First Smiles

Last weekend right around his 4-week birthday, Silas starting showing us his adorable smile. While he wasn't too generous at doling them out initially, I see a few more everyday--and boy, are they cute! Not surprisingly, I get most of them right after he eats. He really likes to eat, so it makes sense that he would be the happiest when his tummy is full! Of course it's nearly impossible to have the timing to catch them on camera, but I have managed to get a few shots. Here are a couple of our happy little man.

4th Fun!

I'm a little late on getting it posted, but I just can't seem to get much of anything done these days besides holding a baby boy! At any rate, here are some pics of our 4th of July fun at the parade in Sully. The day also included fun swimming with cousins in Grandpa & Grandma Nikkel's pool and fun with water balloons and fireworks in the evening. It was a good but exhausting day!

Uncle Duane and Cousin Emily leading the parade in his cool squad car

Brent was thrilled to get an orange slice as part of the loot we gathered during the parade. Mason got a whole bagful of candy! The Sully parade never disappoints...

How Mason watches every parade that includes any type of emergency vehicle. Also how he watches fireworks and, well, anything that might possibly make noise.

Our patriotic 3-year-old proudly waving his grand old flag.

Happy Father's Day!

Here are a few pictures of my boys on this Father's Day. Thanks for being such a hands-on, loving daddy and a helpful husband, Brent! I'm so thankful to have a parent-partner like you!

Welcome, Silas!

Introducing Silas Dean!
Born June 5, 2011, at 11:58 am.
7 lb. 11.6 oz., 20.5" long
Head of dark hair
Adorable little face
Jury still out on who he looks like

Here I sit in our living room, feeling a little nostalgic. I'm remembering similar moments 3 1/2 years ago when I set Mason's car seat down on the floor beside me and laid down on the couch, celebrating bringing our new son home, shedding tears of joy and hormones and wondering what life would now look like. Here I sit today. It's a new baby in the car seat--Silas Dean, who just arrived to join us two days ago. Now here I am, celebrating bringing our new son home, shedding tears of joy and hormones and wondering what life will now look like. Oh man, how I already love this little guy! So much. So, so much.

Mason loves him too. When I called to tell him of his arrival on Sunday around lunchtime, Mason's squeal was priceless. I'm told it was accompanied by a priceless one-legged dance. He excitedly came to the hospital multiple times wanting to hold "his baby" over and over again. He left the hospital broken hearted at least twice that he had to leave "his baby," which was hard on Mommy too. But I'm thrilled that Mason is so excited about his brother. The width of his smile and the twinkle in his eye are hard to match when he enters the room to see "his baby." I know this will mean that I will have to be a vigilant protector of "his baby" at times because 3-year-old love can be quite boisterous!

I'm looking at Silas' head of dark hair as he sleeps, noting how different he looks from Mason and how blessed I am to have my two special boys. I feel so grateful to God to have a healthy baby boy and a healthy big boy. It has been such a gift for us these last few days to experience this process again, to welcome this new life and to begin to establish a new family of four. I'm especially thankful to be on this side of labor and delivery! But I must say I find myself wondering how we got here already--where did the last 3 1/2 years go? the last 9 months? the last 3 days? Wow, as we start this new and exciting chapter of our family, I need to pay attention because it's so amazing and the moments so fleeting all at once.

Welcome, Silas Dean! We love you so much, and we're so glad you're home with us! The exciting adventure of the Gaulke family continues...

"I'm the Dutch Man!"

We got Mason to don his Dutch costume today, so we could snap a few pictures before the Tulip Time crowds move in. Thankfully he really liked the costume and repeatedly said in a silly, deep voice, "I'm the Dutch man!" I also convinced him that his black crocs are his Dutch dancing shoes this year. I really think he would be pleased with wooden shoes because he would like nothing more than to make that loud "klompen" noise as he walked along, but the crocs will have to do for this year! We had Dutch Family Singers practice this afternoon (this very pregnant lady is a spectator this year), and Mason did several of the dances with the kids. Should be a fun Tulip Time year if our usual lack of naps doesn't hinder our joy! The Gaulkes are always excited about another Tulip Time of food and fun! Bring it on!

Here are some of the pictures we snapped today! You'll notice that we get the same *very large* smile a lot. In the picture with his arm out to the side, he really is saying somewhat mechanically, "I'm the Dutch man!"

Ice Cream PJ Party!

Today we are celebrating! Mason has moved into his big boy bed! He is very excited, and so am I. It feels like a big relief to me to begin this transition--another thing that makes me feel a bit more ready for Baby Boy to come! (It will be even more exciting when Grandma Gaulke makes his new quilt, which she has been waiting for me to make decisions about.) I really like how the boys' room lays out, and the rocker fits in our room okay too. Yay! I actually really like changes like these--keeping things fresh and being practical to make our space work.

To officially mark the occasion we surprised Mason with an Ice Cream Pajama Party and took him to Dairy Queen in his pj's tonight. He ate a little of his Dilly Bar, but mostly just enjoyed running around DQ like a wild man! He didn't take a nap today, so I think that makes it a good night for the switch. He's so tired that it was easy to settle him in. So far he actually loves it, so if we can keep him from jumping on it when he is supposed to be sleeping, we should be in good shape!

Did I mention that he was a wild man?

Mason's 3 kitties joined us at DQ as well.
It was quite a party!

Reading "David & Goliath" to us in his new bed.

Marking Time

I know, it has been FOREVER since I've even attempted a blog update. I've decided that's okay. And I'll just keep doing the best I can. But I do want to keep it going so I can continue to mark the times and seasons of our family, especially as we add a little guy in less than two months. I always love to go back and read and remember.

Brent and I just got back from Florida on Wednesday, and I decided that a vacation is a good "time marker." Therefore, a good time to post on the blog again. We spent time beforehand (B.V. - Before Vacation) planning, anticipating and packing. Then we thoroughly enjoyed! Now we're back home (A.V. - After Vacation), and it's time to get serious. In fact, on one of our flights I spent time listing the things that need to happen B.B. (Before Baby). There are 15 items on the list...so far.

I also made a list of things I learned and observed while on vacation. If you're looking for depth, you'll only find the very slightest bit here, so don't be disappointed. Hopefully there will be more to come on the Gaulke blog in the near future, but I make no promises.

A Few Things I Observed & Learned on our Florida Vacation

1. Putting "Express" in the name of a restaurant doesn't make it fast.


2. Seeing families having fun together is good.


3. A little girl in a swimming pool can sound like a small yapping dog.


4. It's good not to have a schedule. I'm getting better at it.


5. I really like to spend time with my husband. It's fun.


6. SPF 30 is not enough for white skin and beach sun. When will I learn to go all the way with the sunscreen?


7. There are many poor swimsuit choices made every day.


8. I like eating out, but it's expensive.


9. Uninterrupted time laying by a pool in a warm place is still a favorite activity of mine, though rarely experienced.


10. I don't like birds at all, especially not the swooping kind that tend to like to be around people at beaches and resort pools.


11. It's easy to be grateful when facing no adversity. On the other hand, those can be the times that I most often forget to stop and be thankful.


12. It's dumb to have a bad cold on a Florida vacation; to blow my nose while sitting by the pool or lounging on the beach just feels wrong.

Pondering Things in My Heart

There are a few things I've been pondering lately as we celebrate Christmas...

I've thought a lot about what it would have been like to raise Jesus. A literally perfect child. If you were his parent, would you feel unnecessary? Was he a perfect baby? Is "Away in a Manger" right when it says, "No crying he makes?" Did he learn everything easily and early? I would assume he never whined or fought with his siblings, right? Did he seem odd to his parents? Did they wonder what to do with him? They knew he was Jesus--angels told them at conception, then announced his birth to shepherds, then a star led wise men to find their Baby King. Did they know what that meant? Did they doubt its truth on those days when Jesus was just acting like a regular kid? Did they have a clue what pain awaited them--and him? He sounds like both the easiest and most difficult child to parent to me. I wish I could have known him and seen what it was really like.

I loved Third's Christmas Eve service and the reminder it offered that Christmas is only the beginning of an amazing, sacrificial chain of events that led to our ultimate redemption through one perfect God-man, our Savior Jesus Christ. It's unfathomable that this tiny baby born in a stinky stable to a 12- or 13-year-old girl would be God's entrance into our world. Christmas is so much more than one day or a short season in our year. It's part of The Story. A Story we all get to be part of thanks to Jesus arriving as a baby in a humble stable.

And I've just been feeling pretty grateful. Our last year hasn't been without its pain--whose has? But we are blessed. Our whole family has kept their jobs all year--my mom even found a new one and my sister has been able to keep working some, even though she lost her job last year. I have a husband I truly love being with and sharing life with, and I love him. The awesome thing: he loves me too, unconditionally--boy, am I thankful for that! I have a son who delights me. He's healthy, energetic, full of life, funny, smart, sometimes naughty, and being his mom is the favorite role of my life. We have a warm home, small but cozy, and best of all, it feels like home. I have a baby growing inside me, a healthy pregnancy, and the excitement of adding to our family. I have friends that stick by me, even when distance or busyness separates, friends who encourage my faith, laugh with me, cry with me and love me when it is undeserved. I have a job where I feel valued, I enjoy what I do and I am not only encouraged but challenged in my faith. I don't mean to get sappy. Sometimes I just need to say it outloud, you know. Gratitude is a powerful thing.

That's all for now. I'll keep pondering...

Funny Mason-isms

Here are a few funny things Mason has said over the past week:

• For Christmas last weekend he got a new "remote patrol car."
• His Thomas trains connect to each other with "magmets."
• We watched a Christmas movie on Sunday night--the "Polar Getspress."
• Santa lives at the "North Cold."
• We sat down for lunch yesterday. Mason looked at Brent and said, "So, how was your work?" Wonder where he's heard that before?!

Bye-Bye, Bah!

Today is the day. It's the day that Mason's "bah" is gone forever. His beloved pacifier that got us through those baby days, was always enjoyed upside down, and has continued to accompany Mason faithfully at naptime and bedtime for 3 years must go. We've been prepping him for this day when he would be three, a "big boy," and wouldn't need it anymore. And thankfully so far our big boy is handling it all like a big boy!

This morning I got out the envelope and wrote the address for the Pacifier Repair Shop on it. Mason excitedly told me that he would go get his "bah" out of his bed. He did. Then we wrote a short letter to the repairman, asking him to make the pacifier new for our new baby and to get it back to us by June so our baby could use it. We also were sure to note what a good big brother Mason was being by taking good care of the baby in this way.

Mason stuck his "bah" in the envelope, retrieving it just once to put it in his mouth one last time. Then he dropped it back in, said "Bye-bye, bah!", helped me seal the envelope and promptly said to me, "Let's go play in the living room, Mom!"

A little later he did decide it was a good idea to take it to the post office and get it mailed. He was disappointed when we got there and it wasn't the pacifier repair shop, but I told him that the repair shop is too far away, so we'd have to ask the mail lady to deliver it for us. That was okay, though he did mention his desire to visit the repair shop a couple more times. My sneaky post-it note filled the mail lady in on what was going, so she took our package with a smile and promised to deliver it. No comforting needed. We quietly and proudly left the post office.

We went to the bakery for a treat after that, which Mason actually wasn't interested in eating...still no comfort needed, I guess. We also went to a few stores, and that's when Mason found his desired replacement for "bah." We had mentioned to Mason that maybe he could pick something new to sleep with when it was time to get rid of his "bah," but he really hadn't been too interested in the concept. However, when he saw Waddles the Penguin at Hallmark, he changed his mind. "Mom, maybe this could be what I sleep with now," he said. For $7, I eagerly agreed that it was a great idea. We have been playing with Waddles pretty much since the moment of purchase. He apparently really enjoys being thrown.

So, all has gone amazingly so far. Not a tear shed, not a fit thrown. But, let's be honest, the real test is whether he will sleep without his "bah." But naptime went seamlessly. He jabbered and played for awhile, which is normal, and now all is quiet. I'm in shock about the ease of all this!

I'm so grateful that Mason has seen this as an exciting milestone rather than a terrible punishment! I thought it might be a major punishment for me, too! He has made me proud with the way he has handled it all. My big boy.

Couch Treasures?

Today I went searching for my lost credit card. It has been lost for awhile, but I kept thinking it would turn up. Well, Brent leaves for Haiti in 4 days with our only credit card, so I decided it was time to get serious. I really couldn't think of where else to look--I'd checked all my jackets, pants, bags, piles, drawers. I had just looked under the couch without success, and I casually prayed, "Lord, I'm out of places, so really if you could just help me out, it would be awesome." I discovered it and several other things in the next place I looked.

I thought Brent had just vacuumed under the couch cushions, but I wasn't sure how thoroughly so I decided to give it a try. Both to my dismay and to my great pleasure, I discovered my credit card there! Why dismay, you ask? Because digging in the depths of my couch was both disturbing and disgusting. This was not just under my cushions. It was the crevices on the sides and back of the couch that swallow all those nasty little things you rarely miss (unless one of them is your credit card, perhaps). Mammoth dust bunnies accompanied with several pieces of dry cereal, a partially eaten strand of licorice, two cars, two pencils, a drumstick (that I forgot we even had), two pens, a raisin, 18 cents, a hair tie and a bobby pin, a candy wrapper, some stickers, lots of crumbs AND my credit card...and whatever made my hands smell after I was done digging.

Now I have my credit card and my couch is clean. I know you're glad I shared.

Crafty Girls

A few weeks ago my niece and I had a fun crafty afternoon. I've been meaning to post our craftiness, so here it is! It's fun to have nieces that like crafts!

IMPORTANT NEWS BULLETIN!

We're excited to share that another Baby Gaulke is on the way! I'm due on June 10, and we're so excited to welcome a new baby into our family! I had about 3 weeks of constant nausea, but in the last week it has really improved, and I'm so grateful. I wish I had been more sympathetic to sick pregnant women in the past!

Of course Mason doesn't totally get it, but he is already giving the baby hugs and is excited about being a Big Brother. We're excited too!

(Above is the cookie Brent brought to announce the news at work. We decided to change up the Pella chocolate chip cookie tradition a bit by going with one big chocolate chip cookie!)

We love fall!!

Our fall festivities over the past few weeks have included the Free Fall Fun Fest at the Van Roekel Farm, Carroll's Pumpkin Farm, a Pumpkin Carving Party and raking leaves at Grandpa & Grandma G's. The gorgeous weather has cooperated for every event. We love it!

Fall Fun Fest!

He looked so little on top of that big horse! He liked it though!

Carroll's Pumpkin Farm

with Grandma N. and Tori

Corn Angel

My little guy, lovin' life. I love this picture!

Tori is flying! I love this one too...

Punts' Pumpkin Carving Party

with our small group

Some nice pumpkin entries again this year.

Kyle's free-hand truck appropriately won top prize!

I, on the other hand, rely on stencils for anything I carve!

Here's this year's spider, selected by Mason.

Raking leaves with Grandpa & Daddy