Happy Birthday Daddy and Happy NYE!

Today we celebrated Daddy's 33rd birthday and New Year's Eve! We had Josh's family and a few friends over to celebrate with us and had a fabulous time. Dane loved looking at all the candles on Daddy's cake. Again it was nice to be home to celebrate with the family!

Great Grandma Sawhill

Today we went and visited Great Grandma Sawhill. Dane just loves visiting her:) He has lots of fun at Grandma's house as did I when I was a kid.

Merry Christmas!

Dane celebrated his first Christmas today:) Santa brought him lots of toys and he loves them all! We opened presents in the morning and then went over to Aunt Kerri and Uncle Steve's house in the afternoon to celebrate with the Widlund side of the family. It was a nice relaxing afternoon with lots of eating and playing Wii. Dane had a wonderful first Christmas!

Christmas Eve

Today we celebrated Christmas Eve. We went to the Christmas Eve Mass with the Lohmeier family. Then we stopped by Grandma and Grandpa Widlund's to open a few gifts before we went to Grandma and Grandpa Lohmeier's. It was fun celebrating Christmas with our family as it had been 4 years and it was also nice that Dane was able to spend Christmas with his family in Iowa! At the Lohmeier's we had a yummy meal and opened up lots of nice presents. The men did their usual Black and Tan pouring contest...Grandpa won! Dane had a blast on Christmas Eve...he had so much fun he only took 1 nap!

7 months old!

Dane is 7 months old today! We just can't believe how fast time goes by. This year we got our first christmas tree. Dane loves looking at it with all the lights and colorful ornaments. So I thought it would be appropriate for him to pose for his 7 month photos in front of our tree:)

Santa!

Dane met Santa today at our family Christmas party. He had just woke up when Santa called his name to give him his gift. Dane wasn't sure what to think! He didn't cry though!

Exersaucer time!

Dane just loves playing in his exersaucer. Josh and I love it too. It works perfect for dinner time:) We definitely recommend this to anyone with a baby. It can keep them entertained for quite a while!

Reading with Grandma Anne

Dane just loves it when his Grandma Anne reads to him! He loves spending time with her and gets so excited everytime he sees her:)

It's playtime!

Mommy and Daddy just love playing with Dane! He is getting so much more interactive and is doing something new everyday. He's starting to do a great job of sitting up and practices crawling with his daddy. Dane still loves to read books although he sometimes would rather just chew on them. He is super ticklish and is always giggling:)

Santa's little helper

Dane just looks adorable in his little santa hat:) He actually loves wearing it and he looks down at the mirror on his exersaucer and just laughs! Too cute:)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today we celebrated Dane's first Thanksgiving! We were lucky enough to spend the afternoon with my family and the evening with Josh's family. Boy were we stuffed at the end of the day! We look forward to next year when Dane will be able to eat some of the yummy turkey dinner:)

Dane's Baptism

Today Dane was baptized by Father Vince at SS John & Paul Church in Altoona. He was very entertaining to watch throughout the whole baptism. He cooperated very well and interacted with everyone there for the baptism. He was a little angel:)

Happy 6 months Dane!

Today Dane turned 6 months old! Time goes by way too fast when you're having this much fun! It's so hard to believe he's already been in our lives for 6 months but yet it feels like he's been here forever! We went and got Dane's 6 month pictures taken and this time Daddy came with us so he could experience the photo place. Plus mommy wanted a family picture:) Dane cooperated very well. Mommy and Daddy didn't even have to try to make Dane smile as he absolutely loved the photographer and was all smiles for her.
Later that night Dane got to try baby food for the first time. Well he didn't like it so much. We were told to start with the green veggies. Sweet peas was his first taste of baby food and the poor thing dry heaved! Mommy and Daddy were laughing at all the funny faces but then we felt bad making him suffer through the few bites of sweet peas he got. Boy is our little man getting big!

Mommy's birthday

We celebrated mommy's birthday today. It was a lot of fun spending time with family this year as it had been 4 years since we have celebrated our birthdays with family. Daddy and Dane got me some really cool new Ugg boots to keep my feet warm with this freezing cold Iowa winter! Dane was pretty interested in the birthday cake. He'll get some soon enough:)

Rice Cereal...YUMMY!

Today Dane received his first food other than milk...rice cereal! He absolutely loved it and could not get enough. Dane did an excellent job of eating off a spoon too. Mommy fed Dane the first two times then it was daddy's turn on the third day. Dane sat in his new high chair too when daddy fed him. Dane just loves it when his daddy feeds him because daddy makes it so fun. It's so amazing watching Dane grow and conquer all these milestones. He's such a big boy!

Happy Halloween!

Dane celebrated his first Halloween by dressing up as a ninja. He sure was a cute little ninja too! He has some pretty crazy moves:) Since he's always moving and kicking I figured a ninja was the perfect costume for him. Mommy and Daddy got to celebrate halloween too by dressing up as "The Matrix." We had a great night out while Grandma Barb watched Dane.

Happy 90th Birthday Great Grandma Sawhill!

Today we celebrated Dane's great grandma's 90th birthday! It was a wonderful day and we had a great party for her too. It is so nice that we are home and able to celebrate these joyous occasions:)

Happy 5 months!

Dane is now 5 months old and boy is he growing and changing everyday. He loves playing in his exersaucer, reading books and chewing on anything he can get his hands on. He loves to give hugs and kisses which mommy really loves:)

A trip to the pumpkin patch

Today Dane and I went to the pumpkin patch with Grandma Barb, Great Grandma Sawhill, Uncle Jimmie, Auntie Kerri, and cousins Evan and Owen. It was a very nice time. We saw lots of pumpkins and picked apples from the orchards. Dane loved all the activity going on around him.

Sorry...

Hello everyone! I am so sorry that I have been so bad about putting new pictures up of Dane. Things have been crazy busy since moving home and I have been so bad about updating our blog. I feel really bad since a lot of you don't get to see Dane on a regular basis. Here are a lot of random photos of him playing, hanging our with friends and family, reading books, etc. He's is growing like a weed and is so much fun! He's such a good little boy and we just love him so much. It's fun watching him grow and discover new things...like his tongue:) He's a mover and a shaker and rolling over all the time! He loves going for stroller rides outside and being around other children. Dane is just taking it all in!

1st trip to the zoo

Dane went to the zoo today for the first time. He went with his mommy, daddy, grandma Barb, Auntie Kerri and cousin Owen. He loved looking at all the animals especially the seals and giraffes. Dane also took his first little train ride too!

Baby showers for Dane

Dane had two baby showers and was very spoiled with lots of nice gifts from our friends and family. I am very excited to set up his nursery once we move into our new house. Thank you so much to all of you for giving us such nice things for Dane!

4 months old

Happy 4 months old Dane! It is so crazy how fast the time flies! It's hard to believe Dane has been in our lives for 4 months already. We sure love having him around as he's such a happy baby and it's just so much fun being his mommy and daddy! We love him so much:)

Dane's 1st Swim

Dane had his first swim in Grandma and Grandpa Lohmeier's pool. He just loved being in the water and splashing the water. It wasn't too much of a surprise considering how much he loves bath time:)

We bought a house!

Here are a few photos of our new house! We are going to be living in Altoona, Iowa which is where both Grandma & Grandpa Widlund and Grandma & Grandpa Lohmeier live. We are so excited to move in but we don't close until October 31. Dane has always been such a good, calm boy whenever we go there so he must know it's his home. It's exciting to finally have a place of our own:)

Mr & Mrs Kelly's Wedding

Dane attended his second wedding. Our great friends Alex and Jonathan got married and it was an honor for both Josh and I to be a part of their wedding. It was a bit of a challange for Josh and I to have Dane there while we were both in the bridal party. But lucky for us the Lohmeier Family was there as well to help out with Dane. Dane had a lot of attention and loved watching all that was going on. I think he's going to be a party animal!

Three months old!

Happy 3 months old to Dane! He is just growing so big I can't believe it! It's crazy how the time just flies by. Dane is really cooing a lot more and is always smiling and giggling. Since we were back in the USA I decided to get Dane's pictures taken when he turned 3 months. He did such a good job at the photo shop and was all smiles for the camera. Let me tell you...it was so hard trying to choose the photos. There were just too many cute ones! Dane is still such a good little boy. He's adjusting well to life in the USA. It took him awhile to adjust his sleeping at night time but he's getting there. He's sleeping between 4-6 hours at a time at night. We are still hoping for one of those 8 hour nights!

Hello Vegas!

Well Dane made his first trip to Las Vegas at 3 months old! Yes we took him to Vegas! There were times when we felt like terrible parents as we pushed him though the casinos but boy did Dane love all the bright lights! My brother Jimmie got married and we were unable to leave Dane at home due to me me the "Dairy Queen" so he got to come with us! He is just a wonderful little traveller:) I just wish he'd take a bottle! We spent a lot of time in the hotel room but we managed to do some shopping at Caesar's Palace. We also watched the fountain show twice at the Bellagio which Dane just loved. It was a nice time but hopefully our next family vacation won't be to Las Vegas!

The long haul...

We managed to get home to the states without any hiccups...unless you count that Josh left my sandles on the luggage trolley before we went through security in LA. Dane did an excellent job on all the flights. It was about a 24 hour trip start to finish. Dane didn't seem to mind the planes at all. He was very excited when we landed in Des Moines because he got to meet his Aunt Kerri, Uncle Jimmie, Aunt Kelley and his cousins Austin and Evan. Grandma and Grandpa Widlund & Lohmeier were both there too. So we had quite the welcoming committee. It sure felt nice to be home!

Bon Voyage NZ :(

We had a little going away party at The Southern Cross to say farewell to all our great mates in NZ. It was a lot fun seeing everyone before we left but it was also very hard to say goodbye. Dane was a trooper and was such a good boy the whole time we were there. I'll never forget that when we left it was like a monsoon outside and we had to walk a couple blocks home. I was holding Dane and was very unhappy that we were walking home in a down pour. Josh had a nice little buzz going and didn't seem to mind as he was pushing the stoller and jumping in puddles. I can laugh now but it sure wasn't funny at the time!

A day at the office

Today we went and visited daddy at the office. Dane had a fun time sitting with his daddy at his desk and looking at the computer screen. Daddy thought it would be funny to act like he was changing Dane's diaper on his co-workers desk...see the photo:) I hope Dane is not going to be as naughty as his daddy!

Two months old!

It's crazy to think Dane is already two months old! The time has flown by yet it seems like he has been here forever! Today we celebrated by having a little photo shoot on the couch followed by some tummy time on the floor. Dane showed off how strong he is by rolling over for the camera. Then we read the book that he just loves! He is always smiling at the pictures of the babies. Then he started to get a bit grizzly...as you can tell it was time for a nap. Dane was all partied out after celebrating his two month old birthday!

Some random photos...

Here are some random but very cute photos of Dane. He's such a good little boy and is even starting to sleep a bit more at night...yippie! He will wake at least once a night and normally sleeps for 4 hours at a time but he has done a few 5 and 6 hour stretches of sleep. We always love those nights:)

We're moving to IOWA!

We have some big news...we are moving back to Des Moines, Iowa! Josh has accepted a job at Aviva as a Portfolio Manager. We will be leaving New Zealand on August 7th for a 24 hour trip home. With the time change we'll be arriving in Des Moines the same day...if only the flight was a few hours! We are so excited for everyone back home to meet little Dane:) He is also very excited! You can tell how happy he is from all the smiles in the photos. Sadly we will be leaving a lot of great friends behind here in New Zealand. We will miss them heaps!

Dane's first plane ride

Today we flew to Auckland, New Zealand to get Dane's American passport sorted. He was such a good little boy all day long. He slept the whole way up to Auckland and was only awake for a sort time feeding on the way back to Wellington. We can only hope that Dane does as well on the long haul flight to LA we have coming up in August!

Happy 4th of July!

We celebrated Dane's first holiday here in New Zealand...the 4th of July! We had our New Zealand family over...Fiona & Sal, Michelle & Graeme and Georgia & Kahu. Dane was all dressed up for the occasion in the adorable little outfit his Aunt Kerri got for him. The sunglasses and hat were a wee bit big for him but we sure thought he looked cute! Unfortunately we didn't have any fireworks or sparklers to help celebrate the 4th. Hopefully next year we will and I'm sure Dane will just love staring at the light from the sparklers...not too sure if he'll like the big booming noises though from the big fireworks! We had such a nice time with our NZ family here celebrating the American holiday:)

One Month Old!!!

Today we celebrated Dane being one month old! We just cannot believe how quickly the time has passed. We have enjoyed every minute of it! Before we know it he'll be a year old! Dane has changed a lot from the time he was born. He's much more active now...always squirming around when he's awake. He is so strong too! He has great control of his head and his little legs are so strong. Dane continues to roll over everytime we lie him on his tummy. Today he even did it when he was lying on the hard floor. Before it had always been while he was lying on our chase lounge which is a much softer surface. He is always smiling and he's starting to coo a bit more. At times it seems he just really wants to talk to us but instead a little coo comes out. He is also so close to laughing too! I'm sure it won't be too far away:) We love our little Dane!

Grandma and Grandpa Widlund

Today we sadly said goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa Widlund:( We were so happy that they were able to come meet Dane here in NZ! They had a wonderful time getting to know their new grandson and just loved Dane to bits! Dane can't wait til he sees his grandma and grandpa again because he misses them so much!

The big weigh in...

Today we saw Margaret our midwife and she did a checkup on Dane. He's just 2 days shy of being 4 weeks old. He weighed in at 9 pounds 12 ounces (he was 8.8 at birth) and he grew 2 centimeters. So Dane is thriving!

Happy 1st Father's Day!

Today we celebrated Josh's 1st Father's Day. Daddy's little wingman just thinks he has the best daddy in the whole world! He got his daddy lots of neat presents including a Grill Slinger, a book called Daddy Kisses and a framed photo of him and his daddy. Dane wanted his daddy to have a photo for his desk so he can see him anytime he wants while at work. It was a great 1st Father's Day!

SMILE!

Dane is just all smiles and has been from quite an early age. He's just such a happy bub! His Dada and I just loves it when he gives us a big grin:)

Happy 3 Weeks Old!!!

Dane is 3 weeks old today! Time has flown by yet it seems like he has been in our lives forever! He is changing everyday and we just love watching him grow.
















Today Dane had a little explosion in his pants while his daddy was holding him. Dane managed to not only get his poo all over himself but also his daddy! Daddy loves hearing him rip loud ones but I'm not so sure he's keen when he gets blasted with poo!

Bath Time!

Dane just loves it when we give him a bath! You can tell by his big smiles:) He never cries except for when we take him out of the nice warm water. I think he might grow up to be a little swimmer:)

Cozy Dane...

Dane makes himself quite cozy at times. You can tell he's pretty content in all of these photos. What a cutie:)

Dane and Mama

Dane just loves to be cuddled! Here are a few photos of Mama and Dane hanging out relaxing together.

Dane rolled over!

At just 15 days old Dane rolled over from his tummy onto his back. It wasn't just a one time thing either because he does it everytime we put him on his tummy. Dane holds his head up really well too! He's going to be strong like his daddy:)

2 weeks old!

It's hard to believe that Dane is already 2 weeks old! The time has flown by and he is just changing everyday:) He's starting to fill out a bit and boy do we just love those little cheeks! He continues to be a great little bub and we just adore him! Tomorrow morning Grandma and Grandpa Widlund arrive in NZ. We are so excited for them to meet Master Dane:)

Made in New Zealand

Here are some photos of Dane sporting his "Made in New Zealand" shirt that Michelle a friend of mine here in NZ got for him. He seems to be pretty happy that he's a little kiwi:)

Grandma and Grandpa Lohmeier

Dane just loved hanging out with his Grandma and Grandpa Lohmeier! It was so nice having them here! Josh and I were so happy that they were able to spend as much time as they did with Dane. Dane misses them so much and can't wait to see them again:)

Happy 1 week old Dane!

Dane is 1 week old already! It's funny because it seems like he has been in our lives forever. He is so adorable and we love being his mommy and daddy:) He continues to be a very good baby and we are really getting to know him well. Josh has really done a good job in stepping into the role of being a dad. After a week we are almost pros at being parents:)

Our little bundle of joy has arrived!

Josh and I are happy to announce that we are the proud parents of a new son Dane Michael Lohmeier!

Little Dane arrived on May 22, 2oo8 at 6:26am. I was very pleased that he arrived on his due date:) He weighed in at 8 pounds 8 ounces and 20 3/4 inches long. We are all doing very well and Dane is just the most content little baby. We spend hours admiring him and think how amazing it is that he came from us! It was great having Grandma and Grandpa Lohmeier here to welcome Dane into this world. They were very happy that they were able to spend so much time with him. He will soon be meeting his Grandma and Grandpa Widlund when they arrive in New Zealand on June 6th.