sunny days

With this being busy season for Adam at work, we try to take advantage of the time we do get to spend together. We were blessed this last weekend with some absolutely gorgeous, sunny days that are rather elusive this time of year. On Saturday afternoon we packed a picnic lunch and headed to the wildlife refuge just down the road, I think it's technically in Tualatin. If we were real "birders" I'm sure I'd be able to tell you what kinds of birds we saw. Unfortunately, to me they are merely big birds, little birds, big-beaked birds, etc. Kenji was sad that she couldn't come, as she definitely would have disturbed the wildlife.

On Sunday, we took an excursion that Kenji was also allowed to come along on. (In case you were wondering, the cat never comes on trips - she hates the car. She also prefers having the house to herself, we're pretty sure.) We explored Lee Falls, apparently an infrequently trafficked attraction, considering there were no signs anywhere and we had to rely on an older guide book and some locals to point us in the right direction. But it was a great day and was worth the trip. Credit for the beautiful photos goes to my talented husband.

Food, glorious food!

We continue this adventure that is food. We've told Michaela that if she's her mother's daughter, she will love to eat. I think the jury is still out on this. As of today, she has now tasted rice cereal, sweet potatoes, and avocado. I think her favorite is sweet potato, for now.

How come it's not polite for us to look like this when we eat?

Half-Year Birthday

Yes, can you believe it?! Michaela turned 6 months old on Monday. Adam and I certainly have a hard time believing Michaela is that old, and yet on the other hand, it is hard to imagine our lives without her in our family. We have been greatly blessed through her.

Michaela's physical revealed all systems are go. She weighs 14 pounds, 12 ounces (25th percentile) and is 26 inches tall (55th percentile). She demonstrated for the doctor her ability to "fake cough" and tried to listen to her own heart with the stethoscope. The doctor gave us the go-ahead to start feeding Michaela solid foods. Rice cereal, here we come! Michaela later showed us the face of shock, pain and betrayal when she received her next round of vaccinations. Poor thing. Adam always makes me hold her hands and console her because he doesn't want to be associated anywhere near the scene of the crime. Thankfully, though, she didn't seem adversely affected by the shots (emotionally or otherwise) and behaved normally the rest of the day.

To celebrate her six-month-a-versary, we went to visit her new friend Lillian (pictured above with her proud mommy Sarah). Lillian was so excited to meet Michaela that she entered the world a few weeks early. She was four days old when we got to see her and I got to hold her. Weighing in at not quite six pounds, baby Lily made Michaela feel like a heavyweight champ! I will narrate the photos in case they don't speak for themselves.

#1 - Michaela thinks - Oh, how fun! A playmate! Lillian thinks - Hungry!!!

#2 - Michaela thinks - I can almost reach her... there, got her! Victory!

#3 - Lillian thinks - Owie! Where's my mommy?!? Michaela ponders the satisfaction of a job well done.

Michaela's First Food

New photos

The Great Sock Houdini

For many months now Michaela has been amazing us with her ability to extract her feet from any type of sock we see fit to put on her. This was funnier in the summer when the weather was warm. Now, however, at the end of January, it's becoming one of the first Mommy v. Michaela showdowns. We have been taking some walks on these past days when it hasn't been raining, though it has been overcast and chilly, or sometimes sunny and chilly. Either way, I put Michaela in a hat or jacket with a hood, cozy clothes, and fuzzy socks for her feet. And off we go. The trouble with the way the stroller is set up is that I can be walking merrily along and not see Michaela's feet, because they are tucked up under the edge of the stroller canopy. When I stop to check and see, though, there her feet are - bare and cold. She still seems to be a happy camper! Perhaps what makes this so thrilling to Michaela and aggravating to me is that a baby is like a magnet for adult women of any age - and sometimes men. So anyone we pass on our walk has to stop and coo. Then they are exposed to my bad parenting as they see Michaela wiggling her bare toes in greeting - and me apparently completely oblivious. Please don't call children's services. It is for all these reasons above that I am a big fan of footed pajamas. It's really tough to get bare feet in those!

Mommy is afraid I might get cold...

All ready for a winter's day walk

Five Fabulous Months

Michaela turned 5 months old yesterday.  By all appearances she seems pretty pleased with what she has learned, explored and experienced. She has mastered the tricky art of rolling from her back to her tummy, and can occasionally find herself frustrated enough to roll back (after she yells about her situation for a while).

She discovered feet! Her feet. It's so cool how they come with toes attached. Sometimes she has also found that things magically become attached to her feet. See how one of her toys, "Mr. Rooster," also doing double duty as an anklet. (You may have to turn your head sideways to view this, since I neglected to rotate the photo before posting it.

During Christmas vacation, Adam had the chance to spend some extra fun times with his daughter. One important session was Adam teaching her how to be a "Super Baby."

She watched carefully to note how one blows out birthday candles. Should come in handy in the future.

Wow! My own high chair! Pretty neat except all it's used for is to let Michaela sit at table height while Adam and I eat dinner, since she's not eating any solids yet.

Michaela loves discovering new expressions and sounds! This involved grimacing a lot while blowing saliva bubbles and making gutteral noises.

Happy 60th Birthday Bev!

New Year's Day Reflections

New Year's Day is a great day. 

The television is on.  Hockey is getting ready to be played in Fenway Park, the Capital One Bowl game has kicked off, and the Ducks will be hitting the gridiron in the grand daddy of them all later this afternoon. 

But New Year's day is great beyond all the sporting reasons.  It's a great day to reflect on the past year.  To think about the year that has been and all the blessings that God has given us.

Yet, reading the newspaper, it is easy to forget that we are blessed!  Look at some of this morning's headlines:

"2009 started with hope but quickly turned to shambles"

"Keeping it real in the year ahead: Onward we now go, out of the decade of illusion, and disillusionment and into the new normal of the Two-Thousand-Teens."

"Recovery for Oregon elusive"

Living in the most powerful empire the world has ever seen, I think it is easy for us to forget just how blessed we are. 

Check out some of these stats (taken from Rob Bell's book Jesus Wants to Save Christians):

• America controls nearly 20% of the world's wealth.  There are around 6 billion people in the world, and there are roughly 300 million people in the US.  That makes America less than 5% of the world's population.  And this 5% owns 20% of the world's wealth.
• One billion people in the world do not have access to clean water, while the average American uses 400 to 600 liters of water a day.
• Every 7 seconds, somewhere in the world a child under age 5 dies of hunger, while Americans throw away 14% of the food we purchase.
• Nearly 1 billion people in the world live on less than one American dollar a day.
• Another 2.5 billion people in the world live on less than two American dollars a day.
• More than half of the world lives on less than two dollars a day, while the average American teenager spends nearly $150 a week.
• 40% of people in the world lack basic sanitation, while 49 million diapers are used and thrown away in America every day.
• 1.6 billion people in the world have no electricity.
• Nearly 1 billion people in the world cannot read or sign their name.
• Nearly 100 million children are denied basic education.
• By far, most of the people in the world do not own a car.  One third of American families own three cars.
• One in Seven children worldwide (158 million) has to go to work every day just to survive.
• Four out of five American adults are high school graduates.
• Americans spend more annually on trash bags than nearly half of the world does on all goods.

Human history has never witnessed the abundance that we consider normal.  America is the wealthiest nation in the history of humanity.  We have more resources than any group of people anywhere at any time has ever had.

God bless America?

God has.  And we should be very, very grateful.

So this is what I sit here on my couch and reflect on this New Year's day.  I reflect on God's faithfulness to me, my family, my state and my country.  And it is here that I publically announce my thankfulness for:

• My beautiful wife and the celebration of 5 years of marriage
• My brand new bundle of joy daughter
• Health
• Roof over my head
• Food on my table
• Family and friends
• Medical knowledge of quadruple bypass heart surgeries (Tom's heart surgery)
• God's gift of miracle conceptions (Abbey & Dave)
• Employment & the opportunity for Brook to stay home and raise our daughter

I am so grateful for God's blessing and abundance.  For me and my family, it is our prayer that during 2010 we do not forget the blessings God has provided us and that we can use our blessings to bless those who need it the most. 

Wishing you a happy New Year!