - yikes. She'll be off to college before we know it. She is 24 inches long (that's right, already 2 feet) and weighs 11 pounds. She is so much fun and smiles all the time. She even had her first laugh last week - this of course was with daddy at 4 a.m., but we'll take it.

Okay, so the suit is a bit premature, but we are so ready for the sun and the beach! Look how cute she is in her little tulip swimsuit.

Sadie loves bath time and is always smiling at dad!

Museum of Science & Industry Adventure - 1/31

2008-02-04T12:33:00.000-08:00

Grandma & Grandpa Johnson were visiting this past weekend and we had a blast. Our favorite thing was our adventure at the Museum of Science and Industry. Sadie was fascinated by the model train, planes, and the cow!
At first, Sadie wasn't too interested in things... she just slept and we enjoyed the museum.
Sadie woke up and here she is enjoying the model train at the museum with grandma & grandpa j
Hanging out with mom on the cow "SAY CHEESE"
This isn't part of our museum adventure, but look how pretty she is in her cute dress!

7th Week on Earth!

2008-01-28T10:17:00.000-08:00

Sadie turned 7 weeks this past Saturday and we have been having a blast! Grandma & Grandpa D were in town visiting and Kurt and I actually got to go out and hang out with friends for a night. Sadie is smiling a ton and only cries when she really needs something (eat, poop, sleep - the 3 basics). We went shopping on Michigan Avenue, had breakfast in the 'hood, and have been going for numerous walks around town. Below are some pics from Sadie's 7th week on earth:
Bath time with dad is the best!
Hanging out with Grandpa D!
An appropriate gift from Uncle Eric - she is pretty darn perfect!

6 weeks is fun!

2008-01-20T16:47:00.000-08:00

Sadie turned 6 weeks old this past Saturday and she is such a doll. She is smiling and making all sorts of cute faces... she also really digs ceiling fans. enjoy the pics from Sadie's first official photo shoot

...and her awesome elvis face!

finally, some pics with mom

2008-01-19T18:22:00.001-08:00

we spend all of our days and nights together and i take a kazillion pictures of miss sadie, but we don't have any pictures of the two of us... so, without further delay a few pics of daughter + mommy!

5 weeks is fun!

2008-01-18T13:06:00.001-08:00

howdy... we've had a great week and she even went through a bit of a growth spurt and gave us a true taste of NO sleep for a night! enjoy the pics/video.

Holy Cow, Sadie is 1 month old!

2008-01-12T16:09:00.000-08:00

Wow, how time flies when you are having a blast... Sadie is 1 month old. Below are some pictures of our big girl. She is 9 lbs 5 ounces and is 22 3/4 inches long (she is in the 90 - 95th percentile for height. no big surprises there!). She is doing all sorts of new things like giving us huge smiles and holding her head up. She is super alert and loves looking at mom and dad (and the ceiling fan). Here are some pictures/videos from the past week.

The many looks of our lovely lady, Sadie!

Sadie's First Christmas 2007!

2007-12-24T08:26:00.000-08:00

We braved the car and headed to Angie and Adam's place to celebrate xmas! Sadie did awesome - she loves the car and to be in motion... she is a girl on the go (just like her parents). We are so blessed to be with family for her first Christmas and we had such a BLAST. Below are some pics from Sadie's first Christmas.
Our new family!
Christmas Eve dinner with the family. Yummy honey baked ham and Kurt's famous green been caserole!
Chrismas morning - all the cousins celebrating and opening prizes together
Sadie and Aunt Angie
Garren and Connor protecting the girls!
So pretty in pink flowers and crazy stripes
Hangin' out with her cousin Connor... he LOVES Sadie and could not get enough of her
Owen and Sadie - so happy together!
Grandma & Grandpa Johnson giving Sadie lots of smudges!

Just Hanging Out - 12/18/07

2007-12-18T11:21:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of us just hanging out with our girl. She is the best!

1 week old and fabulous - 12/15

2007-12-15T14:30:00.000-08:00

Wow, just think one week ago today Sadie was making her way into this world. Now, she can lift up her head (for a quick second), focus on mom & dad, and eat & poo a ton! She isn't too fond of sleeping at night, but we have so much fun during the day! We love this lady. Here are some pictures from her birthday!

Our day started with a diaper change and some chill out time. She loves her fuzzy buns diapers and just looking all around.

Then we headed out for our first stroller ride and had lunch at Charlies in Adnersonville. She was super cozy wrapped up in her buggy and we had a great lunch full of enlightening conversation.

Quality time with mom

Sadie's First Bath & Cloth Diaper - 12/11/07

2007-12-13T09:11:00.000-08:00

We gave Sadie her first bath and she LOVED it! Here she is in her first cloth diaper - easy as pie and soooo comfy

Hangin' with daddy after bath time!

Welcome Sadie Geraldine Devlaeminck - 12/8/07

2007-12-12T12:29:00.000-08:00

*Sadie Geraldine Devlaeminck - 8 pounds, 12 ounces, 22 inches

Welcome our little angel. We went to our 41 week check-up on Friday and ended up being admitted to the hospital to be induced. Labor was really long (16 1/2 hours), but I pushed for only 1 hour and she made her debut! Below are some pics from the hospital:

*after delivery with our midwife Julie Omar - she ROCKED!

*Our new family!

*Proud grandparents (grandma + grandpa johnson on the left and grandma + grandpa devlaeminck on the right)

*Getting lots of love from sis and mom

*Going home!

December 1 - Happy Due Date!

2007-12-01T10:58:00.000-08:00

Cheers to almost being done with our journey - It's officially our due date! Please send us positive vibes as we are so ready and so excited to meet and smudge babyd.

39 weeks... oh my, single digits until our due date!

2007-11-25T13:51:00.001-08:00

wow, we can't believe that we are almost done with our pregnancy journey and on the brink of starting our parenting journey. we are really excited to welcome babyd to the world and to love and smudge him/her! it's amazing how much you can love someone you haven't even met.

36 weeks... it's the final countdown!

2007-11-03T10:04:00.000-07:00

my how time flies when you're having fun! i am doing great, just getting bigger and bigger. i feel good, we're ative, and just getting ready to welcome our little one into this world!

lil' pumpkin shower - chicago 10/28

2007-11-02T10:10:00.000-07:00

i had such a great time at the lil' pumpkin shower, hosted graciously by marisa, gail, and denise! thanks to the ladies that came out to celebrate with me and babyd. thanks for all your generosity and support as we embark on this new adventure! below are the chicago girls and my mom (sans emily).

30 weeks! Only 10 more to go...

2007-09-24T15:28:00.001-07:00

Stilling feeling fabulous and having a great time being pregnant! Baby D has been super active (just like his/her parents). This photo is from us hiking in Ludington State Park on 9/23. What a gorgeous and peaceful place.

Baby Shower in Grand Rapids - September 15

2007-09-24T15:17:00.000-07:00

What a fabulous shower! Thanks to Jen for opening up her lovely home and hosting such a fabulous party. Thanks also to the other fabulous hostesses Liz, Carol, Mom D, and Lisa. We had such a great time playing games and drinking sangria, lush slush, and of course non-alcoholic champagne (I think I drank a bottle myself). Here are some pics from the day.

angie and I testing out the fabulous homemade hanky bib (from mom d)

mom d, great grandma j, and mom j

Couple's Baby Shower in Ludington - August 25

2007-09-24T15:07:00.000-07:00

We had a fabulous weekend celebrating with family and friends. Thanks a bunch to Angie and mom for hosting such a fabulous party! Thanks to everyone for making the trip and for all of your support and love. Enjoy some pics from the weekend.

Dad & Mom Devlaeminck, and Great Grandma Johnson

Enjoying the cake - Connor, Jason, and Garren

tubing down the river at Ludington State Park

baby time weekend w/ grandma & grandpa j

2007-08-13T12:17:00.000-07:00

(our stroller)

Well this weekend was a productive one with the help of Mom and Dad Johnson. Alisa was lucky enough to find a lot of great maternity clothes which she is really excited about. She loves the strechy pants! We also put an order in for a crib and found a stroller that is perfect for us. One that has a tall enough handle for both of us and should stand the test of time.

Here's a pic of our baby bedding (sans crib) - we are complimenting with robin's egg blue and a light lime green.