Happy Mother's Day!

In honor of two amazing ladies...

I am so blessed to have a wonderful mom that has sacrificed so much for me over the years. She is a beautiful example of grace, strength and compassion. I am so thankful that she loves our son with every bit as much passion as she loved me! Thanks, Mom, for being the most wonderful mom and mooma! Siah can't wait to see you in a few weeks!

I am also blessed to have this beautiful lady in my life! I am so grateful that she raised the man I love to be a man of strength and integrity. She is a great mother-in-law and a fabulous grandma! We are all so excited to see you this weekend, Becky!

Siah will be going through his little photo album of faces and will be practicing the words Grandma and Mooma in anticipation of the coming visits!

...and Happy Mother's Day to me!!! I love being a mom! Everyday I get to watch this little person make new discoveries and gain more and more passion for life! What a great gig this is! Happy Mother's Day to all the mommies out there who make sacrifices every single day for their children. I love knowing that the adventure that I am now on is the most important thing God has called me to, the most challenging thing I could ever take on, and the most rewarding experience I could imagine!

I also have the incredible honor of working every day with another group of women who deserve honor. Yesterday was birth mother's day! I can't imagine a bigger sacrifice, as a mom, than to say good bye to your child in order to give them the kind of life you want for them. There is no greater love than to choose to give your child both roots and wings. The roots of their biological heritage and identity that will follow them in their smile, their gifts and talents and the color of their eyes. And to give them wings in the opportunities and love that are provided when a little child is placed in the arms of an adoptive family. Parenting, as I now know so well, is really about bringing as many people as possible around a child to love them. And isn't that truly what adoption is about? I love the birth moms I get the honor of journeying with. What incredible hearts they have! I am thinking about and praying for many of these women this weekend.

Videos

The worst toy ever

We went to Baby's R Us the other day to buy a little toy that had lots of gears and knobs and things to do that would create a developmentally appropriate learning experience about cause and effect for our young prodigy.

Well, we thought this one would do the trick, who doesn't love driving? And look at all those buttons to push. Looking back, it wouldn't have hurt to take it around the proverbial block for a spin before checking out with it, but here's to hindsight.

So we get it home and of course the anticipation is building in our young son who is ready to jump behind the wheel. Thankfully it had batteries already in it so we didn't have to wait long to hear this toy in all it's glory.

So what's all the fuss about? Imagine, if you will, that this little toy's noises, although it appears to use children's songs, is sung by junior-high-sounding children...and not only is that a little strange if you ask me; for a toy for a 9 month old. But the children are creepy as well. They sing songs about car crashes (not kidding) set to the tune of well known children's songs but the words are changed. It just started seeming a little "Chucky" like to me; but I was willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. Then I touched the horn. Seriously, this horn says verbatim "Get Out Of My Way!!!" in like the snottiest, rudest, junior-high voice you have every heard (or if you haven't had the pleasure of hearing a junior high girl say those very words, just use your imagination). Trust me it is not the first sentence you want your baby learning.

This toy came complete with police sirens and Harly-esk revving noices for the budding delinquent in the home! Needless to say, that toy is now back home safe at Baby's R Us and far far away from our child. Seriously Vtech, you are what is wrong in the world. I am sticking with Baby Einstein from now on !

Anyway, here are some pictures to round out month 9! We are heading quickly toward month 10...Unbelievable! Caleb likes to remind me that we have now successfully kept a child alive for 10 months. I like to think we have done a little better job that that (despite our poor choice of children's toys). We have one happy, healthy little guy here who loves people (and dogs!), can find excitement in (oh, everything)...and is the light of my life and the very best reason for getting up each morning!

I feel like this pretty much sums up the ins and outs of our day to day. Par for the course really, so yes, Josiah probably has many more germs than your child!

Shep is starting to stand up for himself though so I am sure things are about to get a lot more interesting around here. Did I mention that Si is walking around the coffee table now as long as he holds on and has a full glass of water in his sights. (he is very goal-oriented).

Si was a little confused about what to do next after putting his flip flop out the doggie door. Thankfully he has not figured out how to exit through the doggie door (yet).

He is my cuddle bug and loves to snuggle. I am a lucky mommy!

I'm busy...

...but not too busy for a few pictures. We had Si's 9 month check up the middle of this month. He is doing just perfect! He is 18.5 lbs and 27 inches long. Around 25 percentile. I will post something more interesting this weekend. Caleb says he's been on video duty so stay tuned...

We had a picnic in the back yard the other day. A perfect location for a naked baby and teething biscuits.

Okay, this hat does come off a little girly in photos, but I am convinced that it will be super adorable when it fits him. We are going to the OR coast in August so he'll need some shade for that fair skin.

A TOOTH

3 days shy of 9 months and Siah has his first tooth! We were beginning to think he would be just like his mom: no teeth on the first birthday. But now, after lots of drool, the pearly white on the bottom right has finally poked through! Yeah, Si!

THANKFULLY, he hasn't been too fussy so we are hopeful this teething experience will be smooth sailing.

Josiah was being hilarious today. We hung out in the backyard this evening after the gym and Si was so excited to chase Shep around the yard. By the way, Si has a favorite KidZone worker at the gym, her name is Hannah and we are always happy to see her there. Also, Hannah informed me today that Si is in love with a little girl there. She is about 4 I'd say. I guess it is safe to assume he likes daycare now....and we thought he cried because he missed us. Turns out he just needed to make some new friends!
Since I am off topic anyway, might as well brag that I have been to the gym at least 4 times a week recently. One of these days I will include pictures of how buff I am. (but don't hold your breath!)

Anyway, back to the back yard. I took some pictures of him "on the day he got a tooth" I think the fact that most of these are blurry as well as viewing the video below will make it obvious why I was unable to actually take a picture of his tooth. Maybe this is the time that the picture-taking slows down...won't be able to get him to sit still.

So no pictures of the teeth, but trust me; it is there.


This is the best video ever. I am starting to get an idea of the chaos soon to engulf the Fields house. Shep and Si were actually playing together; Shep trying to keep his toy away from Si. (At least I think he was playing!)

The Great Outdoors

Spring has definately sprung in AZ. And our little man has discovered the joys of grass, dirt, rocks and dog toys!

We have spent so much time outside lately and Josiah loves it. We have a neighbor (with two girls by the way) who assured us that all babies will stay on a blanket outside on the lawn because they hate the feeling of grass. We thought that sounded a little odd when he said it but since Si wasn't crawling yet we didn't have any evidence to the contrary. Let me asure you that the blanket would have to have walls and barbed wire to keep him off the grass. If Shep can be on the grass; Si can be on the grass. We have quite the explorer on our hands. It is no surprise really. The only surprise really, being a "nurture" minded person, is how close the apple really does fall from the tree! Caleb was ALWAYS into everything as a child....and as an adult. Little Fields appears to be quite inquisitive too...uh oh.

Si has been crawling really well for about a week now. It is so fun to get to see him get to where he wants to go. We can physically see now what he has been thinking he wished he had all this time. The knobs on the drawers of the entertainment center is apparently the big prize.

And our new-most-used phrase: No, Josiah, look at this!

On another note, that tree in the background, in the pot, is now enjoying some wiggle room in the ground after it failed to grow at all or yeild a single piece of fruit after three years. I guess "dwarf mandarin" doesn't mean it fits in a pot! Maybe next year we will actually get some fruit.

We went to the Tempe Art Festival last weekend for some people-watching and junk food-eating...and art.

(Notice Siah's rosy cheeks)

We weren't at the fair for more than 2 minutes before a woman (perfect stranger) looked at Si and then shot daggers at us and said (under her breath) "sunburn" like Caleb and I were the worst parents ever for having Si in the sun all day without sunscreen. Did I mention we had been there not more that 2 minutes at that point and had 50 proof slathered all over our poor son. You may know the kind of comment; she wanted us to hear her but didn't want it to be direct enough that we would call her on saying it. Well we did. Caleb gave her a piece of his mind and I'd say she will think twice before being passive agressive with perfect strangers again.

So here is the explanation for those of you who thought the same thing. Si has rug burn on his face because he still uses it to balance himself during his explorations. A perfectly good explanation if you ask me.

Speaking of exploration; here are a couple of videos of Siah escaping to the great outdoors.

the beginning of mobility

...and we're off! Now that Si is getting from one place to another with slightly more agility, it seems like there are hazards and cords and sharp obstacles everywhere. A little scary to say goodbye to the ease of immobility, but we are so excited too! We have a crawler (almost, he still rolls to get most places quickly) and life as we knew it is over! Amazing. We are on to new adventures and couldn't be more excited.

Check out our progress! What a cutie, huh!?