It's the Holiday Season

Our baby is growing like a weed.  He had is 2 month checkup earlier this month and weighed 11lbs 15oz and was 24 inches long.  This bumped him from the 50th percentile when he was born up to the 70th percentile.  My poor baby also had to get his SHOTS!  He was a tough little guy.  He hardly cried for the first one, and only screamed for a few seconds for the second.  Man, I think I had a harder time with it than Will did.  Talk about breaking Mommy's heart!  With each shot he gave a little jump and a cry as if to say, "How can you let them do this to me, Mama?!"  Ooof.  We are having so much fun watching little Will grow!

Will's 2 month photo

  

Family photo: Jonah 7 yrs, Will ~2 months

Our smiley boy!

Will- 2 months

Last month Grandma and Grandpa Janetski came for a visit and finally got to meet Will.  I think it's safe to say they were astounded by how often that baby can eat!  Jonah and Dave showed them their hellgrammite hunting skills, which Grandma just LOVED! (Note: sarcasm.)  We mostly spent time around home, but we did venture to a cute neighboring town to do some shopping and enjoy a nice dinner.  It was great to have them here.  If only we didn't have to wait until next summer to see them again. :/

  

3 generations of Janetski boys!

For Thanksgiving we went to Michigan to spend time with my family.  This was our year to have Jonah for Thanksgiving, which was of course, great!  Right before the break Dave, Will and I went to visit Jonah's classroom with a bunch of BUGS!  We tried to teach the kids all about arthropods, but they mostly just wanted to touch and hold the cool stuff we brought (walking sticks, cockroaches, millipedes, etc.).  We were able to borrow some critters from the nature center and from one of Dave's co-workers. I'm kicking myself for not taking any pictures.  Dave got a taste of what it's like trying to teach 1st graders.  I think it solidified his appreciation and admiration of elementary school teachers.  And made him glad he teaches college students. ;)

While we were in South Bend we also were able to visit with Dave and Jonah's old neighbors.  They have 2 boys that Jonah has basically grown up with, and when the three of them get together it is a combination of unbridled joy, and unbridled CHAOS!  Those boys are a riot.  When I first saw the three of them together Jonah was only 3 years old.  I remember being astounded at the level of noise and energy that surround them.  Whew!!  Talk about exhausting!  Now that they are older the noise and the energy is still there, but they are old enough that they can take it to the basement to play on their own so the grown ups can talk.  :)  Anyway, the neighbors got to meet Will for the first time, though I'm not sure if Will or the iPad was the bigger hit....   We had a great time catching up with such good friends and good people!

Jodi and Will

The fellas all around the iPad

Jaxson-11, Jonah-7, Miles-7, Will-2 months

In Michigan Jonah and Will had a great time hanging out with cousins, and I am always amazed at how well the kids are with Will.  Jonah really is a great big brother!  He is so gentle with him (for now....), and will even sing to Will when he gets upset.   The moment Will looks like he is about to start crying Jonah will announce, "He's crying!  He's crying!  Erin, he's crying!"  I'm not sure if his concern is strictly for Will, or if it is more because he just doesn't want to hear him cry...Probably a little bit of both.

Morning snuggles with my boys!

Unfortunately, Sarah couldn't make it back for Thanksgiving, but "Uncle Nico" (Bob's brother who Jonah adores) and my Aunt Candy and Uncle Doug joined us on Thanksgiving day.  Will got to meet lots of new people!  (I only took a couple of pictures.  Should have taken more!)

Silly, as always!

Our Thankful Tree

Hanging out with Uncle B

Bob's SO funny!!

Aunt Katie and Will

   

Snuggles!

It really is true what they say about kids--they grow up so fast.  Every day Will seems like a new kid!  He is officially wearing his 3 month outfits.  Saying goodbye to the newborn clothes was a little sad.  They sure didn't last long!  We will hang onto them, you know, just in case we ever need them again. ;)  Jonah seems to be growing like crazy, too!  He is the tallest in his class and seems to look older every time we see him.  I should also mention that Jonah has been doing really well in school.  His reading is amazing!  When you compare where he was at the beginning of the year to where he is now, it's like night and day.  He is just starting chapter books, and there are few words that really stump him.  It's amazing how quickly kids can catch on!  Jonah's artwork is absolutely phenomenal as well.  We definitely have a talented artist on our hands!

Excited for some fishin'!

Outfit from Grandma Janetski

Dave is OFFICIALLY done with his first semester as an Assistant Professor.  Woo hoo!  He just submitted his final grades yesterday!  To celebrate he made himself homemade crab rangoons and Kung Pao Chicken.  Few things excite my husband more than good Chinese food.  Personally, I am just excited to have him around more.  Dave gets a full 5 weeks off for the winter break.  Wooo hooo!  We love having Daddy home!

Now all of us are gearing up for Christmas!  We plan to head back to Michigan, and this time Sarah will be there as well.  While I am really looking forward to seeing my family again, we would have loved to go to Washington to spend time with the Janetskis, too.  We had such a great time all being together last Christmas.  Jonah actually asked if we were going back this year, and was pretty sad when we said we couldn't.  It's hard when family is dispersed all across the country.

Will is excited for his first Christmas!  (I think...he hasn't really said much about it, but he didn't scream when I put on his Santa hat so I'm calling it a win.)

Happy 1st Christmas to Baby Will!!

Will 2 1/2 months, Jonah 7 years

Our handsome boys!

**Merry Christmas from the Janetskis!!**

Fall Fun

Okay, before I say anything else, first let me do this.  I came across Dave's baby photo, which I assume was taken in the hospital right after he was born.  I compared it to one of Will.  Does anyone else see a resemblance?!  I love it!

William Joel, 1 day old

 

David Joel, 1980

Fall Fun

Alright, now that I got that out of my system, I wanted to share more photos of what we have been doing this fall.  I don't think we could have asked for a nicer October in Pennsylvania!  The weather has been fabulous--very little rain, lots of clear skies, comfortable temperatures, and perfect hiking weather!  On the weekends we definitely try to get out and explore.  It doesn't take long before we reach the tree-covered rolling hills.  The color was not quite as vibrant as we were hoping, but it has still been beautiful.  There were lots of yellows, oranges and browns, but very little red.  Still, it has been a great fall so far with lots of opportunities for us to explore Pennsylvania.

Hellgrammites

I LOVE the weekends when Dave can be home with Will and me, and they are even better when Jonah is with us, too!  The last time he was home Dave took him to find hellgrammites.  Yes, hellgrammites.  What are they, you ask?  Really cool aquatic macroinvertebrates.  Thanks to Nana's obsession with GVSU's Barter Board, Jonah has a new pair of waders and could get right in the water, just like Daddy!  I would have loved to join them, but Mama had to stay home with the baby.

Still, I'm glad the boys had fun.  Jonah was super pumped to show everyone what he found!  Those two are something else.  I wonder if Will will be as into creepy crawlies as his big brother.  I hope so!

One of my favorite pictures of Jonah: ready for the stream!

A beautiful hellgrammite

Buttermilk Falls

Last weekend Dave and I went to a place nearby called Buttermilk Falls.  It is the tallest waterfall in Indiana County--about 48 feet high.  It's located on the property of the old summer residence of Fred Rogers' (of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood) grandfather.  Turns out his grandfather's last name was McFeely!  Apparently Mr. McFeely's name on the show wasn't all that weird/creepy after all.

Anyway, the water was really low so we were able to get close, as you can see!  I had Will strapped to my chest so even we could get off the beaten path.  I would have liked a longer hike, but the falls were fun to explore.  This could definitely be a nice spot to take visitors when they come to visit.  (Hint hint, folks!)

Buttermilk Falls

Dave at the top of the falls

We tried out the front pack for the first time.  Will liked it!

And by "liked it," I mean "slept the whole time." 

Looking for a bird that I never did spot. 

At the top of the falls

Seriously, could this kid be any cuter?!?  Our little peanut.

Little Mahoning Creek

We also went to "scout" potential spots for Dave to conduct research.  I think he really just wanted an excuse to fish.  Dave loves to pull up Google Maps and basically guess where the cool spots are, and he usually finds some great places!  We checked out Little Mahoning Creek, which was even more beautiful that I anticipated.  In Michigan the rivers are mostly sandy-bottomed, but here there are lots of big rocks and boulders.  If you can find a river that hasn't been devastatingly polluted as a result of past coal mining (there are lots of those, unfortunately), then the water is often nice and clear.

Pretty great spot to feed the baby!

Dave fly fishing 

Forget sound machines: my baby gets the real thing!

Will Turns 1 Month

Will has been growing like a weed.  Next Monday he will already be six weeks old!  In many ways the time has flown, but being in the hospital seems like forever ago.  I have found that with babies as soon as they arrive it feels as though they were always there.  Like they were always a part of your family, even if they weren't born yet.  I love that. :)

So this little fishy vest is one that Joyce, Dave's mom, made for Dave when he was just a baby.  Will looks absolutely adorable in it!  Dave has pictures of Jonah wearing it, too.  Super cute!

David and Joyce, 1980

Jonah, 2 months

Will, 5 weeks

 Just for fun, here are a couple of bath time pictures.  This isn't technically Will's first bath, but it is one of the first ones where he didn't scream the whole time!

Halloween Fun

And lastly, Happy Halloween!  Jonah is spending this Halloween with his mom, so unfortunately I won't have any pictures of him in a costume this year.  He originally wanted to wear the creepy mask from Scream.  I have no idea how he even found out about it, but there is no way I would ever let him wear it!  Way too adult, and way too creepy.  It's interesting how Jonah is drawn to all things creepy and scary.  The funny thing is, he is very easily scared!  He often won't even go to his bedroom by himself!  I think he is intrigued by scary things, and as long as they are within his control he is okay and really likes them.  For instance, he absolutely loves Halloween, and most of his drawings are filled with fangs, creepy red eyes, and even sometimes blood.  He also has gotten really into scary stories, some of which are even too scary for me!  (I hate scary things.)  Anyway, I think he ended up going with a Werewolf costume instead of the Scream mask.  That I can handle.  At our house, we went with something a bit more cutesy.  Isn't Will cute in this Halloween onesie?!  We had to try it out before Halloween!

Here are our pumpkins, mostly done by Dave. And he says he isn't creative!

Ha!  Will's face is funny in this one.

 Happy Fall and Happy Halloween, everyone!