My First Month

Since Mommy isn't getting around to sharing any of my handsome pictures and life story with you, I decided to bop in and do it myself. I am one month old today and tried real hard to be a dashing young man for my pictures this morning! 

I've been trying to be a good little boy for Mommy. I figure the best thing I can do is give her plenty of sleep at night, so I make sure I don't cry unless I am really hungry. I have only been waking up about once a night since I came home, with a couple of exceptions. During the day I just like to look around and dance to music.

One of my favorite times of the day is when Daddy gets home. He and I are getting along great, especially ever since I stopped cooperating for him when he was trying to change my diapers. Now Mommy gets to change them all and Daddy likes me all the more. 

Since my pictures are way cuter than my words, I will take a break from writing now. Mommy told me I had to keep this post to less than twenty pictures, so I'll do my best. 

6 Hours

3 Days 

One Week Old

Mommy loves my cuddles!

Daddy calls me "Little Buddy" and I call him *hiccup*. We hit it off right from the start. 

I had a lot of visitors the first week home! I got to meet some of my cousins...

...and my neighbors came over to visit, too!

Two Weeks Old

My crib and I had our first encounter on my two week birthday. Mommy and Daddy decided I was becoming a much too noisy sleeper to sleep in their bedroom anymore. It was a couple days later before Mommy figured out that the only way I was going to sleep in there was if I was swaddled or on my tummy. The crib and I get along great during the day, but I still sleep swaddled in the Rock-n-Play at night (in my own room, of course).

My Schulz Aunts and Uncles came to visit!

I love listening to Daddy and Mommy play their instruments! 

The doctor gave me a clean bill of health at my two week appointment. My bilirubin was down and I was at the 50th percentile for both height and weight (8lb 6oz; 20.5in). I'm still trying to eat a lot so I can be as big as my uncles someday. But sometimes my belly can't handle as much as I think it can so I end up spitting up a lot. Grandma Massner says I'm being just like my Mommy when I do that. Can you believe it that she thinks Mommy used to be as little as me?

Three Weeks Old

I got all dressed up in my church outfit for my first Sunday in Burlington. We had to get a picture before I grew out of it! 

I was warmly welcomed by the Schulz family for my first visit to Grandma and Grandpa's house on Valentine's Day. 

This is one of my favorite toys! 

But I think this is my all-time favorite place to be! :)

We went over to Uncle Phil and Aunt Kelli's house on Friday night and got to spend some quality time with my cousins! They are getting all practiced up for their baby sister coming in April! 

Four Weeks Old

My Massner uncles think I'm pretty special!

Mommy introduced me to these toys last week. I thought they made me look a little silly at first, but then decided they were kind of fun! Except I  still haven't figured out the point of those rattles on my feet. 

The white dribble running down my face and all over everything is a great visual of the story of my life right now. I try to behave myself most of the time, but it is kind of funny to watch everyone's reactions when I spit up. Mommy doesn't even try to keep up with me anymore and my clothes are pretty much just always soaked with puke. 

I can't think of anything else to tell you except that I am getting ready to make some big changes in the next couple months! The next things on my agenda are smiling and sleeping through the night! ;) (Sorry, Mom, potty training will have to wait until the next month...)

Levi Matthew

Our little miracle has arrived!! We are so blessed and filled with joy to welcome our new son into our home. Introducing...

Levi Matthew Schulz

Born January 25, 2016 2:43pm

7 lb 7.5 oz; 19.5 in

Levi decided to pleasantly surprise us by coming nine days before his due date! I think he may have seen the note I left him on the kitchen counter last week. Although that doesn't quite add up because I hadn't started teaching him how to read yet. We're making better progress now that he's out of my belly. 

Summary of labor (please scroll on if uninterested): My water broke around suppertime Sunday evening and things moved pretty slow. They started me on Pitocin at 3am and I eventually got an epidural at 9. The last few hours were pretty relaxing. :) Levi arrived exactly twenty-one hours after my water broke and we were oh-so-happy to meet him!

The first family picture with Levi! 

We got quite a few excited visitors that evening! I will spare you from the half-million photos that were taken, but here are the happy grandparents! 

Grandma and Grandpa Schulz 

Grandma and Grandpa Massner 

The kids had to stay out in the waiting area, but Levi came as close as he could to see them. 

We ended up staying three nights at the hospital so the doctors could watch his jaundice. He ended up spending most of Thursday under the bili lights until he was discharged later in the afternoon. Other than that, we are very thankful that he seems to be a healthy baby!

Headed home! 

The first evening was a little overwhelming, but we are recovering nicely and getting settled here at home.

Levi finally got to meet Uncle Bill when he came home from college yesterday. 

Laying in the sunlight this morning...oh so cute!! :)

We are enjoying our little one so much and are looking forward to the adventures of parenthood that lie ahead! God has been so good!

Changing Diapers Just Got Better

...well, as good a changing diapers can go, anyway.

Matt's latest project is complete! He spent the last couple months working on a changing table/dresser for the upcoming baby, and the results were impressive!

It all started with an idea that became a plan resulting in a trip to Menard's for supplies. From there, he spent several evenings cutting, gluing, routering, and screwing together wood in the garage before we got around to taking any photos.

A close-to-finish progress photo. 

Amid the business of December, he managed to keep at it. Maybe because he was told that deer hunting would need to be put off if he didn't make enough progress. ;) The next steps involved getting things all ready to be put together.

Then he took it all apart and stained the wood. 

And sent it to Uncle Keith's shop to be varnished. 

We picked it up last week and got it all assembled in the baby room! 

Turned out great, I'd say! :) I think he had fun doing it, but is so glad to have it finished. Now all we need is a little one to come along and give it a try!

December Christmasings

Wow, December sure zoomed by!

Our first highlight to share is Matt's success at getting a deer during hunting season. Woohoo! I should probably share the details of his hunt, but that sounds hard to do. He did legitly get it from a deer stand near our place one Thursday afternoon. This was my first-ever experience doing anything with deer meat, as my family didn't consist of hunters and Matt hadn't brought home a deer since we'd been married. Soo...now we've got a nice stock of ground deer in the freezer. :) And it tastes like beef to me.

We attended a couple concerts at school to get us in the spirit of Christmas. The 5-12 band concert starred Camille, Travis, and Justin, along with many others. 

Her first band concert! 

Later, we attended Vespers, where we watched the 7-12 grade choirs starring Travis, Justin, Jonathan, and several cousins. 

I got my first experience at Wiegand Sewing this month. Cindy hosted and this was the group that showed up for an evening with very little sewing going on! We had a good time!

December Christmases started with Lanz Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa's. There were 134 people in attendance (all but about 12 were able to come!).

We were privileged to host Matt's siblings for an appetizer evening while Mom and Dad took all of the younger kids and grandkids on an outing to Mount Pleasant. It was a fun evening for us adults, too!

The next morning, we made the five-mile trek to Mediapolis to attend my family Christmas. As tradition would have it...

Chicken lips! 

Ok...not a tradition, but there is a little stocking addition this year... 

Pretty table (and napkin art!) 

Massner family Christmas band 

Jesse's Magic Show - he did a great job at fooling his brothers!! 

The next day of our Christmas marathon, we went to Matt's parents house with the Schulz family for a lively time!

The "pick up a bag without using your hands and keeping your feet on the floor" game. The bag keeps getting shorter and shorter until eventually they had to pick a dime off the floor with their teeth. 

Grandma and Grandpa had their "hands full" with twelve grandkids  

The WHOLE gang! 

The 3-year-olds enjoying their gifts from Grandma and Grandpa!  

Connecticut Cutie 

Gare-bear...Ethan gave me this bear costume for our baby, but for now it fits Garret pretty well! 

Our last Christmas gathering was the next day over at Skylines in Peoria, where Grandma Knobloch lives. We had a nice time with the Massners! 

Angie got some new Christmas socks! 

The newest member of the family...Jake & Andi's baby Max was five weeks old! 

Our week of events ended on Sunday over at Uncle Troy and Aunt Joni's, where several of the Lanz cousins gathered to spend the evening with Erika and Cameron, who were home for Christmas. Lots of excitement! 

Blowball! 

Oh, and the peaceful ending to our Christmas (and year) was our very own family Christmas on New Year's Eve. I practically had to drag Matt away from his other projects to force him to attend. Once I filled him up with food, he was too tired to do anything but relax so it went pretty smoothly after that.

Our third Christmas together! 

That night, we rang in the New Year 2016! Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and find God's blessings in the coming year!