Our 6-week-old

Si is 6 weeks old today. It is amazing how fast this time has gone. Over the last 6 weeks Josiah has gained over three pounds, and his parents have come a considerable way in learning how to provide for our little angel's every need! We are having so much fun! I have said so many times how desperate I am to remember every little face he makes; he is just so adorable. I feel so incredbly blessed to get to be his mommy.

We are dealing with a bit of acid reflux with him so he has been put on a medication to reduce the acid in his little tummy. Basically he was spitting up (or projectile vomiting) every time he ate and any time we laid him on his back--so being astute new parents, we decided to bring the problem up to his pediatrician. Turns out he should out grow it soon and doesn't at all seem to be effecting his growth, so with a few new tricks up our sleeves and a medication that Si hates the taste of, we are doing much better in the spit up department--and laundry department by extension!

Here are some pictures and video from the last week or two. Enjoy!

Tummy time is a group activity!

Probably the last time I videotape myself laughing at Josiah while he cries!

I haven't been able to capture the smile on camera yet, but close...very close

The boys are becoming best of friends. Shep is acting very much like Lassie lately. It is really amazing. One evening Si had just started crying because he was hungry while Caleb was holding him. While I finished something I was doing on the computer, Caleb attempted to pasify him until I got over there to feed him. Well that was not good enough for Shep, he ran in from outside, busting through his little doggy door, ran strait over and "pointed" at Josiah and then ran directly to me and started poking me in the ribs with his nose. After he had gotten my attention he ran right back outside. Si is sure lucky to have such an attentive dog!

This is the "fat" picture: We are so thankful to see some roles and can't get enough of that double chin! What a cutie

This look happened approximately 3 seconds after we gave him his aforementioned medication for his tummy, and approximately 1 second before his parents feared they had just over-dosed their young child. Caleb grabbed the bottle to re-read the dosage and the insert to read the list of possible side-effects....and in the middle of all that I grabbed the camera. BTW: he did not OD and he has never reacted in such a fashion again.

Josiah loves to nap with Daddy

I promise; this is the same kid that has the huge double chin above...skinny little guy isn't he?

Our strong boy!

I've taken back the reigns

Well thanks to my mother you've seen some pictures of Si from the first few weeks and also heard his little voice as we imagine he has lots to say! Well, now Si is one month old and mom has gone home and I have again realized that it is my responsibility to keep you all up to date with new pictures. So no more "Si's Perspective"; I'm taking back the reigns and you are getting Anna's perspecitive! Here are some pictures from this weekend since Becky has been here.

So here are some things I have learned in the first month of parenting:

1. First and foremost, epidurals are amazing: don't be a hero, ladies...get the hard drugs! They made labor and delivery a wonderful experience. (the first several hours were not...)

2. Breastfeeding and pumping to stay ahead is a full-time job. (wait, don't I have a full-time job that I have to return to in a couple of weeks!? Yikes, that's two full-time jobs...other people do this, right?!

3. The books that I read about parenting, bonding, feeding, sleeping, bla, bla, bla...filled me with tons of hope for a angel/textbook/easy little lad. And then he came and I found that I was prepared for exactly NOTHING that Si did.

4. Little boys have AT LEAST a 20 inch "spray zone" and no allies even though I feed him, house him, bathe him, etc. There is just no loyalty.

5. "Sleep when your baby sleeps" is an unfortunate myth that seems to remain illusive to me if I want other small things in my life...like a shower, clean dishes and adult conversations.

6. When you have a Husky/Shepherd it is impossible to keep the hair out of the room...or off the baby...or out of his bottle for that matter. And then you realize how important the phrase "oh well" is! For everything really, not just dog hair.

7. Allowing baby to sleep the day away is a really bad idea once it is night time. And also, concerning sleep...baby appears to have a long enough memory to remember that you allowed him to sleep in bed with you last time....and this crib is just not quite the same.

8. Grandmothers have a lot of valuable knowledge like its okay to continue to bathe a baby in water he has just peed in....is that really okay?

9. I could have every burp cloth we have (which are many) sitting on practically every surface we have in our tiny house; and still the second Si projectile vomits there is nothing in the whole room to wipe it up with!

10. There is absolutely nothing in the world that is more wonderful or a bigger blessing than becoming Si's mommy!

Si is doing wonderfully! He has gained a couple of pounds since birth and is just thriving! Although we were not EVEN CLOSE to prepared for his early arrival, we were profoundly blessed to have my mom, dad and sister fly in within 12 hours of his birth. They got us prepped and ready for anything and I just sadly said goodbye to mom about a week ago. I had a short stint as a single parent for a long weekend while Caleb was out of town (don't plan on doing that again...ever) and now we are so excited to have Caleb's mom in town for a few days. Caleb and I are so thankful for our families out of state and for the AZ families we've been adopted into here in the desert. Thanks for all of your support!

Just Me & My Mom

Hi again. Daddy's off to his BFFs wedding in Oregon (that's the real reason I came early--if they were still waiting until next Tuesday for me, Daddy couldn't go see Joel get married), so mommy and I are just hanging here in the Arizona heat. I've gained a bunch of weight, as you can probably tell from these pictures. I even have some fat on my arms. Last time they weighed me I was 6 pounds 11.5 ounces--and that was last week. Just think how much I weigh now!

I'm really strong, too. I can lift my head up when I'm doing Tummy Time and I can even turn it over and look the other direction. Watch this!

Mooma went home. She said she still loves me even though she had to go back to Washington. I believe her, 'cause she kissed and hugged me a lot. She said three weeks was probably enough for Papa and Andy to fend for themselves.

Daddy's mom is going to come see me this weekend. She takes really good pictures (she's a pro) so we'll have even better pictures for me to post later. Just wanted to let you know how I was doing. Bye for now.

PS: Hurry home Daddy--we miss you.

I'm Home

I'm home, and I'm a whole week old--cool, huh. I really only had to stay at the hospital a couple days and we all came home together. My Papa and Mooma and Auntie Casey were all here to meet me, but Papa and Auntie Casey had to go home. I guess my Mooma really likes me 'cause she's still here.

It's been a really busy week. Yesterday they actually took me to have some medical thing done so the other kids won't make fun of me in the locker room; anyway it really hurt at the time, but I'm OK now. See how good I can move around!

Today is my daddy's birthday. I don't think you can tell, but my onsie says "I love my daddy" and I really do. This is me snuggling with him. I can tell when I snuggle with my daddy because he has all that prickly stuff on his neck. I kind of like it, though, and mommy says he's handsome.



Daddy went to float the river with the youth from our church. He said I couldn't go 'cause it's only for Junior & Senior High kids--whatever that is. Maybe next year he will take me. I'll be lots bigger by then.

I have to go now. We're having cake and ice cream for daddy's birthday. Hope it's good--I've never had that before. Oh yeah, one more picture. This is one of my mom's favorites. She's really impressed with what I can do with my feet, but she says I can't run away and join the circus. Hmmmm.

I'm Here

Hi guys! Mom's kind of busy (trying to get me to eat) so I thought I'd let you know I'm here. On Thursday I heard there was a really hot weekend coming up and decided it would be a good idea to get out of this cooped-up space. So I just decided to assert myself and come on out. It took awhile but I made it by about 10 a.m. on Friday, July 10. Turns out my decision-making skills could use some work and I really should have waited until August 4 like everyone expected, but you know--live and learn! Everyone keeps asking my mom and dad how big I am, so I might as well come right out with it: I'm 6 pounds and 19.5 inches long. I got to go--mom's pretty insistant that I eat; but she'll write more in a couple days! Can't wait to meet you all! Love, Josiah...PS: Check out my wing span (NBA here I come)! And I have better pictures, but this is my very first one--I think I'm only a minute or two old!

33 weeks and counting

Just a quick update and photo of what week 33 brought this little pregnant mama! "little moms" is what the instructor at our birthing class called us...I had a hard time deciding if I liked being called that or if it was a tiny bit offensive. I guess in any case, "big moms" would have been much worse.

Josiah is doing wonderfully I am happy to report! We just had a doctor's appt. yesterday and our doc says that he is doing great. He is moving all the time! She felt around my belly this time to help me figure out where he is positioned. Finally it seems our little man has put his head down where it is suppose to go...good to see since I was beginning to think he was committed to being breech till the end. Mostly he seems to sway his little buns from one side of my belly to the other. According to my best-guess websites, Josiah is around 4-5 pounds and 19 inches long. He will gain about a half a pound a week and I will gain about a pound a week from here on out. He is filling out now and preparing to make his grand entrance. Sometimes I just take him into his room and we walk around and I talk to him about how cool it's going to be when he gets here and we can play with all his stuff! (Between the sleeping and crying of course).

I am very anxious to meet him! Every day it seems I realize how boring life has become without a baby around! What a weird thing to think before he is even here. I guess that is God's way of preparing me for this huge life change. Unfortunately I am still waiting for the nesting period to begin! I really am looking forward to an energy boost and a clean and organized house...nesting isn't just a myth, right?! it really happens?! If not, I am just going to have to manufacture the energy from somewhere because it still seems like there is so much to do!

I was a little lonely this week because Caleb was gone all week on a summer youth trip. Thankfully the weekend came and he returned. Just in the nick of time...it is a lot harder to have a traveling husband when you're 33 weeks pregnant. Must be those raging hormones again! Caleb's had 2 trips so far and 2 more to go before Josiah is born. In fact, you can all be praying for Josiah to come AT LEAST after July 27 as Caleb will be in New Orleans for a youth trip from the 22nd until the 27th. A little scary that close to my due date, but we like to think of ourselves as "adventurous". Never a dull moment! Thankfully my parents will fly in the day before Caleb leaves so at least I won't be alone if the unexpected happens...and of course we have lots of contingency plans for how to get Caleb home if I go into labor...except that if he is already in New Orleans, the plans still include a standby flight and who knows how long that will take! So pray the contingency plans are not needed!

But I am sure you will hear much more about that when the time comes. As for this last week, Caleb took a team of 30 up to the Navajo reservation for a week of VBS. They had a great time and we finally got him home and in bed around midnight last night. It was a little lonely for me. Usually I do great with his summer travels and am eternally greatful that he has a job where a few trips in the summer are all we have to deal with. However, remember the hormonal changes...I got really lonely, even though I spent time with friends at least half the nights he was gone...and then worked full time on top of that. I don't know what to make of it, but I am going to have to gear up for these last two weeks of his absense. Let's just say it is wonderful to have him home! Here are some pictures of his trip.

Caleb and the team on a hike

Some of the Navajo kids during VBS

The River is a long-held tradition for the team...

(don't you wish you were there!)

In case you have not been introduced to Caleb's Traeger...

This is it! Caleb took it to Navajo and used it to feed a ton of people this week!

He is very proud!

Quite the week 31

This week was a busy one! I am 31 weeks pregnant and we had the incredible fortune of having my great friend Carolyn come for a visit! Carolyn is expecting her second child, a little boy, about 8 weeks after Josiah is due.

This picture is entitled "Belly to Belly". I thought I had a 22 week photo, but I must not. I do remember, however, that I am pretty sure I showed more at 16 weeks than Carolyn shows now at 22... Carolyn and I have decided that although we are the exact same height, what I have in legs, she makes up in Tourso! We are pretty sure her son is standing strait up in there and creating no tummy what so ever!

She is really working here for this much tummy...I however, am not working at all to show off Josiah to the world...Josiah is all to happy to show himself off at this point!


We had a ton of fun this week shopping for maternity clothes and mostly just talking and relaxing!

We also did a project for Josiah! I know this is a pattern for me where I have friends come over to help me with projects that I am just not Martha Stewart-y enougth to handle...and this week was no exception!

Carolyn is VERY crafty and has a very cute "birdy" mobile in her daughter's room...so she volunteered to make a mobile a reality for Si as well.

I think it turned out very well! Certainly much better than if I'd been left to my own devices! It is pretty funny, we are going for this animal/noah's ark theme for his room and I had this idea to make a mobile out of thin wood animal pieces that we could paint to match his room colors...anyway, we went to the Hobby Lobby and bought each and every wooden animal they had which turned out to be a very eclectic assortment from dogs and cats to a moose, rooster, kangaroo and aligator and even a large mouth bass-or that, at least is what we think it is. So they all went on the mobile together. Thankfully we have some time to learn which sounds each of those animals make before we have to start teaching Si...What does a large mouth bass say?




From Josiah's perspective!

It was absolutely wonderful to have Carolyn here. I truly felt so refreshed after our visit! Just what I needed.
Thank you, Carolyn for taking time away from your husband and daughter to hang out with me. So fun to get to experience pregnancy with a great friend--especially one who has been pregnant before and can share all of her pearls of wisdom!

We girls were also blessed to have my wonderful husband take very good care of us. As many of you know, Caleb has a new Traeger BBQ (no, scratch that...I mean "smoker") which he used to cook us some amazing food! I had been without Caleb for the entire week before Carolyn arrived and had been pretty much a vegitarian in his absence. (in my opinion, sometimes you just need a little break from the traeger). So it was great to have him back home and he took very good care of us this week!

Carolyn left this Wednesday morning and we picked up another member of our family! Our friends Bob and Bethany left town for the weekend and left us with their 100+ pound dog, Rocky! Rocky and Shep have a very love/hate relationship, so it is always entertaining to get them together! Just a cute picture of all my boys, Caleb is taking the picture. It occured to me with stark reality how my femininity will be far, far outnumbered soon....Yikes.




To round out our hectic week; Caleb and I had our 4th wedding anniversary on Thursday which we spend at our Child Birth Preparation class. We got to meet several cool pregnant couples, learned a lot about anatomy and viewed some very disturbing videos about our almost immediate future! It was great. It was much more like Lamaz class than I was expecting, especially since I am fairly committed to receiving an epidural as soon as possible, but I am glad for all the information about breathing and relaxing anyway! Caleb was a great coach!

We did actually get to experience our anniversay in a tad more romantic way...we just waited until Friday. Here is a picture of us out to dinner to celebrate 4 years together! Pretty sure our next four years will look very different from the last four!...and we couldn't be more excited!