The Baker Boys

Our Boys!

2010-09-12T13:41:00.000-07:00

Ronald - 3 years old

Talin - 18 months old

These boys never cease to amaze me! We have had a wonderful but busy summer getting to all kinds of things! They are still going to daycare while I am in school and Ron works full-time. They are learning so much and talking non-stop. Ronald keeps us cracking up at all times which is nice when you have had a hard day! They pretty much eat anything you put in front of them but absolutely LOVE fruit snacks, milk, grapes, peaches, anything from the grill, and more... Before bed each night, we (Ron and I) each read a book to them and don't quite feel right if they don't get their book! I didn't know what to expect with two boys but I have absolutely loved it! I get all the kisses and hugs I want and need at anytime and can always guarantee that they have my back against daddy! I don't want them to grow up too fast so I am savoring each day as much as I can! Pretty soon Ronald will be starting kindergarten!! And Talin will be right behind him :)

Myrtle Beach, SC!

2010-09-12T13:37:00.000-07:00

We took a little family vacation to Myrtle Beach over the summer! Well, the boys and I were relaxing and Ron had a work conference. It was their first time to the beach and they were in heaven! We couldn't get Ronald away from the pool or to take off his life jacket. They were afraid of the sand moving away from the feet by the ocean but got used to it by the time we left. We definitely had our fill of seafood and checked out some pretty nice local restaurants. We definitely plan to go back again (hopefully soon) and the next time, we will totally be staying in a villa with a bit more space :)

Making Cupcakes!

2010-09-12T13:32:00.000-07:00

After
Before
I had a craving for cupcakes after watching some show on TV so we decided to make a few! This was Talin's first time really tasting the batter and he loved it!! I'm so glad that we didn't give these out to anyone because they totally had Talin's slobber all in it!! They were very good evidenced by the pic of Talin with his shirt off!

Sweetcorn Festival

2010-09-12T13:27:00.000-07:00

We headed to the Urbana Sweetcorn Festival - homework for me and lots of fun for the rest of the family! Ronald actually got on the ponies this year and took a ride and as you can see from the pics, Talin enjoyed himself too! Of course we didn't get to check out all the food items because we had to head to the kids area! They had a waterslide with a pool at the bottom that Ronald wanted to do but we didn't have a change of clothes with us - maybe next year! I think he, Talin, and their dad had a lot of fun on the other slides though! And you had better believe we got some sweetcorn!!

Lil Ron's 1st Dentist Appointment

2010-05-11T16:29:00.000-07:00

2010-04-07T13:33:00.000-07:00

So we haven't really posted anything in a long time. So here is a little update on what has been going on in the Baker household. We celebrated Talin's 1st Birthday with a lil get together of some of the immediate family. Shortly there after (I believe the next day we gave the lil guy his 1st haircut). I love it because it makes him look more like a lil boy. And since Talin's birthday lil Ron has miraculously memorized his birthday as being May 7th and that he want's a Choo Choo Birthday! Yes lil Ron is in love with trains. Lets see other than that Lil Ron is potty training and has been doing very well at going pee pee in the potty the help of Miss Jennifer at daycare. We are so thankful for Miss Jennifer! I have been busy at work and doing lil things around the house, while my lovely wife has been busy with finishing up her 1st full year of her PhD at the University of Illinois. Life has been so far so good. Please enjoy the pics.

Talin's 1st Birthday Party

2010-04-07T13:28:00.000-07:00

Busy, busy, busy!

2009-12-31T12:51:00.000-08:00

Ronald and Daddy shoveling

A lone Ronald busy shoveling

Daddy, Ronald, and Talin

Ronald and Talin

Mommy, Ronald, and Talin

We think this was Talin's first snowfall, he was born in February so I can't remember if it snowed anytime after that. Regardless, this was the first time he was actually able to go and touch the snow. He wasn't out for too long as his cheeks started to get a little cold. Ronald loves shoveling this winter with Daddy and I don't mind either. They tried making a snowman but Ronald got cold and they had to come in! Hopefully the snow stays around for a little bit longer so Daddy can take Ronald sledding!

Our 2nd Christmas!

2009-12-31T12:36:00.000-08:00

Trying to get Talin to actually open a gift!

Daddy and Ronald eating gumballs!

My matching boys

Uncle Daniel and his girlfriend, Angel

Aunt Rai-Rai and Ronald

Rare pic of Papa (and Ron and Talin)

The girls (we're missing one :( )

Like the hair-do Rai-Rai

Oma and Rai-Rai

Angel and Talin

Because Ron was on call the entire Christmas weekend, we couldn't go to Decatur and therefore, had everyone come to us on Saturday. The boys had a great time again and it was like Christmas all over again! Although we were missing our middle brother and sister, we still had a good time with our entertainment being Ronald and Talin. We got my mom to play Karaoke Revolution and she did pretty good. Hopefully next year we will get to visit more family next year but this year was just fine!

Christmas with the Bakers

2009-12-31T12:23:00.000-08:00

Helping me wrap

Ronald's presents to mommy and daddy

Talin on the train table

Daddy!!

Playing with the trains!

Couldn't open any other presents cause he was stuck playing with the train :)

Playing on the wagon

Christmas was very good for the Baker family! The boys had a great time. Ronald was busy with his train and Talin was only interested in what Ronald had and was playing with. It was much more fun this year with Ronald actually knowing what the whole Santa thing was about. Ron and I decided that we are definitely going to have to watch what we say next year as we gave way too many clues! I heard that the train table was a popular gift for little boys and girls and our house was no exception. Now if we can only get Ronald to share his trains with Talin, life would be grand! Oh, and no luck with Ronald on Santa's lap although he did get much closer than last year. I think next year might just be it!

Ronald's Picture Session

2009-12-31T12:17:00.000-08:00

"Mommy, I wanna jump right here"

Cheese!

My first tattoo!

In honor of his aunts, Ronald wanted a basketball tattoo on him so we tried it. He wouldn't let anyone touch his belly for the rest of the night. This little boy brings us so much joy and absolutely cracks us up! When you're having a bad day, it's easy to get in a good mood upon seeing him! The other night he told Ron, "I want to play all night" and preceded to play for as long as he could in Talin's room!

Christmas Cookies

2009-12-31T12:08:00.000-08:00

Aunt Rai-Rai's "pizza" cookie, don't ask :)

Probably mad at me for something!

Me and Moms

The Taylor girls

A tradition usually done by my sisters and mom was just attended by the three of us and the boys. Ron decided to partake in the eating and not decorating, although he has an excuse as he was busy working saving lives :) Ronald made some of his special cookies that no one really wanted to taste besides him as he caked on the blue icing. Yep, I know, Christmas cookies and blue icing, but that's what Ronald wanted and of course, Aunt Rai-Rai was happy to comply! So Aunt Tai-Tai, enjoy the pics, wish you were here!

Rest in Peace

2009-12-31T12:00:00.000-08:00

Opa and his sisters

Ron's family

Uncle Dwayne and Talin

The fam

The fam again!

Ron, his brothers, and his cousins!

So you're probably asking what's the occasion? Unfortunately, Ron's grandpa, Grandaddy Sam, on his dad's side passed away on December 12 after a very long life here on earth. Fortunately, we got a chance to meet up with family and have them meet the boys for the first time. We don't often get to see them as they live all across the States but we had a great time. There are plans to visit with them many more times in the future! Shout out to my dad who watched the boys all by himself while we were at the funeral, definitely not an easy feat!

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

2009-12-31T11:37:00.000-08:00

The Finished Product!

My boys

Ronald probably did something to him :)

Caught!!

And we're happy again!!

My little helpers!

I've have always loved putting up the tree so I make it a point that we get a real tree every year. This year we tried a different kind of tree per Ron's request. The boys had a great time, except for the one picture of Talin. Ron was busy taking pictures from the couch only getting up to help when requests of putting hooks on ornaments or help with lights I couldn't reach were made. Maybe next year!

Carousel

2009-12-31T11:30:00.000-08:00

Since we had to go to the mall a few times for some Xmas shopping, Little Ron took full advantage of the carousel. He absolutely loves it!

Celebrating Decatur!

2009-08-22T19:29:00.000-07:00

Yep that's right! We hit up the annual Decatur Celebration this year and had ourselves some good ole Shrimp on a Stick! Little Ron got to enjoy some of the rides this year including his first mini roller coaster. He was scared the entire time and didn't let go of the bar but he was very, very brave. No crying for this little guy. We saw several little kids bigger than him that were crying so I think we have a pretty tough boy on our hands! This is good and Ron and I would love to take the kids to Cedar Point some time in the future (way future!).

It was pretty hot that Sunday but the boys were in good spirits and allowed us to eat a lot of good food and walk around! As you can tell from the pics, they were good and tired when we got home. Next year should be even more fun as we will have two little ones all over the place!! I hope they enjoy it as much as Ron and I did when we were kids!

Swing Away!

2009-08-22T19:26:00.000-07:00

That's right we love the swings!! I love that my two boys are nature boys and we can play outside all of the time. It just sucks that fall and winter are coming soon and will limit our days outside!

From here to there

2009-08-12T20:32:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd post pics of the transformation of our basement. I will soon post pics of the basement in color for those of you interested. Thanks again to my wonderful hubby who put lots of blood, sweat and tears into this project. Many days he would come home after being at work since 6 a.m. to work on it!

Baby Crawling contest here we come!

2009-08-12T20:30:00.000-07:00

The first pic is of Little Ron thinking he's small enough for the jumper. The best part is when he sits in it and actually jumps!! And of course, I had to post pics for all those non-believers out there (Tai!) of Talin who don't take my words seriously!

Even though my blogging has been on hiatus, our lives have not...

2009-07-28T12:49:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I am entering the world of blogging again after a very hectic summer so far! So many things have been going on!

First, we got a new computer, a Mac, which I have not much experience with, therefore, I have had to learn about it a bit so that I could post pics/blogs, etc.

Second, I started school this summer. As I might have said before, I will be working on my doctorate, Ed.D., to be exact, in Higher Education. I would like to get a position in administration whether it be at the U of I or Parkland College (a local community college). With the support of my wonderful husband, I will be going full-time and the boys will be in daycare three days a week. The last time I was in school, I wasn't married and I didn't have any kids so it's sure to be an interesting 3 years!

Ron is loving his job at Carle which is great news for me. He has made friends (we all knew he would!) super fast and has been pretty busy with work! He has also just informed me that he is planning to play on a basketball team with some co-workers which I'm sure will be a fun-filled time for me (he's not too good :) I know he was upset that he missed out on the softball team this summer so I'm sure he'll make up for it!

We are soooo close to finishing the basement!! The drywall is up, primer and paint is done and the carpet and tile is being installed tomorrow! Bet you can't tell we're excited!! All we have left to do is put up the trim, doors and finish the plumbing as we already have the toys waiting next to the steps to throw down there! We are looking into the furniture we want and also needing some more funds to pay for it. Maybe I'll have Ron pick up an extra shift :) Once we get it all done though, we plan to throw a party. What a long year it's been!

And of course, the boys...Ronald is 2 years old and Talin is 5 months now. They are getting bigger and smarter each day!! Little Ron is picking up so many new words it's unbelievable but so much fun. We are still working on the potty training, hopefully it will just happen one day! Talin is almost crawling. He's been army crawling for awhile now and just this past week has popped up on all fours! Little Ron was early crawling and walking so I wouldn't past his brother to do the same. I think Talin just wants to get away from his big brother! No teeth yet for Talin but he has started baby foods. I'm not sure of his weight and height right now but we go back to the doctor in a few weeks. I can definitely tell you he is much bigger than Ronald was at his age!!

So, that's what's up with us! Taking it one day at a time. I don't think 5 years ago I would've said I'd be married with two kids but I must admit I love it and wouldn't have it any other way. As tired and frustrated as I am some days, I love seeing their faces (Big Ron too!) 'cause they know just how to put a smile on my face. I am so excited for all of the wonderful memories we have made and are going to make!

Picnic in the Park

2009-07-28T12:43:00.000-07:00

If there are any social workers looking at this blog, I promise it was a safe sparkler day for Little Ron. I think he was definitely more scared of it but since the other kids were doing it, he just had to join in! We were actually at the park celebrating the Perchman-Cruz Family Reunion. I always meet new cousins at these reunions!

By the way, don't Talin and Big Ron look alike? I sure do think so!

Our little fish!

2009-07-28T12:39:00.000-07:00

We decided to take Little Ron to swim class this summer as he is in love with the pool! We barely got him to leave each day. He loved being able to put on his Elmo swim trunks and Nemo or Pooh swim diapers. Hopefully, Talin will love the water just as much as his brother!

Baby T

2009-07-28T12:33:00.000-07:00

Our little boy is getting so big! He's already five months and is way bigger than Little Ron was at this point. He is starting to sleep through the night and is a really good eater. He loves to watch his big brother play and wants Little Ron to talk to him all the time. He is also one of the most smiliest babies I've ever seen. If you don't believe me, come and talk to him yourself!

Family Reunion

2009-07-28T12:30:00.000-07:00

So we have a cookout over my grandma's at least once a year! As you can see, it's always a good time! My dad is the grill expert which is why the food is always so good! I can still taste those ribs on my lips!!

Little Ron had so much fun with his cousins. The afternoon consisted of a lot of food, fun and dancing!

Potty Training

2009-07-28T12:28:00.000-07:00

We're working on it! I hope to say that my boy is potty trained a month from now! Notice the book, a chip off the old block (my husband, I mean!)

St. Louis

2009-04-29T19:52:00.000-07:00

Last weekend,

We decided to go on a family vacation to St. Louis for my friends' wedding (Gib and Jamie). We also decided to go on a picnic to Forrest Park (my favorite park in the world) and to visit the zoo. Lil Ron of course loved the penguins, zebras, elephants, monkeys, and the hippos. Not to mention that he was overly excited to go on the choo choo (train). Talin also seemed to enjory the train ride. Then on Saturday lil Ron decided to make some friends at the wedding reception as he go the chance to dance his but off at the reception. Overall, the weather was great and it was a nice trip for the Baker family.

Trains, Trains, and more Trains

2009-04-29T19:44:00.000-07:00

We made a trip with Oma and Opa back to Decatur to see the train show. Little de we know that lil Ron loves trains and definitely enjoyed spending time with his grandparents. I will have to say that the trains were pretty neat. On top of this, lil Ron found a new favorite TV show "Thomas the Train."

2009-04-29T19:42:00.000-07:00

Already 2 months has gone by...

2009-04-29T19:34:00.000-07:00

Helllo Everyone,

We have been bad about posting updates to this thing, so here it goes. Talin is now 2 months old and is 10 times bigger than lil Ron when he was the same age. We are just about the celebrate lil Ron's 2nd birthday and he is loving his new lil brother. Most of the time! LOL! Gianina has decided to go back to school in the Fall at the University of Illinois and is debating about taking a summer class to get her prepared for being back into the whole school thing. I am just working, helping Gianina with the babies, enjoying taking care of my grass as a homeowner and still working on finishing the basement. Here are some pictures. So, I hope that you guys will enjoy.

Ron

The long story (#2)...

2009-03-03T15:11:00.000-08:00

Hello, it's Gianina! I know many of you wanted to find out how the baby and I were doing so I thought I post the extended story of the events of last week. As you know, Talin (pronounced Tal-lyn) Isaiah was born at 8:18 p.m. on Wednesday, February 25, 2009. He weighed 7 lbs. 4 oz. and measured in at 19.25 inches. Much bigger than Little Ron when he was born!

It all started Monday night when I started having contractions. They were somewhat like the Braxton-Hicks I was having but a bit different. I told Ron earlier in the day that I wanted to go walk at the mall later on that night so we went about 7 p.m. The contractions were coming about every 15 minutes and I could barely walk when I was having one. Even though Little Ron isn't that old, I couldn't remember what it felt like before I went into labor with him so I started getting a bit nervous that these were the real ones. As we got into the car after a couple of hours, the time between them kept decreasing. When we got home, they were coming around every 7 minutes so we decided to call Oma (Ron's mom) and head to the hospital. I took a shower and made sure everything was ready to go and then laid down. When I did this, my contractions started coming every 15 minutes. By the time Oma arrived, we couldn't decide if I should go to the hospital or not so Ron and I decided to go walking again. Yes, that's right, we were the only people at Meijer around 1 a.m. (by the way, excellent time to go if you want to avoid lines :) getting groceries that we might need. While there, we tried to purchase some champagne (Martini & Rossi, our fav) for after the baby was born but after 2 a.m. in Illinois, no alcohol sales are allowed :( My contractions by this time had all but faded away and we were dead tired so we decided to go home for bed. After sleeping for a few hours, we got up and started a new day. I think I had maybe one contraction a hour so they never quite stopped and I was getting very tired and irritated that labor had not started by Tuesday night.

On Wednesday, I woke up and decided to take Little Ron to the gym so I could walk on the treadmill. I was determined that this would be the day. We ran a few errands after the gym and arrived home around noon. I started feeling contractions around noon and they started coming about every 15 minutes. These contractions were even different from the ones on Monday as it was definitely more of a cramping feeling. They weren't increasing in intensity but they did kind of take my breath away. I had a doctor's appointment at 3 p.m. that day so while Little Ron slept, I got my bag and a few other things ready and put them in my car just in case. When we got to the doctor's office, I started to feel the contractions more and became even more breathless. The doctor checked me and said that I had thinned out quite a bit and was only about 2 cm. dilated. He said that if I was 3 cm. they would keep me. At this time, I had been experiencing some difficult contractions so Dr. Shepherd decided to put me on the fetal monitor. He also said that he thought I would have the baby the next day and to take some castor oil in the morning. Although I might throw up and have to poop a lot, he said that I would definitely go into labor that afternoon. I was NOT a big fan of this idea so I am glad it happened the way it did.

After being on the monitor around 30 minutes and the nurse realizing that my contractions were really starting to hurt, Dr. Shepherd came back in. He told me to go over to Labor & Delivery where they would monitor me for another 30 minutes, then I was to walk for an hour and then have the nurse check me out again. So, I was hooked up to another machine starting to really, really feel the pain, while Ron and Little Ron were in the room. At this point, Little Ron was going crazy being trapped in the rooms :) After 30 minutes, we walked to the cafeteria to get something to eat as we were all starving. I could barely eat though because of the contractions so we decided to go back upstairs. When she checked me, she said that I was definitely 4 cm. all in the matter of a hour. So, that began the admission process. I also told the nurse that if she had checked me and I wasn't that far along that I wouldn't have been going home because it hurt too much! I then ordered the epidural and we were on our way to another room which was around 6 p.m.

Because I tested positive for Group B strep, they started some penicillin on me instantly so that I could get some doses in before delivery. Unfortunately, the baby came much faster than planned. The nurse practitioner came in to break my water around 7:30 but said that I was completely dilated and that if she did it, the baby would come instantly. So, they called Dr. Shepherd to come in to deliver the baby. He made it in very quickly and broke my water. I think I pushed around 5 or 6 times and then Dr. Shepherd pushed on my uterus and the baby's head popped right out! Definitely the easier delivery of the two. The last time I pushed for around 3 hours! So at 8:18 p.m., Talin was born. And then I wished the story ended there but unfortunately...

On Thursday night, a couple of nurses came in and said that they had to take Talin to the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). They said that his CRP level and white blood cell count was too high. They explained that it could be because I was positive for Group B strep and didn't get enough antibiotic before he was born. Ron and I were shocked. We talked to a few of the doctors to find out what was going on. Thank God Ron was there as he understood the lingo and made me feel comfortable about knowing what was going on. They were only going to keep him there for a day initially but when the labs came back in the morning on Friday, his CRP level went up again, however, his blood cultures were coming back negative for Group B strep. The doctor told us that he would be there at least until Sunday and would keep testing him. I was discharged on Friday so I was able to stay down in the NICU more. Ron went and stayed with Talin for a bit on Friday night while I was home with Little Ron. On Saturday, we went back and stayed most of the day. Luckily, his CRP and white blood cell count went back down on Saturday and the doctor told us that he would more than likely be able to go home on Sunday. The doctor thought those levels went up because of his circumsion and Hep. B shot that he had within his first 24 hours. They were also watching his bilirubin level as that was increasing too. I stayed with Talin on Saturday night and was able to nurse him as my milk finally came in. I left for a couple of hours on Sunday morning and then came back with Ron. They were ready to discharge Talin but we had to watch some routine videos about RSV, SIDS, car seats - much different from a regular discharge. Finally, around 1 p.m., we had Talin in the car and were on our way home!

So, there it is. The long story. It's been a wild ride the past few days but obviously worth the final result, we have a new, beautiful baby boy at home with us! Little Ron has been a great big brother. We were pretty worried how he would respond but he has been even better than we thought. He wants to give the baby kisses all of the time. He left to go to The Little Gym tonight and as soon as he came back, he ran into the living room looking for the baby. I don't think I can leave them alone together yet because he might gauge his eyes out being so curious but I can't wait until Talin is able to play with him! Ron's mother stayed with Little Ron from Wednesday until Friday which helped out so much! I don't know if we could ever repay her. By the end, she finally admitted that he wore her out! My mom helped out on Saturday which was great and let Ron and I go to the hospital for a longer time. If it were not for our family and so many friends who offered their help, I'm pretty sure we would be going crazy about now!

Baby Boy Baker is Here!

2009-02-26T08:21:00.000-08:00

Hello Everybody,

Lil Baby Boy Baker is here. No, we do not have his name yet but we are diligently working at trying to finalize his name. He was born yesterday February 25, 2009 at 2018. He was 7lbs 4 oz and 19.5 cm long. Momma is doing fine and lil baby baker is getting accustomed to his new life here on earth.

Playing at the FCC!

2009-02-17T12:50:00.001-08:00

While I'm at home, Little Ron and I have had the chance to check out some indoor playgrounds in the area. It is sometimes hard to get him to go home but it tires him out so much it's almost worth it :) We can't wait until it gets warmer and we can go on walks outside or to the park. We have a playgroup that we joined and attend some activities which has been fun for both of us! Litle Ron gets to play and I get to talk to other moms about all kinds of stuff. It's been pretty helpful especially since we are new to the area!

Family Pics!

2009-02-17T12:45:00.000-08:00

The Bakers'
Us and Aunt Rai-Rai

Grandma Betty, Little Ron and Aunt Rai-Rai

Cousins Ashley, Amber, Amaiyah and Grandma Betty

Me, Little Ron and Grandma

Pics of the Baker Men!

2009-02-17T12:44:00.000-08:00

Christmas Day!

2009-02-17T12:41:00.000-08:00

As you can see, Little Ron got a new trike (not big enough yet) and a workbench along with some other toys. He couldn't wait to ride the bike and would not get off of it. Hopefully it will be warm soon so he can start practicing! He also LOVED the workbench. He's been downstairs in the basement with Ron working on his own projects while Ron works on the basement (pics of that to come soon!). Little Ron enjoyed all the gifts from family and will have to start sharing them soon!

Before Christmas...

2009-02-17T12:37:00.000-08:00

Even though we are two months late, I thought you all might appreciate the pics of Little Ron in his christmas pj's. He didn't try to pull down the tree at all but liked to turn the lights on every morning after he woke up. After turning on the lights, he would then attempt to sing a song which kind of sounded like "O Christmas Tree." We can't wait to get another tree next Christmas!

Don't forget to vote!

2009-02-01T21:26:00.000-08:00

Many of you blog stalkers haven't voted yet! Look over to the right where it says expectnet and click on the logo. You can cast your vote so we can see who wins!!

34 weeks and counting!

2009-01-29T14:28:00.000-08:00

We are not too far away from Baby Baker #2. We still don't know if it's a boy or girl (for all those who keep asking -Tai) but we are excited either way. After my appointment next week, I will start going every week. I feel like the baby is dropping but who knows. I felt like that with Little Ron and he took forever to finally come. I have been feeling pretty well for the most part. When I start to get hungry, I have indigestion/heartburn and I really feel it around 10:30 at night. Other than that, this pregnancy is much like the first. Little Ron has been pretty nice and hasn't made me pick him up too much. We're still not sure if he knows what's going on but he does like to kiss my belly. I can't wait to see how he reacts when the baby finally is here. I am taking water aerobics this last month and that's been pretty good too. I love going to a 93 degree pool in the middle of winter. It makes me want one at home. We still haven't picked out names, I guess I am hoping it kind of comes to me. We have a bunch of ideas but it seems like the names we like, a bunch of other people do too! So, we'll have to wait and see!

Daddy, Oma and Opa

2009-01-28T20:37:00.000-08:00

I love my da-da!

Awww....

Playing with blocks with Oma!

And of course, I have to play with Opa too!

Visitors!

2009-01-28T20:31:00.000-08:00

Over the Christmas break, we had some friends stop over to visit and of course, watch the UFC fight (which was over in two minutes :). Little Ron had so much fun with Matthew and wouldn't leave his air mattress alone! The two stayed up until midnight while we played Phase 10. I came in second and almost won had it not been for a cheater!! Ron is always up for a game of Phase 10 so let us know if are up for the challenge. We can't wait for our annual meeting with the Cardens' and Gnadens' this summer. All of the kids are growing up so quickly!

All Bundled Up!

2009-01-28T20:28:00.000-08:00

At first, he wasn't too happy with the snow but now Little Ron loves it. You can often find him walking up and down the block, even at night, with his shovel. He loves to fall in the snow only to have someone help him up. I know Big Ron definitely appreciates someone helping shovel the snow. Maybe I'll be able to help a little more next winter but it has been nice not having to brave the cold :)

Brushing Teeth

2009-01-28T20:26:00.001-08:00

Our little guy loves to brush his teeth. You can find him doing this day and night and we don't even have to force him!! His pearly whites are so cute. I think he has about 8 teeth now. I would post a pic but it's hard for us to get a picture when he's showing them. Even though he didn't start getting teeth until 15 months, he has been steadily filling up his mouth. I hope he gets done soon though!

Pics of the House (upstairs)

2009-01-28T20:20:00.000-08:00

I've been promising pictures of the upstairs of our house, so here they are. It looks much better in person and if it's cleaned! All of the bedrooms are upstairs and we are currently getting ready for the baby. We went a couple of weekends ago to Babies R Us and picked out bedding for both a boy and girl (we couldn't decide on a neutral one). Therefore, we will eventually end up taking one back once we find out our surprise!

19 months old!

2008-12-04T19:08:00.000-08:00

That's right!! Our little guy is 19 months old. It's hard to believe that he's been here with us for that long but we wouldn't have it any other way. Here's some things you might not know about him:

Favorite TV shows: My Friends Tigger and Pooh, Wonder Pets, Handy Manny, Sesame Street, Choo Choo Soul, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, pretty much anything on Disney

Favorite Foods: any type of pasta, turkey, cheese, Chex Mix, Spiderman snacks, any kind of bread, grapes, milk, Ramen noodles, Spaghetti O's, chicken

Words: baby, bug, bird, da-da, bye-bye, juice, boo, basketball, football, woof-woof

(bug and bird have a southern accent and basketball and football are said really, really fast!)

He has grown to 31 inches and weighs almost 21 pounds. We are finally moving up in percentiles! His head has always been big (that would be because of his father :) He is running all over the place and of course, that means falling too! He wakes up about 7:30 or 8 every morning, takes nap for a couple of hours around 11 after eating lunch and then goes to bed about 8:30 or 9 every night.

If you want to know more about him or see him in action, stop by and check him out!

Getting into the Holiday Spirit

2008-12-04T19:06:00.001-08:00

We have started decorating for the holidays! It's fun having a place to hang the stockings this year besides the wall! So far, the little guy hasn't tried to knock down the tree but I know he will!

In a matter of seconds...

2008-12-04T18:58:00.000-08:00

I turned my back for a second and look where he was!! He is such a climber. At times, I get pretty worried but he is usually fine. He has had his fair share of bruises, bumps and scratches and we still haven't been to the ER (knock on wood!!). His newest trick is wrestling which his dad loves of course. It just isn't good when he tries to tackle little girls at the gym :)

Pics of the House

2008-12-01T18:24:00.000-08:00

We hope you like the pics of our new house. I just took pictures of the areas downstairs and will post upstairs pics later. You can see that we got our blinds and window seat finished which was pretty exciting! I think it looks pretty good. There's just so much more space than before which has been great for Little Ron. We finally got to use our dining room when our families came over for an early Thanksgiving dinner when Tai was in town. Ron is still working hard on the basement and my dad has been very generous in helping him on his days off! I will post some pics of that too soon! In the meantime, enjoy!

Over the hills and through the woods to Grandmother's house we go!

2008-12-01T18:19:00.000-08:00

We had family in town a few weekends ago and all met over my Grandma Betty's and Grandpa Tema's house. We always have fun when we get together and the food isn't too bad either. Aunt Rai-Rai was in town (for once :) so Little Ron was happy to see her. Hopefully she does really well in basketball this season at Bradley (boo to you ISU fans) which has already started. Good luck Aunt Raisa!

Off to Japan!

2008-12-01T18:03:00.000-08:00

My sister and her two little guys were in town the past few weeks (which explains the lack of blogging). We had a ton of fun! Little Ron loved playing with his cousin Alaina. It's crazy how well they got along seeing as though they only get to see each other one or two times a year. He was not as in love with Kendall though (she's almost a year old). This scares Ron and I especially with the new baby right around the corner. We'll have to keep our eyes wide open! Now Tai, Alaina and Kendall are in Japan and trying to adjust. They are going to be there about 4 years. We hope to travel over there and ride the Bullet Train while they are there. We can't be without them that long! When we dropped them off at the airport on Thanksgiving, it was definitely one of the hardest goodbyes. Everyone was crying and Alaina had no idea what was going on. Hopefully, Aunt Tai-Tai will post pics soon of Japan as we are all clueless as to what it looks like over there! We miss you!

Housewarming Party

2008-12-01T17:55:00.000-08:00

We had our Housewarming Party on November 8th. We had a lot of friends and family over. Our realtor was nice enough to provide all the food (including the cake) so that was one less thing to do!! Our builder was even nice enough to drop by with a bottle of wine! Hopefully those of you who weren't able to come can stop by soon! We are starting to get comfortable in our house and make it our own. We plan on being here for awhile!

The Great Pumpkin

2008-12-01T17:50:00.000-08:00

So, I am finally posting pics of our little guy on Halloween! We went to the Savoy Recreation Center here and they had people from different companies lined up with games and treats. Little Ron was a hit and to my surprise, there weren't any other pumpkins there! The best costume we saw was a dad dressed as "the guy in the yellow suit" and his son was Curious George. Maybe Big Ron will try that next year!

20 weeks and getting bigger by the day!

2008-10-22T11:36:00.000-07:00

That's right folks, I am halfway there! We had our ultrasound on Oct. 9 and nope, we didn't find out if it was a boy or girl! We can't wait for the surprise. Ron even tried to look when the nurse told us to turn our heads and still couldn't see so it was meant to be. We finally met our new doctor, Dr. Shepherd and he is going to be a riot! Little Ron came with us and actually let Dr. Shepherd hold him. We were pretty shocked! The baby is very healthy and is measuring perfectly for my due date!

Our trips to the park!

2008-10-22T11:32:00.000-07:00

One thing that's nice about where we live is that there is a huge park a few blocks away. When the weather is nice, we like to venture over and let Little Ron play with all the kids. Of course he goes for the 11/12 year olds and thinks he can do whatever they do but he always has fun! Unfortunately, the weather is starting to turn cold and we won't get to visit it as much but we always have next spring/summer to look forward to. There is also a huge hill right behind us where we hear people sled so Big Ron is very excited!

House Pics!

2008-10-22T10:58:00.001-07:00

Okay, I know I have been bad! Here's the pics of the house before we unpacked all of our stuff. It definitely doesn't look like this anymore! If you want to see it decorated, I guess you will have to come to our Housewarming Party. We are having it the second or third weekend in November so be looking for your invites! For those far away (like in Holland or Georgia), we will definitely post pics after so you can see too!! The first picture shows rain spots on the camera, unfortunately I didn't have a picture with the front of the house and with the sod in so I picked a rainy day to take a pic! Our living room is next, and yes, the carpet is down. The next pic is our laundry/mud room (has some lockers for storage) followed by a pic of Little Ron's and the new baby's bathroom. Our kitchen is next (minus the blue paper on the countertops but with our appliances :) and a pic of our dining room is last. We just ordered blinds for some of the windows (boy, those are expensive) and a pillow seat for our bay window which I am happiest about! Hopefully it's all here in time for the party!

Belly Pic at 14 weeks

2008-10-22T10:55:00.003-07:00

So, this was before we moved and I promised my sis I would take a pic and put it on the blog. I almost forgot but here it is! You can see that I am way past this point in the last blog. I am definitely sticking way out!

At the Pumpkin Patch...Again :)

2008-10-22T10:50:00.000-07:00

So, here are more pics of our trip to the patches of pumpkins at Curtis Orchard. It was huge but we had to walk all the way to end, I guess it's the end of pumpkin picking season. I guess next year we'll have to go earlier :) And of course, we got some of the BEST apple donuts you will ever taste! We even got them right out of the oven. Lil' Ron and I couldn't wait so we gobbled one down in the car! Oh yeah, my son has no hair again!! Big Ron clipped it all off!!! It took a while to get used to but he is still my cute little buddy!

More Pictures of Little Ron

2008-10-14T11:33:00.000-07:00

We know you can't get enough pics of our little guy smiling (and either can we), so enjoy!

Our First Trip to Curtis Orchard!

2008-10-14T11:29:00.000-07:00

As you can see in picture #2, Little Ron was not too happy with Daddy! Ron thought he might ride on the pony and I knew that he wouldn't. He clung to daddy so tightly. Ron was upset, although I think he secretly wanted to ride the pony! They had a maze, obstacle course, munchkin land, wagon rides, and of course, really good food! Oh and pumpkins and apples. We didn't make it that far though. It was pretty hot and the place was packed. We are hoping to go back at the end of this week and pick some apples for Grandma and to finally get a pumpkin for Little Ron! I think this is the first of several trips to the Orchard! Champaign really does have a lot to do!

Homecoming 2008!

2008-10-14T11:25:00.000-07:00

That's right! Little Ron made his second appearance at the Mavros' house this year for Homecoming. Little Ron and I went to Bloomington for lunch with Katie, Tara, Kristy and Gena and also made a stop at the Shirk Center to meet up with Coach Shoe and the track team. I guess I still can't get enough :) We both had a really good time and wish we could have stayed with everyone longer. By the time we got in the car, Little Ron passed out and I wished I could have slept with him!! It's hard to believe that next year will be my 5 year reunion from IWU. My, how things have changed!!

Washing the Car!

2008-10-14T11:20:00.000-07:00

Before we left the old house, the Rons' decided to wash my car (thank goodness!). As you can see, Lil' Ron got really into it and was soaked by the end!

Meet me in St. Louie

2008-09-04T18:41:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went to St. Louis to visit with friends. One of my really good friends, Nancy, from grad school is getting married in May and I asked if she wanted me to help her dress shop. Of course, she didn't turn my invitation down so we spent a good deal of time on Saturday watching her try on dresses. She looked beautiful in any of them and I think she found that special one! We are very excited for her big day, it's been a long time coming!

We also got to take Lil' Ron to the zoo. I don't know who was more excited, Little Ron or Big Ron!! This time around his was really taking in his surroundings and we all had a good time. We stayed almost four hours and saw the entire zoo! We were bushed when we got back to the hotel, which was very nice by the way, and passed out early. In the morning, we awoke to Lil' Ron jumping on our heads and giving us kisses. That is quite possibly the best way to wake up!!

We finished out our Labor Day weekend by heading to Uncle Dan's pool. It was a hot day and a lot of fun. All of the little kids wanted to play with the Rons. Daddy even let him jump from the diving board. Thank goodness Daddy used to give swim lessons to the kiddies. I'm way too nervous to do anything like that. Lil' Ron loved it and I think will be a pool rat!

Our House (right side up!)

2008-09-04T18:18:00.000-07:00

So this is what has been done on Tuesday of this week when I went by. Progress is still going smoothly. We are still waiting for the brick to be put up on the outside of the house and the carpet to be installed. Other than that, all the big things are done. They have delivered most of the appliances, still missing the fridge, and have gotten a lot of the plumbing and HVAC stuff done as well. The final cleaning date is set for September 15th and then Ron and I will have to go through the house on our hands and knees to make sure everything is okay! We plan to close the morning of the 26th and move that afternoon. The moving company is coming to pack up our stuff on the 25th and keep it in Urbana for the night. Once all the papers are signed, they will then drop off everything that next afternoon. We also hope our furniture comes that afternoon, otherwise, we won't have a bed to sleep in and I guess we'll sleep on the floor! It's so nice knowing that we won't have to pack up everything this time. We've moved so much in the last four years that we can't wait not to have to do it for awhile. Thanks Carle!

You can see pics of our fireplace, kitchen, Lil' Ron's bathroom, our bathroom, dining room and hallway. Ron and I are going to check out the house tomorrow to see what they've done since Tuesday. Did I tell you we were excited????

You knew it was coming...

2008-09-04T17:57:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's right!! We are expecting Baby #2 in March. I finally had my first doctor's appointment this past week and I am already 13 weeks. My due date is March 10. Ron is hoping I wait a couple of days and deliver on March 12 (his birthday)! I told him there will not be any waiting on my part :) We are very excited to see the new addition to the Baker family. Ron and I don't think we will be finding out if it's a boy or a girl. Because I am so far along, the next time I go to the doctor (10/9) they will have me do an ultrasound. I had to schedule it now because of the Holland trip. So we have five weeks to make the official decision but we think it would be fun to be surprised! Guess there will be a lot of yellows, greens and whites on the baby!

We surprised our parents with Lil Ron wearing this shirt when we to visit them (thanks Tara for the idea) and they were pretty shocked. We told everyone we were waiting until after Holland but I guess it didn't work out that way :) So far, I have an OB doctor and Lil' Ron has his new pediatrician set up. It has worked out really well. It also helps when your husband works at the main hospital in town. I had him ask the other doctors, nurses and CRNA's about good recommendations and so far, I think they're right!

Stay tuned, I might post pics of the belly, just don't mind the stretch marks!!

And I'm done for the night...

2008-08-24T17:49:00.000-07:00

This is what our house looked like the last time we checked it out this past Wednesday night. It was my Mom's birthday the Tuesday before so we took her out to eat in Champaign as well as look at the house. We are still planning to close September 26th and they don't have too much left to do! The tile and hardwood is down and we are just waiting for the carpet. They have put in the cabinets in the kitchen and bathrooms and installed the lockers in the laundry room. Lil' Ron already knows which one is his room. I would post more pics but they are all turned to the side. I have to figure out how to move them around so you can see more of the house. We are planning to go back this week to see the house again and will definitely take more pictures. I have also posted a lot to this blog tonight so make sure you go back to see all the pics!

Illinois State Fair!

2008-08-24T17:45:00.000-07:00

Just thought you might like to see pics of our adventures to the State Fair. We went on Sunday afternoon with Ron's parents and had a good time! Lil' Ron thinks he can eat corn on the cob. At the time, he had no teeth but I am FINALLY happy to say that he has popped his first tooth!!! He's not too happy about it and has been waking up in the middle of the night wailing but it's pretty exciting! He LOVED the big slide. Him and Big Ron went on it two times. I think if it wouldn't have cost so much and Ron would have been a bit more in shape, they would've went more! You can also see in the pics my pork chop on a stick, the only one of it's kind in Central Illinois. Boy was it good!

I love dipping!

2008-08-24T17:43:00.000-07:00

Lil' Ron is now an expert dipper. He doesn't like to get the ketchup all over his hands so he daintily dips his food into whatever condiment is available. Ketchup is definitely his favorite though, much like his mom!

A haircut for Lil' Ron!

2008-08-24T17:41:00.001-07:00

Here are pics from Lil' Ron's 1st (but really second) haircut by Daddy. He actually sits very still and looks so cute when he's all done. He doesn't look like the same baby at all! I guess no one can mistake him for a girl now!

Only a matter of time...

2008-08-24T17:35:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of the house with the paint colors we chose! The green room is going to be Lil' Ron's room. The brown room is one of our extra bedrooms. The blue room is our master suite (sounds nice, huh?!?). I also included a picture of the back of the house with the siding almost done. I think we did pretty good with the colors. What do you think?

After Louisiana...

2008-08-24T17:31:00.000-07:00

In just a short week, this is what happened! We were thinking that at this rate, the house might be done the next week but unfortunately it wasn't. It's pretty exciting, isn't it?!??

After Holland...

2008-08-24T17:25:00.000-07:00

So before we left for Louisiana but after we came back from our Holland trip, this is what our house looked like. The frame was up and you could sort of tell the rooms apart. It was crazy how fast this was put up!

Our Trip to Valpo!

2008-08-24T17:20:00.000-07:00

Once again, we made our way up to Valparaiso, IN for the weekend to visit some old friends. The families have expanded a bit - Jen is going to have a baby any day now and Liz just had a baby girl in March to add to the bunch. We had such a good time that we can't wait to do it again. Hopefully we can have it at our house as previously talked about next year. Dave, Jen and Matthew were wonderful hosts. Hope to see you all again soon!

More to come...

2008-08-13T19:15:00.001-07:00

I hope to post pictures of Lil' Ron's new haircut and the progress of our house! I just put in my resignation at Richland which is the first step in our move! Ron began his first day at Carle Hospital in Champaign this past Monday. So stay tuned for more adventures of the Baker family!

How bad do YOU really have to go?

2008-08-13T19:10:00.000-07:00

Ron really needed to use the bathroom so Mat and Riet offered him the public urinal. He thought about it for a second and then realized that it wasn't too sanitary (he is a nurse, you know) and decided against it. I think I would have passed on it too!

For Mat and Riet

2008-08-13T19:02:00.000-07:00

Tanta Riet had a great idea. She wanted to see if we could take pictures of Lil' Ron in the flowering tree. He took a few and then got antsy. Their backyard was absolutely beautiful. I think I could spend all day out there!

More Pics from Holland

2008-08-13T18:56:00.000-07:00

We got to spend some time with Ron's grandma (Oma Bruisten) who was so much fun! The moment we got there she started pulling out pictures and was the perfect hostess! I've seen pictures of her when Ron was younger and she still looks the exact same! I just wish we were able to spend more time with her and hear all of her stories. We definitely love and miss her!

Lil' Ron's new friend (or not!)

2008-08-13T18:53:00.000-07:00

While in Amsterdam, Lil' Ron found a new friend. The other little boy was shooting the pigeons with a water gun (you can kind of see the little orange gun in his hand). Lil' Ron loves pigeons (well, birds and nature in general) and went up to them. The little boy then points the water gun at him and Lil' Ron freezes. It was hilarous and frightening all at once. I don't think was too happy!

Pies, Pies and More Pies!

2008-08-13T18:49:00.000-07:00

Have you ever really had a fresh pie? Well, I haven't besides our family's sweet potato pie or pumpkin pies every Thanksgiving. In Holland, they bake fresh pies every day. Whenever family comes over, they also serve pie and tea or coffee. Here's some pictures of some of the most heavenly pies we've ever tasted. We're trying to convince Kit and Frans to come over and start a pie shop. They would definitely make tons of euro! Oh how I wish I had a piece right now!

House of Wax

2008-08-04T19:13:00.000-07:00

We had to go to Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum!! It was a good time had by all! Big Ron, Lil' Ron, Marga (Ron's mom), Daniel (Ron's brother), Kit (Marga's sister), Mat (Marga's brother), Riet (Mat's wife) and I all went to check it out! Some were a bit skeptical at first but it was definitely fun for all. I would love to go to one in America to see the differences. You'll notice Lil' Ron with a famous Dutch singer (I forgot his name though :( Ron fell in love with Princess Maxima (the future queen of Holland) while I got a pic with JT. We are definitely bringing sexy back :)

Dat is lekker!

2008-08-04T18:50:00.000-07:00

I know you all have been waiting for these so here they are! We had a great time with Ron's family and hope to go back soon! The weather wasn't the best and Lil' Ron had to take a visit to a Dutch doctor, who diagnosed him with a cold in his eyes, but that was the worst part! The flights were very simple as Lil' Ron was the best baby on the plane! He fell asleep for the take-off (both times) and the popping never seemed to trouble his ears. He also had the stewardesses eating out the palm of his hand which makes sense why Big Ron wanted to hold him all the time :) We ate really good food, although they were much smaller portions than in the U.S., we learned a good lesson. Ron and I decided to back off the food a bit!

Luckily we were able to visit all of his family plus see a bit of Amsterdam, Roermond and Maastricht. We did a lot of sight-seeing but not a lot of shopping. The euro is nothing to be messed with! Lil' Ron finally got to play with some cats and fell in love with Mickey. I'm just not sure Mickey liked him too much! Lil' Ron also lost his pacifier after our vacation and we are happy to say he no longer needs it! He's growing up!

We were very sad to leave everyone. I felt like I was just getting to know them instead of just looking at pictures. We definitely had five star service while we were in Holland that cannot be topped. Thank you again to Kit, Frans, Mat and Riet for hosting us and thank you to all the rest of the family that took time to visit us while we there!

Here we come Holland!

2008-07-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

We are off to Holland for a bit so you won't be seeing any posts for awhile! We are planning on taking lots 'o' pics while we are gone to post so you can see what Holland is like to! Our flight takes off today from Chicago around 8 p.m. and it's an eight hour flight (non-stop). I know Ron is really excited to see his Oma (grandma) and other family as I am too! Keep us in your prayers!

More pics of our lil' guy!

2008-07-08T08:58:00.000-07:00

We just can't get enough of him! And since you're here on our site, we know you can't either!!

NO MORE STUDYING!

2008-07-08T08:56:00.000-07:00

Yep that's right, Ron is officially a CRNA! He passed his test Tuesday, June 17 and can know put more letters behind his name. I guess I am going to have to go back to school to catch up :) We are so excited to have our daddy and husband back! That is, for a bit, until he makes up his next plan. He's been talking about a Ph.D. in Pain Management. We'll have to think about that!

Seeing old friends!

2008-07-08T08:53:00.000-07:00

One of my best friends, Mialy, was at Bryan and Nichole's this past weekend. Since we haven't seen any of them in so long, we decided to trek up there baby and all. Here are a few pics I took. Boy do I miss those girls!

Our house is a very, very fine house!

2008-07-08T08:49:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of the house! We

went up there two times one week and this is what they had done! Our basement is poured and the wood you see is going to be put up next for the framing! Hopefully by the time we get back from Holland it will be up!

Pimp My Ride

2008-07-08T08:47:00.000-07:00

So we let Lil' Ron be creative and this is what he came up with. I guess he called X to get his advice!

Oops!

2008-06-10T06:43:00.000-07:00

I realized that I never put a picture up of Laura's chair. So here it is!

Visiting with Family and Future Home of the Bakers'

2008-06-02T20:16:00.000-07:00

What's up amigos? Not much here with the Baker's! We are still enjoying a visit with my middle sister who drove up here from Louisiana with two girls - Alaina (4 1/2 yrs. old) and Kendall (4 months). It's been almost a year since we have seen them so it's nice to be able to finally spend some time with them.

Big Ron is still studying for his test. Doomsday is June 18th (I think) so he's been spending every waking moment for studying. Little Ron and I try to squeeze some time out of him but it's been tough :)

Lil' Ron is getting bigger as we speak! He's gained a whole pound and a half (now we're up to 17 pounds) since his 12 month check-up which is great! We switched him over to whole milk instead of formula and he is loving it! He is constantly handing us his sippy cup to get him more milk. By the way, he now has a new move that Big Ron likes to call the "reverse grip." He can flip that sippy cup like no other baby in order to get that milk. I'll have to take a picture sometime and post it, it's hilarious!

We are in the process of building our house. I am posting pics of the vacant site. They are supposed to start digging sometime this week. It is in Savoy, IL and looks to be done by September 29th. We are building with Signature Homes in Champaign (http://www.signaturehomes.ws/). You can go to their website and then "Schedule Updates" to see the progress of our house. Our address is 315 Preston St. Ron and I are super excited to start the whole process. We met with Amy, a really nice young woman on Saturday and picked out fireplaces, trim, knobs, hinges, etc. We have another meeting this Saturday to pick out cabinets. I am sure this will be trying on our relationship but I think we are ready to try it. If we can get through this whole nurse anesthesia school, we can just about get through anything!

And still more cute pics!

2008-05-19T20:04:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Katie, Tara and Jen, we got the idea to buy a chair his size for his birthday! We ended up getting this before his birthday party and then Laura made him one that goes perfectly with his bedding in his room so now he has two - what a lucky little boy!!

More Pics of Graduation on Saturday!

2008-05-19T19:58:00.000-07:00

Ron's Graduation

2008-05-19T19:49:00.000-07:00

Finally!!! It's here!! Ron has officially graduated from Bradley University with his Master's in Nurse Administered Anesthesia. That's right, he's a Nurse Anesthetist. Well, actually, he won't be one until he passes his certification test sometime in June! We are pretty excited about it! I hope he doesn't get too stressed though. We went to his DMH graduation on Friday night and then headed up to Peoria on Saturday for his hooding ceremony. I surprised Big Ron by buying Lil' Ron a suit that matched his on Friday night. Everyone commented on how they had never seen a suit that small. Raisa, my youngest sister, even had someone ask to take a picture of him on Saturday. Who knows? His picture might pop up on tv sometime :) Even though it was a long weekend, we had a blast. By the end of the night, Lil Ron was just plain tired. He loves attention (sort of like someone else we know!). His Aunt Raisa watched him Saturday night while Ron and I went out for a night on the town. Lil' Ron is happy to say that she did an excellent job and now Aunt Rai-Rai loves Elmo's World! On Sunday we stopped in Morton to visit one of Ron's old wrestling buddies. Glover (real name is Tim but that's what Ron calls him) built and owns a wrestling school in Morton so we went and checked it out. We also met up with his wife Caysey and son Graham (3 1/2 yrs. old). We had a ton of fun with them and can't wait to spend more time with them!

Big Boy's Birthday Bash!

2008-05-19T19:43:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's right. Little Ron is officially one! We had a great time at his birthday party! He loves other little kids so he chased them around the entire time! We had family and friends over for his birthday party and fun was had by all. Although our little one is still small, we had his 12 month check up last week, he is still on target developmentally. He has now moved up to the 10% percentile in height and 25% still in head circumference. He is super close to the 5% percentile in weight though. I am seriously thinking of a track future ahead of him :) So this post goes out to all those who sent cards, gave gifts and/or came to the party! By the way, if you are interested in the chair that his Aunt Laura made, let me know and we can hook you up! She is super creative!

One More Pic...The Family!

2008-03-21T09:51:00.001-07:00

Boy am I smiling awfully big!

Fun with Friends!

2008-03-21T09:43:00.000-07:00

We ended up going to an IWU track meet (my alma mater) and meeting up with friends (Laine, Van, Michelle, Gena, and Katie (later on)). Lil' Ron made a new friend too. The other little boy started to cry when Lil' Ron was playing with him. That darn daycare again!

Birthdays, Birthdays!

2008-03-21T09:39:00.000-07:00

We also have celebrated both Big Ron and I's birthdays. Mine was February 12 and Ron's was March 12. What's interesting is that 12 is both of our favorite numbers and Lil' Ron was due May 12th. It didn't turn out that way as he was born May 7th but it's close enough. I thought it was appropriate to show a picture of Lil' Ron with my b-day cake and all it's glory. Ron had to work on his birthday so we ended up taking him an ice cream cake to the hospital. Hopefully he'll get to spend next year with us!

Walk the Line

2008-03-21T09:04:00.001-07:00

So as I am logging in today, I realize that it's almost been two months posting anything! I thought I had done something in February but I guess I was wrong!

Little Ron has been quite busy these days as usual. He has learned to walk and is into everything. He had taken a few steps at daycare the past couple of weeks but officially began to walk last Sunday. Now, he just doesn't want to sit down! In fact, he has encouraged all the other babies at daycare to try it. There are two girls who are almost 13 months who have not tried/started to walk. But after seeing him, they are lifting themselves up. Of course they have a lot more weight than Lil' Ron to throw around but I think they are getting the hang of it. Speaking of weight, we have to go back to the doctor next week so that they can check his height and weight. He is officially off the charts!! We knew he might be little but at least maybe the 5% percentile :) The doctor is somewhat worried but me and daddy are not simply because he is soooo active. He pretty much burns whatever he eats off by playing so much!

Lil' Ron was also in a baby crawl contest (his first and last) at Raisa's (my little sister) last home game. He took off and was in the lead but because of his socialization skills which he learned at daycare, he was much more interested in the other babies and playing with them than crawling to mom. I really wanted him to win because the prize was a $500 savings bond but he was much less interested in that. It was fun to enter him and watch him play. I got a taste of what it will be like if he decides to play sports. I was nervous from the beginning to the end. Now I know what my Mom went through watching us at games/meets all the time. She still does it now with Raisa - she won't look at Raisa when she's shooting free throws during games!

Big Ron and I are still having tons 'o' fun with Lil' Ron. He is always talking and telling us something which we obviously don't understand. He can say "dada" really well and is practicing "mama." He falls asleep anytime between 8:30 and 10:00 and will usually sleep until I wake him to get ready to go to daycare around 7 am. He is starting to move away from the bottle and loves his sippy cup. He hates mushed baby food and wants the real stuff, all the time!

In other news, Daddy is almost done with school! He takes his senior comps in April, graduates in May and then his certification test will be sometime around June. We plan on starting to look for a house in May with hopes of moving into a new house by August. So, we are going to be really busy for a few more months still. I don't know what we would do if we weren't busy though :)

Well, in the meantime, enjoy the pics and hopefully it won't be another two months before I post again. It's going to be hard if it's nice outside though!!

After the Break

2008-01-22T06:54:00.000-08:00

I can't even begin to explain to you all the fun we are having at the Baker household! Lil' Ron is getting bigger by the minute. Although he looks like he is only 6 months (we had a little girl at Applebee's guess his age), he is almost 9 months! And since both Ron and I are small people, we just sort of expected him to be too! We always like surprises though! His next doctor's appointment is in less than a month so we'll see how much he weighs and everything. Thank goodness he doesn't have to get any shots this time!

We keep thinking that the little guy is either going to get some teeth or start walking soon. He has all of the signs going for him but I guess it is not so! He has been getting a bit more braver (at least Erin at daycare seems to think so) when "cruising." He has had a couple of falls and bumps but nothing serious, just being a boy! And in the pictures above, he is everywhere and getting into everything!

As you can see above, Lil' Ron still enjoys his bathtime. Thanks to Nancy (one of G's best friends from grad school) Ron can enjoy a duck bath. She, her boyfriend and Kate brought him the bath and some toys when they visited this summer after he was born. Lil' Ron told me the other day that he just can't wait to see them again! He also tried turning off the TV several times during the Republican debate - I wonder what he thought about them??

In other news, Lil' Ron for the most part has been sleeping through the night. There are a few days when he does not but if that is the case, he usually falls right back asleep. He has also been venturing outside of his baby food and only wants food and drink from mommy's plate! So, I guess I have to now start cooking for 3! He still drinks bottles but only when mom or dad gives them to him. He refused bottles at daycare left and right! He might only drink one while he's there 8 to 5 everyday!

We can't wait to see what happens every day with him! He is just that much fun! I am so excited for this Spring/Summer when we can take him to the park, zoo, etc. and be able to really interact! We also booked our trip for Holland so we will be going for 2 weeks in July and then finishing up in Florida! By the way, Lil' Ron has a new cousin, Kendall Renee, born this January. She is definitely cute and we can't wait to see her soon!

Santa Claus is Coming to Town...he's been here and left!

2007-12-29T18:48:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun with Little Ron the past few days. I have been off for the week (boy do I love being an educator :) so I've had time to enjoy being with the little guy that I don't normally get.

As most babies do, Little Ron was more into the paper than the actual gifts. I think he does like the gifts that he did get and plans to play with them in the near future. As for mom and dad, we are enjoying our Wii. It is definitely a good time and I must say that I have beat Big Ron several times in Big Brain Academy. I will challenge anyone!

Little Ron has also starting to "cruise." He is now crawling on all fours and loves to pull up on things like the pictures show. He sometimes thinks he can walk! He hasn't produced any pearly whites (teeth) yet but they are so on their way...he drools so much!

Other than that, Ron only has one more semester left of school and then comes the big bucks! Oh, and more quality time with dad! Little Ron and I are excited to finally have him all to ourselves. We have already started planning our summer trip to Holland! I am not teaching this semester so that Ron can buckle down with his studying so he can pass his boards in June!

In a little more than 4 months, Little Ron will be one year old! Ron will be graduating and we will be starting a new chapter in our lives!

Our Christmas Gift

2007-12-29T18:45:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Update

2007-12-14T11:44:00.001-08:00

We've got a scooter on our hands! Little Ron has been making the motions of a crawler but not quite there yet. He was going backwards for about a week and has now changed it up a bit. Big Ron says he's crawling while I think he's scooting.

We put up our Christmas Tree on Monday night. Little Ron was amazed and just kept looking at the lights. We also bought his X-Mas presents Monday too. Yes, he was with us but to this day, he still has no idea what they are!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving break as we had the chance to visit both families! This time we tried to relax a bit more so instead of eating at two houses, we just did one. Then, we went back over to Ron's family's house on Friday and ate. We plan on switching it up for X-Mas and eating with Ron and his family and visiting with mine afterwards.

(This was an old blog I wrote but when I was trying to post a few weeks ago, Blogger was not working. New blog with new pics to come soon!)

Everywhere!!

2007-11-12T14:47:00.000-08:00

The Taylor's and 2 Baker's (including a former Taylor)
Me and Daddy!