Christmas Card 2016

Merry Christmas! It’s hard to believe 2016 has already come and gone. This year has been a whirlwind of joy and new beginnings.

Ryker- After a short labor, Ryker was born on March 3rd this year. He weighed 8 lbs. 6 oz. and was 20.5 inches long. Ryker spends his days climbing, crawling, and cruising everywhere looking for trouble. He loves to drum, play with blocks, and play with his sister. His hopes and aspirations for this next year include: learning to walk, learning to talk, and catching the cat.

Ilyana- In February, Ilyana celebrated her 1st birthday! Not long after, she got promoted to “big sister”, a role that she has gracefully stepped into. Ilyana enjoys participating in a weekly gymnastics class, building block towers, and taking care of her baby dolls and her brother. Her hopes and aspirations for this next year include: learning her ABC’s, expanding her vocabulary, and taking her Pikachu doll on many more adventures.

Ash- Ash was happy to become a mom of two this year. She has continued her work as a stay-at-home mom. She spends her free time: finding crafts she’ll never actually do, serving the church’s AWANAS ministry, and writing in the family blog. Her hopes and aspirations for this next year include: improving her baking skills, potty training Ilyana, and learning about God’s promises.

Jake- Jake continues to work as a software engineer at Rockwell Collins. He was excited to take on some new leadership roles at work this year. He spends his free time: creating his own video game, playing the xbox, and playing drums in the church band. His hopes and aspirations for this next year include: finishing the video game he’s writing, receiving a promotion, and playing lots of video games.

Overall, this past year has been about laying the foundation of our little family. We have grown as parents, and our kids have grown… because that’s what they do. This next year will be full of wonderful experiences as Ilyana and Ryker grow out of the baby stage and into the toddler years. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Love,

Jake, Ash, Ilyana (1), and Ryker (9 m)

Ryker was born March 3rd

Ilyana turned 1 February 21st

We had a fun Winter "ONEderland" birthday party for her.

We spent a week living at the Hansen's during the flood.

The kids went trick-or-treating for the first time this year.

These two have so much fun together!

9 months - Ryker

My baby boy is 9 months old! He has now spent as much time on the outside as he did cozied up inside me. Over this past month I feel that Ryker has become a lot easier. He's started responding to "no" and most importantly, he's started sleeping better. Several months ago he had started sleeping through the night on some nights, then the flood happened and staying in a new location made waking 2-3 times a night the norm. After some difficult sleep training we finally got him back down to only waking once a night, then he got sick and started teething. Back to waking 2-3 times a night. It was exhausting for everyone. Once he was feeling better we tried a friends suggestion of offering a sippy cup of water when he woke up at times he didn't need to nurse and it worked like a charm! Within one night he was sleeping better than he had slept in months! As for naps, he generally takes 2 naps a day. One in the morning and one in the afternoon. At this point Ryker eats most anything we eat (besides honey, milk, and sweets). He loves food and wants to eat anytime he sees someone eating, especially his sister. We are also still nursing every couple of hours during the day. I'm so glad that I'm able to share this bond with Ryker. This month Ryker got his first tooth! His second tooth is about to pop through as well. Ryker is working hard on walking, cruising everywhere and even taking a step or two every once in a while. He says "mama" all day long and has even said "dada" a few times. Ryker also passed his sister in weight this month. His chubby legs get me every time! This month we learned that Ryker is terrified of bubbles, just like his sister used to be! I'm not sure what we've done to scar our children with bubbles! I'm so glad that 2016 brought Ryker into our lives and I can't wait to see what 2017 is like for us!

His "That flash is bright!" face. Haha!