The Stultz Family

Bungee Trampoline Jumping at the Mall

2011-02-23T23:21:00.002-06:00

Sledding Video

2011-02-23T22:44:00.003-06:00

February

2011-02-23T22:07:00.005-06:00

Well I know it's been since September that I posted last, so instead of backtracking I'm just going to pick up where we are now.

So... Tanner is 3 YEARS OLD! We can't believe how big our little guy is getting. I went back and looked at videos of him learning to walk and learning his ABC's and it is amazing how fast time goes by.

Which brings us to the fact that we have about 4 weeks left until our next little one arrives. Our baby girl is due at the end of March and we are super excited to meet her. Tanner is excited to be a big brother and he helps me pick out pink clothes for his sister. He says, "Is that for the baby, Mommy? It is beautiful." Haha... how cute.

So - here are some recent pics of our family.

Tanner got his very own Buzz Lightyear cake on his bday and of course... a happy meal.

Tanner had cake for breakfast on his bday... I think he also had cake after dinner.

Oh... I should mention he didn't actually eat the cake... just the icing.

Jamie's 29th bday celebration.

We went on a MOPS outing in January to a gymnastics place. Tanner got to walk on the beams, climb on everything, jump on the trampoline and swing on the bars. He had a blast.

Another Bundle of Joy on the Way!

2010-09-26T23:40:00.004-05:00

Many of you know there is another bundle of joy to be added to our family in March.

We are extremely excited!

Here is the very first ultrasound pic.

It's been way too long...

2010-09-26T22:26:00.009-05:00

I'm feeling a little overwhelmed since I haven't posted since April... where to begin?!?

We have had an up and down summer as a family. It's been full of lots of fun times and a few pretty hard times. We had a great Fadel/Stultz/Johnston family vacation to Florida in July. Unfortunately, shortly after that Jamie's grandfather passed away which brought us to Alabama. Though the circumstances were sad, it was good to see our Alabama family again. Tanner and I finished off the summer with a trip to Canada to visit everyone. Lastly, we recently found out my mom-in-law has breast cancer. She has already had surgery and we are awaiting more information. As she battles the cancer we are hoping to be there and support her however we can.

So... as you can see our summer has been up and down, but there are still lots of great pics to show from our adventures!

Tanner had to wear his raincoat one day... didn't matter he didn't have any pants on.

Local baseball game...

Tanner learned to ride his tricycle this summer.

Tanner loved mowing with Daddy.

We got to have quite a few trips to the city pool this summer. We really enjoyed the family swim time and Tanner loved the frog slide.

DISNEY!!! What a great day! Tanner loved going to "Mickey's House" as he called it and he really enjoyed the Winnie the Pooh Honey Pot ride and the Buzz Lightyear ride.

Tate and Tanner got to meet Mickey and Minnie! Tanner was pretty shy at first, but it was the highlight of his day.

St. Joe beach... loves playing in the sand.

When we went to Canada we visited the Toronto Zoo. Tanner was very excited to see the Polar Bears (one of his favorite movies is Diego Arctic Rescue)

Cousins!

Little Megan turned one and we got to go to the family bday party for her. She is such a little cutie and she did her best to keep up with the boys.

Me and my sis...

Easter... Playing Outside... Fun Times...

2010-04-19T22:08:00.004-05:00

Here is Tanner showing off his muscles getting ready for swim lessons.

Playing hockey in the driveway after it rained.

Trying out the beach chair we found in the garage.

Easter egg hunting with Tate!

Learning how to fly his Buzz Lightyear kite with Daddy.

Tate and Tanner in their Easter outfits... so cute!

Dying Easter eggs with Tate and Auntie Holly.

Getting ready to go head first!

More hockey...

Tanner Singing His ABC's

2010-04-19T21:56:00.002-05:00

Funny videos... Tanner Shoveling

2010-02-28T17:49:00.002-06:00

Tanner is 2!

2010-02-28T17:18:00.006-06:00

We can't believe our little guy is 2 years old already. We celebrated with a birthday party at his grandparents house in Michigan and we enjoyed a fun day out on his actual birthday too. His Grandma and Grandpa Bell even came for a week to visit too.

This birthday brought along a few changes for Tanner too. We changed his crib into a toddler day bed where he can get in and out on his own. He is still figuring out that he could be playing instead of sleeping. We also took his beloved pacifier away. It took a little encouragement, but one night he slept through without it and he hasn't seen it since. Here are some pics of all the birthday fun we had.

Tanner attacking his cupcake at Chuck E. Cheese

Tanner and Daddy playing games.

Tanner enjoyed his favorite meal on his birthday. We went to McDonald's and he enjoyed a cheeseburger happy meal. He also got to sit with Ronald McDonald and see a choo choo train go around the restaurant.

We also went to a 3-level playplace here in Cedar Rapids. It was our first time and Tanner had a blast.

Tanner's birthday weekend in Michigan. Him and Tate playing in the playplace at DQ.

Auntie Holly gave Tanner a handmade T-shirt with the letter "T" on the front and the number "2" on the back. It is adorable.

Tanner's Cars cake. He loves having his cousin Tate close by... unless it means that he has to share his toys.

Cars Birthday Party!

It's been a long time...

2010-01-07T22:28:00.011-06:00

I haven't posted in a while, but I decided this year to keep going with the family blog so we can keep family and friends updated on how we are doing and so everyone can keep up with how fast Tanner is growing. I hope you all still enjoy following our blog and seeing the pics and videos posted.

We have had a great couple of months. The fall and early winter months are so busy and we have had lots of fun traveling. Most recently we spent Christmas in Boyne Falls, Michigan and New Year's in Canada. Tanner did really well with all the traveling and really enjoyed his second Christmas. He loved opening the presents this year as opposed to last year when he just played with the wrapping paper. He would open a present and want to play with it right away, so the unwrapping part of Christmas morning took a while.

Now that we are back home we just started swimming lessons with Tanner this week and he had a blast! He was annoyed that I had to hold him in the water and kept wanting me to let him go... until I dunked him and then he clung to me for dear life! haha.

We hope you all are doing well. Here are some pics of our journeys...

Yup... that's right... Jamie and I went downhill skiing over the holidays! We were terrified but ended up having lots of fun.

A little bit of sledding...

Grammy and Grandpa with their boys...

Christmas Eve

Christmas morning...

Opening presents with Grandma and Grandpa...

Tanner excited to be on the Choo Choo Train (aka the GO Train) on the way to Toronto...

We went to a tubing park when we were in Huntsville. Tanner was excited to go down the hill but was scared by the wind and snow in his face. He cried at the bottom and was happy enough to be pulled around in a tube on flat ground.

Ethan on the other hand wanted to take Auntie Melissa, Uncle Jim, Grandpa and Mommy on all the big hills. I'm pretty sure Uncle Jim and Grandpa screamed the most!

The tubing crew with me behind the camera and Jeff and Megan in the chalet.

Grandma and Grandpa

Theresa and Megan

Thanks, Uncle Jeff, for the gummie bears!

Tanner, Cousin Ethan and Cousin Brooklyn

Fall Fun at the Pumpkin Patch!

2009-10-13T23:31:00.007-05:00

I can't believe it's been so long since I've posted. We are all doing great and are having a great time enjoying this fall season. Last weekend we went to Bloomsbury Farm and enjoyed a hayride, the pumpkin patch and we got to see lots of farm animals. Tanner had a blast despite the cold!

Here are some pics...

Posing with the "punkins"

Smiles with Mommy!

Tanner loved talking to the goats. He kept yelling at them saying, "Moo... Moo". Maybe we need to work on our animal sounds... haha!

Smiles with Daddy!

Tanner went on the "Tractor Choo Choo" ride about 3 times - it was a big hit!

There was a giant jumping pillow at the farm. Tanner couldn't stop laughing!

Playing in the hay...

Tanner and Jamie loved going down this slide. It was very fast. Tanner kept saying, "C'mon, Daddy... slide!"

I've Got The Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy Down in My Heart!

2009-08-16T21:36:00.004-05:00

Tanner showed off his dance moves this morning...

Visit to Canada

2009-08-16T21:02:00.011-05:00

Tanner and I were able to get up to Ontario and visit our family for a week this month. We had a great time catching up with family and friends! Here are some pics of our fun.

Tanner and Ethan - the cousins got along very well during their week together!

The Siblings!

We had a bonfire at my parents newly built house in Muskoka. Tanner really enjoyed the marshmallows!

We went to Beauview Cottage Resort to visit with Uncle Gord and Aunt Nancy. Tanner had a great time playing outside and enjoyed his first boat ride.

Tanner did not exactly enjoy how the life jacket constricted his cheeks!

We were also able to pop in and see a few of my friends. Tanner got to spend quality time at the park with Felicia and Liz and we had a ton of fun driving and playing with Mel too!

July 4th!

2009-07-14T21:38:00.006-05:00

Here are some pics of our July 4th holiday weekend... please note to all Canadians - we celebrated Canada Day in our hearts as well!

Over the 4th we were in Michigan and took Tanner and his cousin Tate to the Eau Claire Cherry Festival. The boys had a blast in their matching outfits, eating sugar cookies and dancing around in the street. We watched a parade and at night we went to see the fireworks at Silver Beach.

Our Trip to Cabo!

2009-07-14T21:15:00.004-05:00

I haven't blogged in a while, so I'm going back to June when Jamie and me and Holly and Robbie took a trip to Cabo San Lucas in Mexico. We had a blast and soaked up the sun for 7 days. It was great and relaxing - the guys golfed while us girls sat by the pool and enjoyed the spa. I ate all the burgers and fries I could handle and we enjoyed many many deserts!

Happy Birthday to Ethan!

2009-06-01T01:13:00.004-05:00

Ethan,
Happy Birthday Buddy! We love you and miss you a ton!

Tanner at 15 Months!

2009-06-01T00:54:00.006-05:00

Here are a few videos we thought you all might enjoy.

Our 14-Month Old

2009-04-22T22:56:00.003-05:00

Tanner is walking! Well... kind of. He still prefers to crawl, but last night he took 4 steps all on his own! He is really good at walking while holding on to things like furniture and people, but last night was the first time that he ventured out on his own and took 4 steps with his arms straight out in the air! I screamed so loud cheering for him that he looked shocked at first and then started clapping for himself and did it again. So, I whipped out the video camera and of course, the walking was over for the night. He wanted to go play. So, whenever I get a video of him walking, I will post it for all to see. In the meantime, here are some pics from Easter.

Tanner's First Birthday!!

2009-03-01T20:48:00.008-06:00

Tanner had a great birthday week. First he celebrated with Grandma and Grandpa Bell when they came to visit us here in Iowa. They spoiled him with toys and clothes and we had a great visit together. Then he celebrated at Daycare on his actual birthday - all the kids and teachers sang Happy Birthday to him and he clapped through the whole song. Then on the weekend of his birthday he celebrated at Grammy and Grandpa Fadel's house with a Winnie The Pooh 1st Birthday party. Tanner got his own little cake to enjoy!

Tanner kept his birthday hat on for most of the party!

Tanner clapped every time someone said, "Happy Birthday!"

Proud Mommy and Daddy...

Mommy teaching Tanner it's okay to get a little messy...

Tanner getting a little messy...

Daddy getting a little messy... but how can you resist those kisses.

Birthday boy celebrating!

Yummy... icing!

10 Months... Tanner's First Christmas!... and now 11 months!

2009-01-21T21:40:00.005-06:00

We were so blessed to be able to visit family in Michigan and Canada over the holidays. Tanner finally got to meet my aunts, uncles and cousins! Tanner had a wonderful First Christmas! He saw a few different Santas over the holiday season - he just stared at most of them and cried with one of them. He loved opening his presents and tearing the wrapping paper.

Tanner is now 11 months old and we can't believe it! He has 8 teeth and is still chewing on anything he can find whether it fits in his mouth or not. He is doing his army crawl pretty well and is pulling up on things. He loves standing but is not steady enough yet to stand on his own. He is still a very content and happy baby and he loves waving at everyone and saying "Ba-Ba" (Bye-Bye).

9 Months and Counting...

2008-12-02T20:01:00.008-06:00

Tanner is getting bigger and bigger! He is 9 months old now and is weighing in at 25 pounds. He is in the 97th percentile for weight and height, so he's in 18 month clothing! He is still a very happy and content baby and laughs all the time. He is trying very hard to crawl, though he is finding that rolling around gets him where he wants to go most of the time.

Here are a few photos from the last month or so...

Tanner loves his cherios...

Just playin' around...

This is the hat Memaw made Tanner - I think he looks like a little elf here... :)

Tanner got to go trick-or-treating in Indianapolis with his cousin Tate. Tanner was a monkey and Tate was Pablo from the Backyardigans.

All dressed up for church...

This was the last warm day of November. It was so nice out we stopped at the park down the street and Tanner got to play on the swing. He loved it!

Just being a ham...

Chillin' with Dad - he lets me have the remote!

Almost 8 Months...

2008-10-13T21:28:00.006-05:00

Tanner is almost 8 months old already and he is doing great. Over the last couple months he has enjoyed his two top teeth growing in and he has experimented with different foods like prunes, carrots, sweet potatoes just to name a few. So far, he's like his mama, and he gags when he has to eat peas.

He is a very content baby and so he hasn't ventured too far on the floor yet. He's pretty content sitting or laying where he is, but he's still doing a rapid "swimmy" that will probably turn into a crawl soon.

Here are some pics of our little guy...

Having fun playing with some toys...

I love prunes!!!

Always smiling... :)

Me and my cousins, Ethan and Tate

It's college football season -- Roll Tide!!!

So sleepy...

Just playin' in my jolly jumper - one of my favorite things to do!

6 Months (and a bit... sorry this is late)

2008-09-04T21:15:00.012-05:00

Tanner is quite the little man and he has had a great summer. He is now up to a whopping 21 pounds and he has two bottom teeth! He's eating cereal and fruit along with his bottle and we've discovered that he actually enjoys prunes!

He's rolling over a bit and "swimming" on the floor, so I think crawling will be coming soon. He is also standing up when we hold his arms which is pretty cute.

He's developing quite a fun and happy personality - except of course when a toy is taken away from him like my cell phone, then you might see a few alligator tears, but other than that, he is a very happy and fun baby who laughs all the time.

Here are a few pics...

Tanner's First Taste of Cereal...

Fun in Myrtle Beach...

Tanner did not enjoy his first time in the ocean - the waves were pretty loud and scared him.

Just lazing on the beach...

Tanner in his linen Hawaiian shirt...

Fun in Chicago...

At the Shedd Aquarium...

5 Months!!

2008-07-23T22:56:00.003-05:00

Our little Tanner is 5 months old already. He really is the sweetest baby ever and we absolutely love spending time with him. He is laughing and smiling all the time, starting to try and blow bubbles and making all sorts of fun baby noises. He just started to roll over shortly after his 5 month birthday and he's fun to watch when he discovers that he has feet to play with! He is a blast!

My First Haircut...

2008-07-23T22:48:00.004-05:00

Mom and Dad just couldn't handle my mullet anymore, so they brought out the hair clippers. It ended up a little crooked - but now people can see the back of my neck!!

Before:

After:

My First July 4th!

2008-07-23T22:41:00.002-05:00

Tanner had a great first July 4th weekend! We hung out with family in Michigan and enjoyed some great weather by the pool. He was so tuckered out by the end of the day he slept through all the fireworks!

4 Months Old!

2008-06-24T23:01:00.006-05:00

Tanner is 4 months old already! He had his well baby checkup last week and he weighs 18 pounds and is 25 inches long. He's in the 95th percentile for his weight, but it's kind of cute since it's all in his cheeks and his thighs! Jamie and I are having a great time with him as he is becoming very interactive and "talkative". He is a great baby boy and we are just so blessed!

This is Tanner's hair after Mommy had some fun with it...

Our Family...

Look at how his belly hangs over those shorts!!!

So sweet...

3 Months Already... Can You Believe It?!?

2008-05-17T23:56:00.003-05:00

Here are some recent pics of Tanner... he's growing so fast! He is really starting to fill out - especially in those chubby cheeks of his!

Trip to Orlando

2008-04-13T16:41:00.003-05:00

First plane ride... Tanner pretty much slept from when we left the house until we touched down in Orlando.
Tanner in his swim diaper, swim shirt and cool lookin' bucket hat!
Downtown Disney...
First carousel ride...
Tanner got some Mickey ears at Disney World!

Layin' by the pool...
It's way too bright in Florida!
Chillin' out in the sun...
It's a small world ride at Disney World...

What a Handsome Smile...

2008-04-04T10:58:00.005-05:00

Tanner is starting to smile a whole lot more now. We're so excited to hear him laugh for the first time!

Easter... "Just Hatched!"

2008-03-25T20:37:00.004-05:00

For Easter Tanner went on his first trip to Grammy and Grampy's house in Michigan. He did great and slept most of the way there. We all had a great time.

Yummy Yummy Fingers...

2008-03-25T20:06:00.004-05:00

Two Week Doctor Visit

2008-03-09T21:04:00.004-05:00

Tanner had his two-week doctor's appointment last Tuesday. He is back up to 9 pounds and 11 ounces! The doctor said he is doing great!

Home Sweet Home

2008-02-27T20:31:00.005-06:00

Tanner came home last Thursday and has been getting used to his new surroundings. He's eating well, sleeping lots, pooping more and peeing only when mommy and daddy are trying to change him. We're having a blast!

Proud Mommy & Daddy

2008-02-20T11:50:00.002-06:00

More Pics

2008-02-19T10:45:00.002-06:00

Introducing Tanner James Stultz

2008-02-19T10:25:00.003-06:00

Tanner James Stultz finally decided to join the world at 12:39 a.m. this morning, Tuesday, Feb. 19th. He weighs a whopping 9 pounds and 0.4 ounces and is 20 1/2 inches long. He's got a full head of black hair as you can see and is doing great.

Monday was a long day of intense labor but Melissa is recovering well. After they broke her water at 8 a.m. yesterday they waited to see if good contractions would start on their own. Needless to say they needed to give her some Pitocin to get things rolling a little more which made the contractions pretty intense and close together for the majority of the day. Melissa did well though and got through the labor without getting an epidural. She pushed for over 2 hours to get our little guy out!

Now that he is finally here we are enjoying every minute of him!

Evening has come...

2008-02-18T18:04:00.002-06:00

...and no baby yet, but Melissa is progressing nicely. She has been in some intense labor pains since around noon and has just now been given a little bit of medication to take the edge off of the contractions and to help save some energy for the when the pushing starts. (Sadly to say, they didn't offer me anything, but I am progressing nicely as well)

The doctor is happy with her progress and we are all proud of how strong she has been so far. Hopefully Tanner will be here before the night is through.

On our way...

2008-02-18T08:12:00.003-06:00

We arrived at the hospital last night at 5:30 and got settled. The doctor came in the room and and started Melissa on a medication to get the induction process going. Holly and Michelle (Jamie's mom) visited last night with some McDonalds which was much appreciated. Melissa got her sleeping pill at 11 and we both slept some. The nurse had to come in during the night to roll Melissa over because the baby's heart rate would get low when she was sleeping on her back and going through a contraction. The nurse said she came in twice, I only woke up once and Melissa didn't wake up at all which was good. They came in this morning and removed the medication and did a check up and Melissa is progressing and so they decided to try to break the water. They were successful and the doctor said everything is moving in the right direction.

2008-02-17T20:30:00.003-06:00

Despite the bad snow storm we got today, Jamie and Holly managed to shovel us out and we got to the hospital okay. So, we're here tonight hoping things get started and the doctor will be back in the morning. Hopefully before tomorrow is over our little boy will be here!

2008-02-11T21:38:00.000-06:00

Here is an ultrasound picture from January. What a cutie! :)

Still Happy in the Womb

2008-02-11T15:19:00.000-06:00

Well, Feb. 9th has come and gone and our little one is still happy in the womb. I have another doctor's appointment tomorrow to see how things are going. If he doesn't come on his own this week the doctor will start induction on Sunday night -- so not long now! :)