Boys

Julian's getting older (and bigger) by the minute, so I thought it necessary to share a couple of recent pictures of our 3 1/2 month old boy. We went to the doctor for his excema issues (a challenge in a tropical climate, I tell you!) around his 3 month birthday, and he weighed 15.5 pounds. I'm abstaining from eggs and dairy, as our pediatrician thinks an allergy might be at work in his sweet little system. It remains to be seen, but things are looking better, in general, and we're learning to manage.

The last two weeks have been quite full. Adjusting has been a full-time job, but there's been much more on top of that. So, more to come in the next few days.

crazy baby

look at the size of those cheeks!

And, one more thing...

Daddy and his helper working on Asa's big boy bed. It should be done this week, and we'll enter a new chapter that involves Em and Asa sharing a room. I love this picture, because Asa is so expressive and funny, and this shows one of his silly expressions. He'll make these faces and then burst out laughing. He's a fun little guy.

Happy Easter from Thailand

When I look at this picture, I think we look far more with it than we actually are. This was not our most Martha Stewart Easter, what with the jet lag and fierce perspiration and all, but we managed to get dressed and to church, and it was a joy to see our friends there and celebrate Christ's resurrection.

We're feeling a little more normal every day, but transition is challenging. The kids have been up in the middle of the night hungry (also, Asa was scared of his air conditioner, sweet thing), and we have been in a bit of a fog. It's really hot here, and that makes one lethargic. I'm also very uninterested in cooking. If not for the children, I'd be happy to survive on Italian chocolate for the present.

We were greeted with much love by our wonderful friends. Signs, streamers and balloons, a sparkling clean house (with all of our things in it- hooray!), dinner, food in the fridge- we were so thankful and humbled by their service to us. We are very blessed with our community here.

And speaking of community, just look at this pool party! Big fun for the kiddos. Emmy and PJ are SOOO happy to be together again and have picked up right where they left off. I went outside today at the Henry's and found PJ sprawled out (an injured tiger), and Emmy was at the pool finding water for him in the desert before he perished. Asa, meanwhile, was making sure no one touched his water guns, as a good 2-year old should. (It's Songkran, by the way- the Thai holiday that involves copious amounts of water. We had buckets full of water thrown at us as we drove today, and everyone has a bucket or a water gun...)

And our little drummer on Easter morning at church...he makes his daddy proud...

A word about protests and riots- things are quiet where we are. The unrest seems to be located in a pretty small area of downtown. It's certainly disturbing, and we're praying for peace and hearts that are opened to God's love.

Playing with Fire

A few pictures from a ceramics workshop Tim did at Covenant College recently. He taught them to do raku, an ancient Japanese firing technique (if you clicked the hyperlink to learn more about raku firing, I'm highly impressed with your love for learning:). As you can see, it was quite an exciting time...




He is just too cool. The other day I asked him if he wished he'd married an artist, and he replied, "You are an artist. You work in dough and chocolate." What a guy.

It's About Time for an Update...

On our precious little boy...
Well, he's managed to reach 10 weeks at an astonishing rate. These smiles have been eliciting childish giggles from his parents for a number of weeks now, and "Baby Julian" is still all the rage with his big sister and brother. In short, we're finding that he's a delightful, placid little guy, and we're so very thankful for our gift from God. He's always been one to go right back to sleep after eating at night, which has made the feeling of sleep deprivation minimal this time, and is extremely gracious of him. Although he usually has a long 6 hour stretch of sleep early in the night, he is not yet doing any true "sleeping through the night". But I have learned to be content in all circumstances...

And really, who could deny this guy milk?

At his two month appointment, he weighed 13 pounds, 14.5 ounces, which is in the 95th percentile, and he was 25 7/8 inches, which is off the charts. When the nurse measured him, she looked puzzled and said, "We'd better do that again." The second reading confirmed his stature, and she said the standard, "Your husband must be tall." To which I replied the standard, "Not particularly, but he is incredibly handsome."


Julian's habits are pretty straightforward at this point, and he's fallen in nicely with our little family. A number of people have asked what it's been like to adjust to three children, and it's hard to say just yet. The verdict will be in when all the transition is over and I'm trying to load three children into the back of a taxi truck in Thailand for a jaunt to the market in the searing heat. That is the true test of motherhood.


There's also much speculation as to who he looks like. Feel free to weigh in with your thoughts. I think we all expect him to look like a little Asa, but he is clearly his own little guy with his own little debonair look. I think in this picture you can see what he might look like as an adult. Makes me want to smother those cheeks with kisses while I can!


This look of disbelief was captured just after we told him that we'd be flying across the world in 9 more days. He was just starting to get used to things around here...

Just Because It Makes Me Laugh

An Almost Birthday

Emmy has spent her last three birthdays in Bangkok, so during our time here she's longed for a birthday party in America. Tonight we've had two of her favorite people in the whole world- her cousin Claire and her dear Gracyn- three very excited little girls and their dolls having a great time together celebrating a birthday 3 months early. They've played hard, been extremely silly, eaten pizza (complete with little plates and cups for the dolls!), made leis (we have a tropical theme), had cake and ice cream, watched Sleeping Beauty, and generally had a fun, sweet time.

So thankful for these girls and their love for our Em...




And this was the scene at bedtime several hours ago...thankfully, they've finally settled down!


Lots to catch up on around here...lots more to come...