Nesting Part 2: The Big BoyS Room

About a month ago we decided it was time to make the big move...it was time for Heath to become a BIG BOY!! And we moved him out of his crib and into the bunk-bed, sharing a room with Nolan. Nolan was really excited about being able to share his room with Heath because he would now be able to sleep on the top bunk. We knew we needed to begin practicing this new sleeping arrangement before we would need to use the crib for the latest Jansen boy.

So I started making a few little changes/additions to Nolan's room to get it ready for Heath to call home...

I really didn't do much...just added this absolutely adorable photo of him and this letter H from his nursery.

And we took the PBK letter blocks, his wooden shoes, ceramic footprint, and his Rockies baseball guy from his old room as well. I can't really set up much on the shelves of the bunk-bed because the boys just end up playing with everything while they are supposed to be sleeping.

We just LOVE this bunk-bed because of it's built in drawers. One side is full of Nolan's clothes and the other is for Heath's. They also have a great closet that lines one whole wall of their room. So there was plenty of room to add all of Heath's hanging clothes. I also bought some shelves to add to the closet to help organize all of their toys, games, and puzzles and get them up off of the floor.

Now, I bet you're wondering how this transition has gone...

Well, after the first night, we were left wondering if this was really going to work! It took the boys 90 minutes of messing around, throwing stuffed animals, shushing each other, jumping on beds, and yelling BOO to finally wind down and fall asleep. But Heath slept through the night and woke up IN his bed the next morning. He has been waking up earlier than usual, so we try to sneak in and get him out of there before he wakes up Nolan, who likes to sleep in.

A few times we have been woken up to Nolan calling, "He's in my bed!!!" Heath has gotten up in the middle of the night or very early morning and decided to climb the ladder up to the top bunk to join his big brother! Oh, how he keeps us on our toes! Nolan would not have dared to do this even a year ago. Just a few months ago, Nolan was still calling for us and asking for permission to get out of his bed in the mornings! Heath is a whole 'nother story!

One morning, around 5 a.m. we heard Heath calling for me, "Ma Ma, Ma Ma!" I rolled over and said to Mark, "It sounds like he's downstairs." No, he couldn't be! But yes, my little 23 month old had gotten out of his bed, opened the door, and wandered downstairs, BY HIMSELF, in the pitch dark! He really is "crA crA" as Nolan calls him...CRAZY!!!!

But since that first week of freedom, things have settled down a lot! Most nights, they go to bed easily. Occasionally, they toss stuffed animals up and down at each other or laugh and goof around for a few minutes before settling in. And Heath is still early to rise- usually between 6:20 and 7 a.m. But overall, I really don't think this big move could have gone any better!

We just love our bed time routines together as well. Baths, p.j.'s, books, and prayers. And of course, they both have to have their favorite stuffed animals and blankies to cuddle with!

We are so proud of our big boys and the friendship and fun they have together! Sharing a room is just the beginning of a life time of adventures together!

Turkey Day Twenty Eleven

We had a very nice Thanksgiving Day. We started our day with a little relaxing around the house and watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving. We Skyped with my parents for awhile and just took it easy! It was so nice having a lazy family morning together. Then we headed over to Cara's house to hang out, enjoy the beautiful fall weather, and help prepare the feast!

Cara hosted Thanksgiving this year in their new home. It was great for the kids to have so many fun toys to play with and for us all to have a little more space to spread out!

We went before nap time in hopes that the boys would both sleep and we could enjoy some quiet time with the fam! When we got there, Brady proudly announced, "I don't have to take a nap because it's Thanksgiving!" This made it hard to convince Nolan that he did indeed need to take a nap! So we put him down, but about an hour later I heard him calling for me. So I went up to check on him and found him wearing Brady's Storm Trooper helmet. Needless to say, he didn't sleep, but maybe he got some rest! He said, "I could hear everybody playing outside!" Poor guy, he didn't want to miss out! And he actually did do pretty well all day and into the evening, going on no sleep. But much to our JOY, Heath actually took a great nap! Three hours! It was heavenly to be able to relax and not have to worry about chasing him and all of his crazy antics!

The temperature was about 70 degrees! So we all spent a lot of time outside in the sunshine!

Heath was pretty much inseparable with his cousin Cohen, but also with his best buddies- Buzz and Woody! Payton and Brady have these great, HUGE Toy Story guys that both of our boys have just loved over the years! They always play with them when they are at the Syers' house.

Uncle Marky and Co Co! Don't you just love his hair? It's growing out to be kind of curly!

Finally, around 4ish it was time to EAT! Cara had the table decorated so crafty and modern! Loved it!

Nolan set a place for Woody at the Kiddie Table!

The Kiddie Table...oh my! We have graduated to independent, unsupervised eating!

Can you tell they did a lot of it?

Nolan ate mainly applesauce, cranberries, and a roll! And I wasn't about to fight him on it either! He is a good eater, but when things aren't prepared the way he is used to, he isn't that adventurous. But he ate more than Heath did that's for sure! Heath still isn't eating much with his cold and croup. So after a bite or two we just let him get down to play so we could have a peaceful dinner! On a side note, he is finally starting to feel better! Yay for less boogers and no more seal barking cough!

We sure had a delicious dinner and ate a TON! I ate just as much as I normally would, but now I really don't have any room for it anymore! Baby is taking up so much room in my belly! I really could not move or breathe after dinner, I was so full!

We stayed to help clean up, eat pie, and do some more playing! Heath and Cohen decided to take Rylan's Monster Truck out for a spin! It was a scary flash forward into the future as they got whip lash and drove herky jerky a few feet at a time in the yard! I wish I would have gotten a video of it! They were quite the sight to see- cool dudes driving around with pacis in their mouths!

The kids all cuddled up to watch a movie and rest after such a fun day together!

We are so thankful for our family who truly loves each other and enjoys spending time with one another! We are are blessed!

Our Little Space Ranger's 2nd Birthday Bash...

On the night of Heath's birthday we had a really fun family birthday party for him...

He is "assessed" with Toy Story as Nolan says! (obsessed! ha!) So there really was only one option for a party theme, even though I have always said that I would stay away from character type theme parties. I always thought they seemed cheesy. But what your little 2 year old wants...he gets! And I actually thought these invitations turned out pretty cute! I ordered them off of Etsy and ended up getting them for free because the designer shipped them late! Score for me!

During the day while Nolan was at preschool, Heath and I did a little party prep and he got to watch Toy Story 3 while sitting in his Birthday Chair! He thought he was pretty cool in his big chair and he LOVED his balloons!

One of the only things that I made for his party was his Birthday Chair sign...

I think it turned out pretty cute!

Here is his chair full of gifts even before the party guests arrived!

He got a few packages in the mail from the Sloothaaks, Grandpa & Grandma, Auntie Mal, and Uncle T. He loved going down to the mailbox and finding packages waiting for him each day!

For this party I only baked cupcakes...I had NO creative cake energy in me!

A close up of the cupcakes...love my Pillsbury Easy Frosting! And Heath loved the cupcake toppers that I BOUGHT! Easy was the theme of this party for sure!

We set up the table with Toy Story plates and cups full of Toy Story candies for the kids to take home as party favors.

I pretty much walked down the Toy Story section at the party store and scooped up anything I could find! And I actually thought that these "goodie bags" were very practical. I know I could always use more kid friendly plates and cups for the boys. And I'm pretty sure all the kids enjoyed the candy too!

After nap time it was time to PARTY!!

We kept the guest list small and just invited Mark's immediate family...that was about all this 36 weeks pregnant party planner could handle!

We made French Dip sandwiches and had chips, potato salad, fruit, and veggies for dinner. Simple and delicious and even pretty kid friendly!

All the cousins had a blast running around and playing with just about every toy we own.

After dinner it was present time...

Of course Heath wanted to open this gift first- it was in a Toy Story bag! We got him a Jessie action figure to add to his collection!

We also bought him these rain boots! He loves Nolan's froggie rain boots and always puts them on. But they are way too big on him and he stomps around and trips. So he was thrilled to get boots of his own!

Uncle Brad, Auntie Jayne, and Cohen got him this cool Cars 2 book with buttons to press and a steering wheel to turn! The boys love it!

Heath got his cute plate from the Sloothaaks. And they also got him an adorable striped tie! Can't wait to find the perfect occasion for him to wear it!

Daddy and Nolan went to Target and picked out a special gift just from them! A Darth Vadar Light Sabre! He LOVES it...it lights up and makes noise! Guess what Nolan will be getting for his birthday next month...the Luke Skywalker one! They will have some fierce battles with them for sure! And I'm sure we might have to pick up the Anakin Skywalker Light Sabre too for future roughhousing between all THREE of our guys!

Oma & Opa also got Heath a Buzz Lightyear laser gun that shoots nerf darts and lights up and makes zapping noises! The boys have already loved terrorizing me with these weapons ALL.THE.TIME! My life with 3 boys will never be dull, that's for sure!

My two partners in crime cheesing for the camera!

After presents, all of Heath's new toys had to come up to the table with him to sing Happy Birthday!

He did a great job blowing out the candles! The air in his bottom lip in this photo cracks me up!

Time to dig in! He mainly licked the frosting off of the cupcake topper over and over again. But he hasn't had much of an appetite lately since he's had a cold. I'm bummed because in all of these birthday photos you can tell that he just doesn't feel 100%. He looks pale and his eyes look tired. But he still had a blast despite being under the weather.

I had to snap some pictures with my 2 year old before the evening was over!

Nolan wanted to get in on the action too! Love these guys! And I CAN NOT believe that any day now I will have 1 more to add to the mix!

As soon as our party guests left it was time for bed! The boys were exhausted from all their fun!

Here is some video footage from the birthday party...

Uncle T.'s package came a day late...which was fun for Heath because he got to keep his birthday going...

He got this fun Roarin' and Racin' Rex...which was instantly a hit with BOTH boys! We have had constant negotiations going on over all the new toys! We are really working on sharing, trading, and waiting our turn to play with what we want. But somehow they always want what the other brother has!

The day after his birthday we had his 2 year well check visit with the doctor. Here are his latest stats and Nolan's are next to them in parenthesis...not only are their personalities completely different, but their builds seem to be as well:

Height: 35 1/4 inches @ 75% (37 1/2 in. @ 97%)

Weight: 26 pounds @ 27% (33.2 lbs. @ 94%)

Head Circumference: 50 centimeters @ 85% (48.8 cm. @ 55%)

Thank you to everyone who helped make our 2 year old's birthday so special! We love you all!

thankful

Happy Thanksgiving!

From our two little turkeys!

This year we started a new family tradition...

Thankful Leaves!

Starting November 1st, each day at dinner time, Nolan told us one thing that he is thankful for! He did such a great job coming up with ideas on his own! And then we wrote each idea on one of the leaves on the garland.

Here is what he came up with...

Day 1: our baby

Day 2: Mommy

Day 3: Heath

Day 4: Daddy

Day 5: myself

Day 6: my blankies

Day 7: my eyes

Day 8: my bed

Day 9: my animals- Snakey and Princey

Day 10: food

Day 11: toys

Day 12: our house

Day 13: drinks

Day 14: T.V. shows

Day 15: books

Day 16: preschool

Day 17: clothes and hats

Day 18: my kids at school and friends

Day 19: Grandma and Oma

Day 20: Jesus

Day 21: money

Day 22: cousins

Day 23: funny things that make me laugh and be silly

Day 24: Grandpa and Opa

I L-O-V-E how the very first thing he thought of was his new baby brother! And it was so cute to see how he enjoyed this activity and asked to do it every day! Somedays he knew exactly what he wanted to say right away. And other days he sat quietly and thought carefully about what he was thankful that God had given him. Only a few days did we have to guide his answer a bit as he would start to just look around the room and say things he was thankful for like "candles" or "lamps"! Ha!

But what was really fun about this activity as well, was talking to Nolan about why he is blessed to have that thing or that person in his life! He is really starting to understand just how amazing God's love for us is and how He has provided us with so much in our lives!

In times when we wish we had a bigger house, more money, a nicer car, or a fancier wardrobe, we are reminded over and over again of how truly blessed we are! It's neat to see this through the eyes of a 3 year old who is grateful for the small things in life like a blanket or hat. And here we have THREE beautiful and healthy boys, a wonderful marriage, loving family, deep and lasting friendships, a warm house, healthy food, and so much more! So much for which to be grateful.

We wish you and yours a simple and happy Thanksgiving!

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

The Jansen Family

Heath Tyler Jansen...you are 2!

My Middle Child...

{On the day that you were born} we had absolutely no idea about the JOY and FUN that you would bring to our life!

{1 year}

Your BIG blue eyes and chubby cheeks are oh so charming! And your larger than life personality is magnetic! Yes, it is also persistent, and stubborn, and will-full, but I wouldn't trade your zeal for life for anything!

And now at {2 years old} we pray that you will always use this passion to fight for what you want, to love others deeply, and to be the hands and feet of Jesus wherever life takes you.

You are funny and adventurous. You LOVE your big brother and want to be just like him. You love throwing balls and being WILD! You are OBSESSED with all things Toy Story and you can't get enough of your blankies, "pa pa" and "meow meow". You HAVE to be around people yet you choose your words carefully. You have an ability to completely drive us insane one second and melt our hearts the next!

We can not imagine our lives without you! We love you more than you will ever know! And we hope that this next year is jam packed with all things boyishly fun and amazing for you!

Happy Birthday!

xoxo Mommy & Daddy

{weekend}

We had a very fun weekend around here! Friday night Mark and I got to go out on what will probably be our last date before the baby arrives! We went out to dinner at Lime and to see the Broadway production of "The Lion King" downtown with our good friends Rick and Mandy. The show was great and it was very nice to have a relaxing night out together! Thanks Oma & Opa for watching the boys! They had just as much fun as we did just hanging out at your house!

On Saturday, we spent some time raking up the last of the leaves and had a little fun playing in them too!

Nolan sportin' his new Winter jacket!

Daddy fell in!

Running through the leaves and destroying Daddy's neatly raked piles! Look at the joy on his face! (He's carrying a train bubble blowing whistle necklace! He always has to have some sort of treasure in his hands! Funny boy!)

Throwing leaves at Daddy is so much fun!

And both boys even tried to help out a little, raking and sitting on the bag to squish the leaves down!

What a good lookin' guy!

Later that evening, we headed out to one of our favorite annual events: The Southlands Mall Tree Lighting Ceremony! We've gone for the past couple of years and really enjoyed the parade and Christmas spirit! 2 years ago, I actually went into labor with Heath the next morning after the tree lighting, so we were a little hesitant to go again this year, thinking it might trigger this little guy to enter the world as well! Ha!

Brad, Jayne, and Cohen joined us this year! Isn't this family photo of them just adorable! We didn't even get one of our family because it was so cold and we were so busy keeping the boys warm the whole time! But I'm glad I got this one of them...so cute!

Cohen's dance moves!

Watching the parade all bundled up!

Oh, the Grinch! He loved posing for me! Too bad he completely freaked Heath out and the rest of the parade was pretty much down hill from here...

Heath was FREEZING and so over the holiday cheer!

He didn't even care to see Santa arrive on the fire truck! But of course Nolan LOVED this part!

After Santa came, he lit the Christmas Tree. Nolan said this was actually his favorite part of the night, "the blue Christmas tree"! It is a real Colorado tree, very tall and scraggly! We stayed just a few more minutes, but couldn't take the cold much longer and headed home! By the time we made it to the car, both boys were frozen and crying! Not exactly the evening we had hoped for, but still a fun night to kick off the Christmas season!

When we got home we put the kids straight to bed and Mark and I cuddled up by the fire to watch some shows!

Sunday morning we went to early church, and relaxed at home watching football and cleaning. It was the perfect way to end the weekend, just chillin' at home! We have some busy weeks coming up with Heath's birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas fun, and of course the baby being born! So, we really enjoyed one of the few "family of four" weekends that we have left!