The Russians

Happy 7 Weeks Baby Girl!

2012-01-27T07:08:00.003-05:00

Couldn't resist posting these pics of my sweet little Sophie. She's seven weeks old today and is already changing so much. She can hold her head up really well by herself, and is smiling at us regularly. She listens very attentively when Jack comes to talk to her or play near her. Love watching her grow!!

Around here...

2012-01-25T21:50:00.003-05:00

I feel like I've been MIA in my regular life since Sophie was born. Which is normal, I guess. And I expected that, so it's not stressing me out too much that I'm mostly camped out at home still, breast feeding, pumping, rocking the baby and playing with the toddler. Apparently, getting out of the house with two is going to take some getting used to. But I miss all of you, my friends I haven't seen much lately! So here's a few pics from the past week to catch you up...

Daddy has been such a help! Here he is taking
the kiddos for a walk one evening

Jack and Andre met up with the Watson boys for breakfast on Saturday...Jack thought he was such big stuff sitting with the boys in the booth instead of a high chair and munched down his pancakes like a pro!

My babies, after their bath, all clean and yummy!

Siblings for sure

2012-01-19T21:25:00.005-05:00

And just for fun, here are some comparison pics of Jack and Sophia in similar poses at similar ages:

Jack & Sophia
Guess who was stuck in the birth canal for two hours and who went through a ten minute c-section?!! Ha!

Jack & Sophia

Both enjoyed their first bath!

Jack & Sophia
Sleeping in the sling

Like Mother, Like Daughter

2012-01-17T17:09:00.004-05:00

Ok, cheesiest title ever, but my sleep starved brain couldn't come up with anything better. And it's appropriate :). Everyone keeps telling us how much Sophie looks like me, especially anyone who knew me as a baby (most specifically my Mum!). So I pulled out some old photos and lo and behold, you're all correct! Here are some comparison pics of me and Sophie at the same age (I'm the top photos and she's the bottom ones):

You may have to click on the photo to view it larger. The top left of me on my Nana's lap looks like it's Sophie in the picture!

Etsy Love

2012-01-16T12:30:00.004-05:00

Mum ordered these adorable month stickers from Etsy for us...LOVE them! Here's how our photo shoot went :)

Cross eyed

That's better!

Are we done yet?

One Month Old

2012-01-11T17:34:00.003-05:00

Our sweet Sophia Joy turned one month old on Monday. It's gone so fast already! At her one month check up she weighed in at a whopping 7 lbs 6 oz...little shrimpy thing, just like Jack. Poor baby has developed pretty bad reflux and so is now on meds...again, just like her big brother! Otherwise she has a clean bill of health, praise the Lord. She has been a very happy and content baby up til the reflux started bothering her and I have been very grateful for an easy little girl. Unfortunately, she doesn't seem to like breastfeeding (again, like Jack!), so I pump a lot of the time and give her bottles when she won't feed, which is working for us at the moment. She is still waking up every 2.5 to 3 hours at night to eat, so I'm a little deficient in the sleep department, but hopefully that will start changing over the next few weeks. I'm trying to enjoy the special things about this newborn stage, despite it's challenges!

We love you little Sophie and are so thankful for you!

New Year's Eve and the Big Reveal

2012-01-10T11:42:00.003-05:00

My sister and her husband usually don't find out what gender their babies are. It drives us all crazy!! :) But this pregnancy, her third, they decided to have the ultrasound tech seal an envelope with the gender in it and then have a reveal party on New Year's Eve. One of Sean's co-workers, who is an amazing cook, baked the cake, with the appropriate color icing in the center and Ness and Sean cut it open at the party. So much fun!!

Boy or girl? We all voted before they cut the cake

Suspense!!!

It's pink!!! Another sweet little girl!
Ness had the girls dressed in big sister shirts and
then had one pink onesie and one blue one ready...too cute!

The inside of the cake; such a clever idea and
so much fun for all of us to witness!

We praise the Lord for another precious girlie who will join the family in March. Congrats Ness and Sean! And congrats on 8 years of marriage today...happy anniversary! You guys are a wonderful example of marriage to us all!

Boxing Day

2012-01-09T20:04:00.004-05:00

The day after Christmas (Boxing Day, as we call it), my brother and his wife arrived at the cabin and we finished opening presents and enjoyed digging into the stockings that Mum and Dad always do for each of our families.

Steve and Rachel opening their stocking

Ness and Sean opening their family stocking

Us opening our stocking

The rest of the week we spent relaxing. Jack loved every minute spent with his cousins, aunts, uncles and Nana and Grampa. Thanks for a wonderful week, dear family!

First time in the hot tub

Drawing with Uncle Steve

Not sure where his pants are!

Hanging out with Nana and Grampa

Playing dominoes with Alexis and Michaela

We even got a little bit of snow!

Christmas Day

2012-01-07T21:51:00.003-05:00

Christmas Day at the cabin was so much fun! Our family has never been away from one family member or others home for Christmas, so it was interesting spending the holiday somewhere different, and we had a really great time. Here's our day in pictures:

Opening presents from Mummy and Daddy first thing

Sophia got a book from Santa

Ready to dive into the pressies!
Don't you love their stockings hanging up there with the gun?

Opening his stocking (he loved "helping" Sophia with hers too)

Family photo after church
(we found a little Baptist church that had a lovely Christmas service)

And then the cousins arrived!! Ness and Sean and the girls got there in time for naps and then we all sat down to our traditional Christmas dinner around 5 pm

Jack imbibed (on sparkling apple cider!)

The kiddos with their presents from Nana and Grampa

Jack giving Grampa a thank you hug for his Thomas the Tank engine

Sophia with her pink Pickles Lovey (Jack has the blue one)

So thankful for our precious family and another special Christmas together. And for our dear little Sophia being with us this Christmas!

Christmas Eve

2012-01-05T11:07:00.001-05:00

Although this Christmas was supposed to be one we spent up in Illinois at my parents', they very kindly came down to Atlanta for the second year in a row to be with us all, as traveling was out of the question with Sophia being so young (apparently, airplanes and germs don't mix well with newborns!).

The day before Christmas Eve, Dad flew in for the week and got to meet his newest grand-baby. So special!

Then on Christmas Eve we packed up the car and drove up to the mountains to a cabin for the Christmas week. My sister and her family arrived on Christmas Day and my brother and his wife came up the day after.
So Christmas Eve was quiet and relaxing, settling in and exploring the beautiful cabin.

The cabin had a gorgeous view from this deck

Settling in with a cup of tea

Opening their new PJ's on Christmas Eve

Reading a Bible story with Grampa before bed

Home Visits

2012-01-04T09:56:00.000-05:00

Since we got home, Miss Sophia has had quite the procession of visitors:

Her future prince charming, Mr. Garrison Kirby,
came by to stake his claim!

His parents signed a marriage contract with us :)
We loved seeing you Gary and Heather!

And Aunty Hannah got in on some cuddles

Aunty Debs popped over for tea one morning

Andre's cousin Yuliya and her husband, Jon, came for dinner with us,
as they were passing through town for the holidays

And Liesl and her family spent the day with us, which was lovely, as they were also in town for Christmas

Jack had the BEST time playing with Sean and Liesl's boys!

Loved seeing you guys!

Going Home

2012-01-03T18:08:00.002-05:00

I stayed in the hospital for four days, resting and getting back on my feet, learning the whole breast-feeding thing again (!) and spending time with this sweet new little person. Here are a few pics of our time there and going home:

Beautiful, comfy room

Having a little rest with Daddy

Saying goodbye to our lovely nurse

Going home!

All dressed up in her cute outfit from Robin, to go home

Nana and Jack welcoming us home

First time out of the house since going home...a little visit to the duck pond

Birth Story

2011-12-18T19:28:00.006-05:00

Finally getting around to documenting Sophia's birth story. Not that dramatic or exciting, as it was a scheduled C-section, due to complications I had after Jack's birth (which you can read about here, should you so desire!). And this time around, the whole experience was WONDERFUL!!

I had switched doctors at 36 weeks (crazy, I know), to a friend from church, and I am so happy I did. It was great to have someone familiar doing my surgery and she did a fantastic job. This had also meant switching hospitals and again, I'm so pleased I did. We had a great experience there and were so comfortable and well cared for.

Last family photo before leaving for the hospital

Anyway, we were scheduled for 1 pm and went in at 11 am to get prepped. Honestly the worst part of the whole experience was getting the epidural put in...the rest of the time I didn't feel a thing! So great and so quick. One minute I'm lying on the operating table, delighting in feeling numb all over, after 9 months of being uncomfortable, and the next thing I know, there's a gorgeous, screaming baby girl!!

Daddy prepped and ready

Mummy prepped and VERY ready!

Stacy doing the surgery (on the right)

And in no time at all, there she was!

First photo with Sophia

A little bitty thing at 6 lbs 9 oz

Hello world!

The surgery took about 45 minutes start to finish. Sophia and Andre were taken into the recovery room before me, for her bath and then I joined them a bit later. Although I got the shakes pretty badly from the epidural, I didn't feel anything else...totally the way to do things :) Ha!

And our hospital stay was really good, so comfortable and relaxing and all the staff were incredibly helpful and friendly. I almost didn't want to go home. Almost :). Thanks to all of our sweet friends and family who visited us in the hospital and at home, since. We've loved celebrating Sophia with all of you!

Special Visitors

2011-12-12T09:56:00.003-05:00

I know I haven't posted Sophia's birth story and first photos yet, but I'll get to that when I have more brain cells functioning :) Here are some of the special visitors we've had come by the hospital this weekend to see our little lady. Unfortunately, I don't have photos of several friends who've stopped by but here's what we did take (sorry Hannah, Katie and Debs!).

Aunty Nessa

Uncle Steve and Aunty Rachel

And of course, Nana!

Some Russians friends, Vera and Vladimir

Big brother Jack holding his sister for the first time

One of my Mum's best friends, Aunty Liz

With Sharon

With Robin

As you can see, Jack liked being in on the action as much as possible and thoroughly enjoyed all the visitors just as much as we did, when he was here! Thank you so much, sweet friends for helping us welcome Sophia!

Two days old

2011-12-11T20:20:00.001-05:00

Our little Sophia Joy is a joy indeed! At 48 hours old she is sleeping beautifully, trying to eat, and has good alert/awake times. She loves to look at us when she hears us talking to her and being held immediately calms her down. She has lost 7% of her body weight and so is on formula supplements until my milk comes in and she can get more. And she will be checked for jaundice tomorrow, so please pray that doesn't develop.

Otherwise she is healthy and seems a happy, content baby. We are loving all the cuddles and soaking up every minute with our sweet girlie!

Welcome Little Girl!

2011-12-10T13:29:00.004-05:00

Sophia Joy Yakovlev

9 December 2011
1:25 pm.
6 lbs 9 oz
19 inches long

Sophie and I are both doing well today and plan to stay in the hospital until Tuesday, to get some rest and alone time together. Big brother Jack has visited twice already with Nana and is very interested in his little sister and keeps offering her his snacks! He seems to be doing just fine without his Mummy and Daddy at home and is having a great time with Nana. Thank you Mum for staying with him!

We are filled with thankfulness for this new little life and what a precious addition she is to our family. Thank you Lord!

D-Day

2011-12-08T23:52:00.001-05:00

Well, it's here. Finally. I thought delivery day would never come! And I am so ready. Ready to meet our little girl and hold her and kiss her and enjoy every sweet newborn moment. Since Jack's newborn stage was lost in a fog of surgery, pain, and long recovery, I am so ready to enjoy it this time around! I do have some anxiety about recovery, worrying that something will go wrong; although knowing I'm having the c-section has made me feel 1000 times better about things.

21 weeks along

I am so thankful to the Lord for getting me and baby girl safely this far. How blessed I feel to know that tomorrow is her birth day and that I will be able to hold her finally, Lord willing. I have so many mixed emotions when it comes to Jack though...thrilled that he'll have a sister and be a brother. Sad to put this stage of "just my boy" behind us. Going through today, this day of "lasts" and putting him to bed tonight was bittersweet. Tears were shed :)

24 weeks along

I am thankful too, for all our friends and family who have prayed so faithfully for us throughout this pregnancy. Thankful for those who have supported us with love, phone calls, baby showers, messages, hugs and encouragement in so many different ways. You have all kept me going!

34 weeks along

My heart is full as I wait for tomorrow to arrive and we welcome this new little life into ours. Praise Him from whom all blessings flow!

Christmas Prep with a 21 Month Old...

2011-12-03T20:34:00.003-05:00

...takes a lot more time but is a lot more fun! Jack turned 21 months on Friday and we've had such a fun week prepping for the Christmas season together. He can enjoy and participate in tasks with us now and loves to "help", whether it's decorating, baking cookies or wrapping presents.

Last Sunday we went out as a family and picked out the garland for our mantel (which we decorate each year instead of a tree, due to limited space in our condo). The evening was spent decorating and resulted in several smashed ornaments, much fascination with the nativity pieces and a squeals of delight when the Christmas lights were finally turned on. As soon as we pulled out the stockings, Jack tried to put them on his feet!

Playing hide and seek with Daddy

Such a good helper!

The finished Christmas mantle (Baby Sophie has her own stocking too!)

So our boy is getting bigger and milestones and special occasions are passing...we are so blessed to share these moments of his little life. He has had a growth spurt the past few weeks and is growing out of his trousers again. His speaking has really taken off and he copies everything we say and talks a lot on his own now. It's so great to have him able to communicate! He often says words we had no idea he knew. So cute.

Please pray for him as he transitions to being a big brother next week. We are praying for acceptance of and a special love for his little sister and for not too many behavioral regressions! Hopefully the excitement of Christmas will help!

Grilling and Chilling

2011-11-28T13:44:00.004-05:00

Due to the lovely weather we had this past weekend, we spent quite a bit of time outdoors. Good thing too, as this week we're finally getting our cold, rainy weather moving in (hooray, says I!). Andre and Jack took quite a few long walks, kicking the soccer ball, riding Jack's motor-bike and feeding the ducks in our condo complex.

Then on Saturday afternoon we hung out with our Russian friends again, Vera and Vladimir, this time at their home and a gorgeous park nearby. While the guys grilled us lamb, salmon and veggies, we took Jack and their adorable West Highland Terrier, Prosha, (who speaks Russian!), to the playground which was amazing! It was huge with something for all ages and Jack had a blast. Many tears were shed when dinner time signaled the end of playground time!

Lots of grilling going on

Jack ate a whole piece of salmon by himself!

Jack and Prosha cuddling in the doggy bed while we had tea and dessert.
He kept saying, "Sleep, sleep"!

Happy Thanksgiving 2011!

2011-11-24T17:59:00.007-05:00

I've so been looking forward to the holidays this year. Maybe it has something to do with being really pregnant and knowing that December means an end to all that! So I've been anticipating Thanksgiving as the start to the holiday season and countdown to meeting Baby Girl, and really enjoyed preparing for this special holiday. We invited our Russian friends, Vera and Vladimir, over as they have just immigrated to the States and have never experienced Thanksgiving before.

Never having cooked the traditional feast, I was slightly ambitious and Andre feared I'd send myself into labor with all the prep! He saved the day for me by buying already prepared portions of ham and turkey, so all I had to do was sides and pumpkin pie for dessert. Easy!

I think everything worked out pretty well, apart from the sweet potato casserole...I made it early this morning, complete with perfectly browned marshmallows on top, popped it back into the oven to warm up a little and took it out right before we served lunch. Lo and behold, upon removing the tin foil, there wasn't a marshmallow to be seen! Completely gone. Melted away. How could I not have realized they would dissolve in the oven?!! Oh well, it still tasted yummy, just wasn't the work of art it had been! And on a side note, adding orange zest and juice makes a nice difference to the traditional flavor. Emeril's recipe. Yes, the Food Network was my friend this week :)

Enjoying our Thanksgiving lunch

We totally pumped Jack up about Thanksgiving this year and
he was so excited to talk about "gifts" from God and to eat "tur-keeeee" today!

Family photo, with Mummy looking decidedly
plump at almost 37 weeks!

Vladimir and Vera getting cuddled and smeared
with candy cane drool

Somebody was WORN OUT with all the thanksgiving
going on around here!

We are so thankful for the many blessings in our lives and praise the Lord for what he has given us and what he has taught us this year. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

More Love for Baby Girl

2011-11-19T18:14:00.002-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, I had a baby shower given by my sister and some sweet friends. We had a really special morning together enjoying a delicious brunch, lots of gorgeous presents and flowers, and tons of chatter and laughter. Thank you Ladies for such a wonderful shower!

A shower of special things for Baby Girl

Beautiful table of treats

Some of the sweet ladies who came to celebrate with me

I was AMAZED when I opened this beautiful heirloom dress
and bonnet made by my friend Grace...what a labor of love!

LOVE the dress Jenna gave me (its says, "My Mommy rocks"!!)

Sisters with our belly bumps:
Nessa at 19 weeks, Rachel at 21 weeks, and me at 34 weeks

The lovely hostesses: Megan, Vanessa and Ruth

Me and my sweet friend Deborah

Playgroup

2011-11-18T19:27:00.003-05:00

Our playgroup at church, Moms and Tots, meets every Thursday and is a fun time for the kiddos to play together but enjoyable for the moms too, as we get to chat! Two weeks ago, we had a Fall Party during playgroup complete with costumes, cupcakes and marshmallow lollipops. Such fun!

Sweet treats

Lots of crawlers at playgroup at the moment :)

Some of our older Tots

Moms with the babies

Happy Birthday...

2011-11-17T19:40:00.001-05:00

To our wonderful Husbie and Daddy! We celebrated Andre's special day on Tuesday with coffee and panettone (that was his birthday cake!) in the morning and then took him out for an early dinner that evening to Scalinis. Delicious Italian food...our favorite! I even let him eat a bowl of fresh garlic (which he adores and I abhor) as it was his birthday and all. Only once a year he's allowed to do that!! Being so early, the restaurant was empty, the service quick, and Jack was able to run around without disturbing anyone. A win-win for all!

Family dinner at Scalinis

My boys about to dig in

We got tiramisu to go and ate it on the couch together once Jack was in bed, while we watched our new fav TV show, Ringer. Happy birthday, darling!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-16T19:15:00.004-05:00

Finally getting around to posting Halloween pics! We lost the cable to our camera and so weren't able to get any photos off there for the past few weeks until today. So here, for your viewing enjoyment, is Jack dressed up as "Charlie the Biker" for Halloween:

Background story: Dad has a good friend called Charlie, who owns a motor-bike and whom Jack ADORES! Here he is with the real Charlie:

So seeing as we have a leather jacket and black motor-bike at home, I let him be Charlie for Halloween!

He was thrilled and still talks about it. We've decided not to celebrate this holiday by trick or treating (why are parenting decisions already getting difficult?!!) but he loves dressing up and hanging out with his cousins in their costumes :)

Showered with Love

2011-11-16T16:59:00.006-05:00

Finally able to catch up on October goings on, as we've once again got a card reader to download all that was stored up on my camera. Fearfully behind here on posts!

One very happy occasion that took place the end of October was a baby shower my sweet friends Hannah and Robin threw me. It was such a fun afternoon and I was thoroughly spoiled and loved. Robin made the most AMAZING treats and Hannah decorated everything so beautifully...lots of pink all over the place...what fun!! Thank you for such a wonderful party, Ladies!

Me, Hannah and Robin

The beautiful table full of yummies

Some of the lovely ladies who came
(and the dogs and toddlers added to the fun!)

My precious friend Ellyn, who I hadn't seen in ages
was able to come too

More lovely girls

And Miss Katie Dog presided over everything,
making sure we all behaved ourselves!

And these special people babysat Jack for the afternoon
(Andre was still out of town at this point)
Thanks Steve and Rach!

20 Months Old

2011-11-02T20:00:00.004-04:00

Some thoughts for our Boy…

Suddenly saying more, imitating, he watches everything we do

Now able to ask for what he wants, life is a little less frustrating

Suddenly “reading” by himself, playing more alone, chatting to his toys

He lives life a little more independently each day

He keeps us laughing, calling his stuffed Eeyore “Mule”

He’s traded in “Dadoo” for the oh-so-grown-up sounding “Daddy”

He asks us to “come” and “go”; grabs my hand and is now leading me

He’s about to relinquish the title of Baby for that of Big Brother

And how did he get so tall?

He bows his head, folds his hands, eyes closed as we pray

I pray this ritual becomes all-important, an intricate part of his every day

He raises his arms wide to show that God is everywhere

I raise my hands high, offering him back to our everywhere God

He points to himself when we ask who God loves

I gather him up, knowing my mother love doesn’t come close to His

Each month passes and I’m thankful we’re all he knows now

Praying that he soon knows the All in All

I’m thankful there is more for him, thankful there is Someone Else

The Some-one who created him, who gave him to us, who grows him, who woos him

Little Boy, may you grow up to follow hard and fast after Him

"Laundry" by Daddy

2011-10-31T19:11:00.002-04:00

Apparently, modified bed rest prohibits doing laundry. What a shame! :)

So Andre who got back on Saturday (just in time for my bed rest orders) did a whole bunch of washing for me today and we got the rest of Baby Girl's little pink fluffies cleaned and put away. I just love having all this pink in my laundry basket!

I know it's a little weird to take photos of your child's first load of laundry but we did it for Jack, as seen here , so we couldn't NOT do it for Little Miss :)

Already?

2011-10-26T20:13:00.003-04:00

So a little update on the Little Miss. Or rather her Mama :)

I've been having so many Braxton Hicks contractions the past week, which may just have something to do with the fact that I'm Single Mommy for 10 days until the Husbie gets home from IL on Saturday. And by a lot, I mean up to 16 an hour, in the evenings. So I went in for an extra check up this morning just to make sure nothing was going on that shouldn't be. And what do you know?

I'm 1 cm dilated. At 32.5 weeks.

I think I took the news pretty well. On the outside at least. I may have been somewhat distracted by Mr. Jack trying to snack on the lubricant while hiding the speculum in his diaper bag. But when it finally sank in that the Doc had just done a Fetal Fibronectin Test (a what?) to determine if I was in preterm labor and I would have to be on the monitor for an hour, while trying to entertain a 19 month old, I may have freaked out just a little. But only on the inside. Thankfully I didn't make a scene. And thankfully the nurse was really sweet and brought us lots of juice boxes and snacks.

And thankfully, after the hour long monitoring (during which Little Miss performed beautifully), I made it to the car before bursting into tears. Ha! I think the poopy diaper explosion at the half hour mark did me in. Or perhaps it was the cheese crackers crushed into the floor. It could have been the pencil drawings on the white walls though. I must say, that on the whole Jacko was pretty good, but with Mummy stuck in a chair hooked up to all sorts of wires and unable to move, he got up to a wee bit of mischief. And I let it STRESS. ME. OUT.

So that was my day. But my final "thankfully" is that the afternoon ended with the Doc calling to say that the FFN test was negative, praise God! This basically means that I won't be going into labor within the next two weeks. Well, THAT'S a relief.

Doc's orders are to take it easy and have weekly cervix checks and count contractions. Let's hope Saturday and Andre being home come really quickly!

First Hair Cut

2011-10-23T21:34:00.000-04:00

This actually happened a couple of weeks ago, while in Illinois. I'd been putting off cutting Jack's hair, mostly because I didn't know how! So, Mum to the rescue. We tackled it during dinner time and were somewhat successful with him sitting still. He wasn't too keen on the whole process but Mum did a great job, trimming him up.

All done! Thanks Nana!

Home

2011-10-22T08:20:00.001-04:00

It's always good to be home. Although I sort of feel like Mum & Dad's house in IL is our second home! We've just returned from a month up there as Andre was working on a remodeling project. He isn't quite finished yet, so is staying on another 10 days while Jack and I settle back in here in the South (which, I might add, is not much warmer than the mid-west!).

In other news, I had my 32 week OB appointment yesterday and little Miss is incubating nicely. I am measuring just right and not having any major problems, so we're thankful. I am struggling with bad muscle spasms in my upper back (I'm paying for my poor posture now!) and am hoping to be able to go to a friend who does therapeutic massage to sort myself out. Not an ideal time for this to happen with the Husbie away, but I keep telling myself it could be oh-so-much worse!!

And the big news...C-section is scheduled!!! Woohoo! December 9th is the day, unless of course Girlie decides she's ready before then. So that's just seven weeks away, can't believe it. I'm nesting like crazy...well maybe just in my head, as I can't bend or lift anything easily! Does making lists count? :)

So, home for good now until the holidays. Well, actually I have one more trip (can you believe it?!), which I'm really looking forward to. Our church is doing a women's retreat in early November and my doctor just cleared me to go, hooray! I am so looking forward to some quiet "retreating"!

Church Picnic

2011-10-19T14:48:00.001-04:00

Last weekend, Mum and Dad's church put on their annual Church Picnic, which we attended. It was gorgeous weather and we had a really great time sitting under the trees feasting on BBQ sandwiches and lemonade. Jack had a blast running around and getting to climb on the jumping castles and slides and cried his eyes out when we had to leave!

Enjoying the beautiful Fall day

Jack climbed right to the top of that middle slide and slid all the
way down by himself. So proud of our fearless boy!

Getting cuddles with Nana and Grampa

Mum & Dad left for their South Africa trip the next day, so this was a perfect ending to our time together!

Grampa and the Trains

2011-10-18T16:29:00.001-04:00

So Jack has a mild obsession with trains at the moment, much to his Grampa's delight. My Dad has always loved building models, particularly of trains and railroads and has quite the collection of engines, track and scenery, all of which he is hoping to set up as a model railroad in the near future. Ever since we knew that Jack was a boy, Dad has been plotting to instill this love in his first grandson! And lo and behold, it worked. Jack loves all things locomotive, particularly Thomas the Tank Engine and Chuggington.

Unfortunately for Dad, Jack now loves trains so much that, the minute he gets home from work, Jack runs to him begging to go down to the basement to see the "tray" (Dad has some track set up on the floor with an electric engine on it). He doesn't get a moment's peace from his grandson!

One of Dad's colleagues also shares this love of trains, so much so, in fact, that he has a train set up in his backyard. Which you can ride in. Every little boy's dream come true (and some grown up boys too!!). A couple of weekends ago, Dad took Andre and Jack out to this man's home to ride the miniature railroad. Thanks for such a fun time Grampa!

Boys Day Out

2011-10-17T16:00:00.004-04:00

So they've just opened a new Bass Pro Shop here where Mum & Dad live. And it's phenomenal, apparently. Like Disney World for outdoors-men. Or women. One of which I am not! Needless to say, just the boys went on this field trip last weekend :)

The incredible entrance

Dad showing Jack the enormous freshwater fish tank

Saying hi to Yogi bear

And of course, Jack was able to indulge his love affair with all
things motorized.Sorry little boy, not with that price
tag!!!

The Orchard

2011-10-14T22:06:00.003-04:00

Well, we didn't actually set foot among the apple trees, but we had a wonderful visit to an orchard/farm nearby. A girl who works with Dad and who has small kids, took me and Jack which was a lovely morning out last week.

This place had a pumpkin patch, a petting zoo, a gorgeous shop full of delectable treats and an enormous playground area full of trucks and buses and wonderful things to climb. To say Jack was in heaven is an understatement! He went from one thing to the other chattering and squealing with delight.

Driving a Cat construction thingy-majigy

Riding on the little tractors
(I didn't get a photo of him in the bright pink one he seemed to favor!)

Feeding the goats at the petting zoo

After spending over an hour playing outside, we bought some fresh goodies at the shop (the apple cider doughnuts were amazing!) and then headed the very tired kiddos home. Thanks for a great time, Becky!

Evening Out

2011-10-13T16:42:00.003-04:00

Since being here in Illinois, we've done several fun things to keep busy, which I'll post about this week. One evening we went to a nearby park and had great fun playing, before stopping by a local restaurant for dinner. It's been gorgeous weather here so we've tried to take advantage of being outside as much as possible, and enjoy our last Fall together as a family of three!

The boys swinging together at the park.
Jack always likes it when we swing alongside him now!

Enjoying dinner outside

Jack loved running around the courtyard, climbing the furniture!

Me and my boy

A Whirlwind Visit to the Windy City

2011-10-12T09:14:00.003-04:00

We've been in Illinois visiting my parents for several weeks, as Andre has work up here. They live about three hours from Chicago and since we both have friends there who we haven't seen in a while, we decided a quick visit was in order. Also, this is one American city I've never been to, and one that Andre loves.

So a couple of weekends ago, we drove up, stayed in a great little hotel (the StayBridge Suites was awesome!) and saw some of the sights, as well as our friends. Unfortunately, I forgot to take photos of Wendi & Cris and their precious new baby Alina, or our Russian friends Pavel and Lena, but thanks for the wonderful meals and visits, friends!!

On Friday night, after settling into the hotel, we fought the traffic to get downtown and visit the John Hancock observatory. What amazing views from the the 95 floor!!!! And the elevator only takes about 40 seconds to make it all the way up there. Incredible!

Jack thought he was big stuff staying up that late and
getting to run around everywhere

We enjoyed drinks at the espresso bar overlooking the city.
To give you an idea of the amazing variety of concoctions they served,
I had an espresso with nutella, whipped cream,
almonds and meringue chips. Divine!

The next day we spent the morning at Navy Pier, enjoyed milkshakes, and
Jack even got to ride in a miniature train! He dissolved into tears
when that train-ride ended. The attendant
took pity on him and gave him a free ride!

After spending the rest of Saturday with friends, we headed out on Sunday morning back to Peoria. We had a great time, although we both agreed that it certainly was different from the romantic weekends away we had enjoyed before kiddos!!

19 Months

2011-09-17T22:04:00.004-04:00

Our big boy turned 19 months old a week ago (catching up on posts here, as usual!). We are still in Illinois, visiting my parents which has been wonderful, and Jack is loving all the attention, interaction with the dogs, and plenty of space to run around outside.

These past few months he has really started to grow up and become much more communicative. He can even say quite a few words now and copies a lot of words we say. He's just started "calling" for us, which is so cute. In the morning he'll sit up in his crib and yell, "Dadoo!!" (for Daddy).

We've had to start spanking him with a wooden spoon, as a hand wasn't doing the job anymore and produced more giggles than tears! Now he'll grab the spoon from wherever I've laid it and tap his thigh with it saying, "Bay, bay" (for "obey"). At least he's getting the message!! Ha! He is pretty good most of the time, just pushing boundaries a bit now. He is very relational and loves to be around people, especially men. He has started giving us hugs and kisses when we ask and often kisses my tummy, saying "Baby"...can't wait to see him with his little sister in a couple of months!

He still picks at his food, still loves his paci, is still obsessed with trains, and still adores his Daddy most of all! Our boy is growing up and is in such a fun stage right now. We love you Jacko!

Changes

2011-09-17T21:19:00.005-04:00

Jack has always slept in a pac 'n play. We did this for several reasons, primarily lack of space. As well as wanting to keep the guest room/nursery available for overnight visitors. Because he slept in a pac 'n play, we could move it around from room to room, as needed (he's ended up sleeping in our bathroom many a time!).

With the impending arrival of Baby Girl, we've decided that she will use the pac 'n play and so Jack needed an alternative. He was also getting a bit tall to spend every night in such a small bed. He isn't ready for a toddler bed and certainly not the guest bed, so we decided it was time for a crib. After debating about borrowing versus buying one, we figured we would need a crib for future babies anyway, so kept a look out for a good deal. And prayed for just the right one. Our back up plan was Ikea, but unfortunately they stopped carrying cribs because of the new no-side-lowering standards. Oh dear.

So we kept searching on Craigslist. And up popped the perfect one: newish, black, with mattress. And the very best part of all (apart from the very reasonable price) was the storage drawer underneath. I called, we went (all the way to Paulding County!), and Jack got a new crib. Hooray! Thank you Lord for providing so quickly and beautifully for us.

We then rearranged his room to make space for our new acquisition and it fits perfectly. Unfortunately the lovely nursery/guest room now looks like an attic storage area with far too much furniture crammed in there, but it works. I'm beyond caring what our condo looks like now, as I've accepted the fact that we are bursting out of it and we've just got to make it functional for the next little while. And I think we've come up with some good, if not aesthetically pleasing, solutions. Jack seems to think so too!

First time in the new crib

All ready for bed with paci and Pickles (his lovey)

Pretending to sleep and trying out a pillow!

He did so well the first night in his new bed and I'm sure the larger, softer mattress had something to do with it. I was slightly worried when we first put him down and a few minutes later looked at the video monitor only to see him happily bouncing up and down! However he soon calmed down and went right to sleep and did the same tonight. Phew!

Thank-yous

2011-09-14T14:06:00.006-04:00

I don't usually put my thankful list up here on the blog, for various reasons. But today, I will. Just because :)

...Baby Girl kicking furiously, letting me know she's growing strong

...Older and wiser friends spending the evening with us

...Russian stew, made by him

...Fresh lemons

...Music that calms

...The sparkling diamond and all that it means

...New words from Little Boy, trying so hard to be understood

...A beautiful crib for a bargain

...Bags full of pink prettiness given with kindness

...Hope for a new tomorrow

...Chocolate cake

...The colors of sunset

...Finally understanding true thanksgiving takes discipline, learning, practice

"And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ"
Ephesians 5:20

Last weekend

2011-09-04T22:53:00.003-04:00

Last weekend was a "red letter" weekend for us (that means extra special...or you can google it and get a more historic definition!). Mum and Dad were in town on their way back to Illinois from their Florida trip and so we got some good family time in on Saturday night and then again Sunday lunch.

Jack's favorite thing to do with Grandpa: watching Utube
videos of trains on his Ipad

The whole fam out to lunch
(our first family photo together since Christmas!)

Then on Saturday we got to visit with our dear friends, Gary and Heather, who have just moved out of state and who are expecting their first baby. We were so excited to see the baby bump!!

Baby bump hug

And on Sunday, our friends Conrad and Myriam drove down to visit us from Chattanooga. We loved seeing them and so appreciate them making the trip to see us. Jack immediately attached himself to Conrad and wanted to show him all his toys...he even took him into his bedroom to show off his basket of books! He also loved the fire engine they brought him. Thank you Conrad and Myriam!

Reading books together

I know I'm a little behind in writing about last weekend but I only just got all these photos onto the computer. This weekend has been nice too, just a little quieter. Hence the opportunity to write this post :)

18 Months Old

2011-09-02T19:02:00.001-04:00

Our Jack boy turns 18 months old today. It sounds like quite the milestone and I can't believe we're already here!

He's no longer a baby and so wants to be a big boy in a lot of ways. He's really independent when we're around but is struggling with separation anxiety a lot whenever we leave him anywhere. He is now going to a Mother's Morning Out once a week and although he gets excited to go to "school" he has a hard time while there. We'll see how it goes over the next couple of weeks.

We had his well doctor visit this afternoon and he's 22 lbs (10%) and 35 inches (off the charts!). And overall he is a very healthy little boy for which we are so thankful.

He has started saying a few words now and trying to repeat words we say to him, which is encouraging. He is very task oriented and loves to have something to do, especially helping us with chores around the house. He loves people (particularly men) and will go up to most strangers and "chat" with them. Trains, cars and trucks are a constant fascination. We've also entered a new stage: throwing and hitting, all of which he finds hilarious! We're working through what needs discipline and how to redirect :)

We love you little boy! You bring so much joy each day and we are so privileged to watch you grow and learn.

Beach Trip: This and That

2011-08-30T21:29:00.002-04:00

Last beach post, finally! Here's a bit of this and that from our week there:

Kirsty and Andre making yummy kebabs for supper one night

Grandpa's boy

He loved playing in the sand although the ocean wasn't such a hit

Playing with Grandpa

All tuckered out

Kirsty tried paddle boarding and conquered it like a pro!

One evening Mum & Dad babysat Jack while Andre, Kirsty and I
went out for dinner and dessert. We had such a great evening together!

Delicious macarons and chocolates

Beach Trip: Photos Round Two

2011-08-29T19:38:00.002-04:00

Due to a cranky baby, we decided to have a second round of photos done and finally all managed to behave ourselves this time! Thanks Kirst, for being so patient with us!

23 week belly shot

Beach Trip: Family Photo Shoot

2011-08-27T14:38:00.003-04:00

While at the beach, Kirsty did a family photo shoot for us all. The lighting was perfect and she did an amazing job, taking some gorgeous pictures of the kids. Thanks Kirst!!

Jack Evan (17 months old)

Michaela Grace (3 years old)

Alexis Ann (18 months old)

Our three families

Ness, Dad, Me and Mum (missed having my brother there too!)

Love this one of Ness with her girls!

All of us together

Nana and Grandpa with the Grands

Jack kept trying to get away!

Flying high with Daddy

Me and my bestie

Beach Trip 2011: Getting There

2011-08-27T14:34:00.003-04:00

I'm finally getting around to posting our beach trip we took the middle of August, while Kirsty was here visiting from Australia. We planned her visit so that she would get to come with us to Florida, as she loves the beach and needed a good break from the Australian winter.

We flew down there and took Alexis with us, so she (and Ness & Sean) could avoid the 8 hour car trip! As usual, she was an angel the whole time and while Andre had charge of Jack on the plane (the child never sits still!), Alexis sat on my lap during take off, promptly fell asleep and didn't wake up until we landed!

The Cousin Twins at the airport (18 months old)

Mum and Dad have a time share every year in Siesta Key, FL and we all try to go together as a family, whomever of us are able to. This year Steve and Rachel couldn't make it due to work and we missed them! But we had a really fabulous time having Kirsty with us. For some reason, this year, I was REALLY looking forward to this trip and relaxing on the beach and it was wonderful indeed.

And we're here!!!

Watching the sunset with Kirsty and Baby Girl :)

View from our condo

Loving the beach!

Thank you Mum and Dad for giving us such a great time!

First Day of "School"

2011-08-26T13:12:00.003-04:00

So this morning was the first day of the Parents Morning Out that Jack is attending this year. Even though he's the youngest in the class, I figured we'd give it a try and see how he does. He screams his head off whenever we drop him at nursery on Sundays and Wednesdays so I was interested to see if he did any better today.

I dropped him off at 8:30 am and went to Panera for a cinnamon roll (ostensibly to calm my nerves about leaving him...maybe it was just a sugar craving! Ha!) and then headed back to church (where the class is being held) to set up for a big event we're doing tonight, our annual Church Dinner. This is the 5th year I've done it so I know the drill and was really thrilled to have a whole morning Jack-free to set tables etc.

Apparently he cried for about 10 minutes and then settled down nicely. Around 10, I saw them head out to the playground. He was so cute all lined up with the other kids and got so excited to go outside! Then at 10:45 they brought him to me, as he'd started up crying again and wouldn't stop. So he made it two of the four hours and I was proud of him for lasting that long! We'll see how next week goes. I may just keep him out for the rest of this semester and then start him up in January again, but I kind of wanted him to get used to it before the baby arrives.

Dressed for "school" and so excited to have his backpack on

All ready to go!

Andre picked him up and when they got home,
Jack walked in with this bunch of roses for me.
He was so proud to hand them over!
('scuse the no make-up look here!)

Surprise!

2011-08-25T20:33:00.002-04:00

Sooooo...here's the big news in our family: my sister AND my sister-in-law are pregnant too!! Woohoo!! Vanessa and Sean are expecting Baby #3 mid-March and Rachel and Stephen are expecting Baby #1 just a week earlier! So, with our little girl coming in December, we're doubling the number of kiddos in this family in the next year and all us girls are pregnant at the same time. Pretty crazy, huh?!

Baby Jones, due March 11, 2012

Baby Henry due March 20, 2012

Praise the Lord for these new little lives....we can't wait to meet all these babies!

Night on the Town and Sad Goodbyes

2011-08-22T19:38:00.006-04:00

While Kirsty was here, our special friends, Pip and Dave, left to move back to their homeland after a four year stay in the USA. Coincidentally, they are also from Australia and so it was fun for Kirsty to meet them and hopefully they'll stay in touch once they're all back home over there.

Before they left we all got babysitters and went out for a fabulous dinner together. It was such a great evening and included delicious wine, steaks and even free dessert that the restaurant served us in honor of Pip and Dave!

All dressed up and ready to go!

Me and my man

Me and Kirst

Pip and Dave with the yummies!

All of us ready to dig into our steaks

Pip and Dave have become really special friends to us and we were so sad to say goodbye to them. Lots of tears were shed and hugs given! We wish you well, sweet friends and hope to see you down under one day soon!

Bestest Buds

2011-08-22T19:07:00.003-04:00

Bad me. Haven't been consistent with this poor old blog, AGAIN! Well, here come the updates :)

The last two weeks have been such a special time for us. At the beginning of August my bestest bud, Kirsty, came for a two week visit, all the way from Australia. Our parents were friends in high school and we met when we were two months old and have been friends ever since. That's a long time when you think we'll both be celebrating our 32nd birthdays in October! The Lord has been good in giving us a special friendship over the years and allowing us to see each other every two to three years.

And this visit, she got to meet Jack for the first time!

We all went swimming together

Cooked together and ate lots of yummy food

And here's Jack showing off his brand new leather jacket from H&M!

I've just dropped her off at the airport this evening, amid lots of tears and am enjoying reminiscing about our lovely two weeks together, which included lots of shopping, eating out together, a beach trip and hanging out with some of our friends. Miss you already Kirst!

Sunday Afternoon Fun

2011-08-02T12:35:00.003-04:00

I feel like we've been hibernating ever since we got back from our big trip due to preggy fog! But this weekend we actually got out and spent most of our time visiting with friends. On Saturday we had lunch, tea and dinner with different friends and then on Sunday afternoon we went to visit some Russian friends who have just immigrated to Atlanta from Moscow. They stayed in our house while we were up in Peoria and have just moved into a lovely apartment, so we were their first guests. We had a great time with them and even enjoyed the splashpad at their apartment complex. Jack was in heaven!

Sugar and Spice and All Things Nice

2011-07-22T16:56:00.002-04:00

It's a girl!!!!

We are beyond excited that we're having a girl!! I couldn't believe it when the ultrasound tech told us and kept asking her if she was certain! We feel so blessed and thankful that she looks healthy and is growing at just the right pace, despite me loosing so much weight and being so sick early on. Thank you Lord!

SA Trip: The End!

2011-07-06T21:02:00.002-04:00

Our trip to Cape Town ended with more good family time and we were sad to say goodbye. It was so good to see everyone and especially spend time with my Grandpa (Mum's dad) and stay with my Gran (Dad's mum). My cousin Simon, how now lives in Wales, sent Jack the cutest pint sized Welsh rugby shirt and Grandpa has a similar one...

Gramps with his great grandson, wearing their matching Welsh rugby shirts

Saying goodbye

We then had the 11 hour flight to Amsterdam, a 24 hour layover in that airport and a 9 hour flight back to the States. A trip I would NOT like to repeat any time soon. On the last flight my morning sickness hit badly which meant I spent a lot of time in that teeny tiny bathroom. Oh the joys!

Hopefully, the blog will now return to normal, as, after 12 weeks of severe sickness, I am now feeling more myself, THANKFULLY! Once we got home I didn't seem to fully recover and ended up in hospital twice due to hyperemesis. However, I've now reached 16 weeks preggo and am doing much better.

We are in IL visiting my parents for a little while and I'm hoping to be back to my normal energy level by the time we get back home mid-July. Thank you to my dear friends and family who have been so supportive the last three months, helping with Jack, with meals and calling and visiting. Your love and help is so appreciated!

SA Trip: Must Sees

2011-07-04T13:05:00.004-04:00

Ok, this really is almost the last post about our trip! Here are some places we went that are "must sees" if you ever visit Cape Town :)

Simon's Town (naval base where my Grampa was stationed in WWII)

An ostrich farm

Boulders Beach and the penguin colony

Fish Hoek beach for the THE best fish and chips!

Cape Point, the southernmost tip of Africa

Klein Constantia wine farm

SA Trip: Noordhoek

2011-07-04T12:35:00.003-04:00

After Camilla's wedding, we decided to go away for a few days and stay outside of Cape Town to do some sightseeing further along the coast. We stayed at a gorgeous cottage called Leopardstone Hill, visited the surrounding beaches and villages and ate yummy food at the various restaurants at Noordhoek Village. The cottage was so quaint I just had to post some photos!

Our cottage

The loft bedroom

Living area

Having supper at a local pub

Making a fire with Daddy

View from the cottage down to Noordhoek beach

Funnily enough, my brother and his wife are going to be staying at the same place during their visit to Cape town this month! I'm sure they'll love it as much as we did!

SA Trip: Family and Familiar Haunts

2011-07-04T12:27:00.002-04:00

One of the highlights of the trip for me was showing Andre all over Cape Town and the beautiful places we were used to growing up.

Here we are visiting Hout Bay where we had a delicious fish and chip lunch
(Jack kept wanting to jump off the pier!)

View from my Gran's apartment

Visiting Kirstenbosch Gardens, a public botanical garden which has the largest number of indigenous plants in any botanical garden in the world apparently. This was one of my favorite places as a child.

And here's my Dad's family:
Warren, Granny, Mum, Tracy (Dad's sister) and her husband Nolen, their son David, then Wendy (Dad's sister married to Warren) and their little boy Bryn, then Lauren, Tracy's daughter holding Jack, next to her is Sophie, Wendy's daughter and then me.

SA Trip: The Wedding

2011-07-04T12:14:00.004-04:00

One of the reasons we went to South Africa when we did, was to attend my cousin Camilla's wedding at the end of April. We had such fun being involved with all the preparations and celebrating this special occasion with them.

Milla very kindly asked me to help with the bouquets and button holes for the bridal party (flower arranging is one of my great loves so I was thrilled!). We visited a whole sale florist the week of the wedding and came back armed with masses of gorgeous blooms. And then decided that the best place to store them was the bathroom. Ha!!

Getting to the bath was somewhat challenging!

Me and my cousin Gigi working on the arrangements

Finished bridesmaids bouquets
(unfortunately I don't have a close up of Camilla's bouquet
but I think it turned out pretty well too)

The beautiful bride and groom

The whole family

Jack being entertained by his beloved Roger (my cousin)

The beautiful home where we had a family dinner later that evening

Aunty Sarah (mother of the bride), and my Mum with their Dad, my Grampa

It was such a special day...congrats Bryan and Camilla!!!

SA Trip: Randoms

2011-06-20T18:59:00.003-04:00

Here are a few random shots from the first week of our trip:

Typical thatched house

Cape Dutch style building on a wine estate

Andre and Jack turtle watching

And then Mum arrived!!

And here's our first sighting of an African animal...gross!

SA Trip: Organic Farm

2011-06-20T18:49:00.004-04:00

Another day while in Somerset West, we visited a beautiful organic farm and winery and ate lunch in their outdoor kitchen. Such fun!

View of the vineyards

Family photo

More stunning views

Dining al fresco

Outdoor kitchen

Driving back towards Cape Town. This is a view of False Bay.

South Africa: Peacocks and Fountains

2011-06-20T18:40:00.002-04:00

I hereby resume my posting about our South Africa trip :) Due to severe morning sickness, hospital visits and just trying to make it through each day (more on that later), I haven't kept up with the blog this past 6 weeks or so. But, better late than never, so here goes.

The last post I did was our week in Somerset West, staying at a friend's house and visiting nearby places. Our friends live in a beautiful golf course community that also has its own hotel. So one evening we ventured out for a walk and dinner at the pub.

We ran into a group of peacocks...I've never seen so many all at once!

Jack was eager to have a swim

Perched on a wine barrel outside the pub

Mr. Peacock strutting his stuff

14 Months Old and Some Big News...

2011-05-20T16:27:00.003-04:00

Baby #2 is on the way and due December 16!!

So, I totally missed Jack's 14 month old post (should have been May 2) but with no internet most days in Cape Town and battling morning sickness I didn't get around to it. But yes, he's going to be a BIG BROTHER come December!! We are so thrilled! This one was quite a surprise for us and we found out just a few days after we arrived in South Africa that I was pregnant. Unfortunately, the tiredness and morning sickness kicked in early on and so I felt pretty lousy for most of the trip. But we still got to spend good family time, see lots of beautiful scenery and have some wonderful photos and memories from our time there.

I'll have to catch up on posting more photos but for now, I'm just trying to keep one foot in front of the other most days. Please pray that this morning sickness goes away sooner this time around. Thanks friends!

SA Trip: Chores, A Fire and a Very Yummy Lunch

2011-04-17T05:57:00.004-04:00

Yesterday (Saturday) was an eventful day! We woke up to a beautiful but extremely windy day which, we learned, was especially bad, as a fire had broken out on the mountain above where we are staying. The cause is still unknown but with the strong winds the fire spread very quickly and destroyed several vineyards, farms and homes on the side of the mountain here. The houses above our neighborhood were evacuated.

Jack and Andre spent the morning doing a few chores around the house together and I went for a wonderful pedicure at a spa nearby.

Later, we met up with my Gran and aunt, Tracy, and her family for lunch at a restaurant just over the mountain, where they make delicious meat pies. YUM! They all came back to our place for tea and we ended the day with a lovely walk out on the golf course. We kept going outside to check the progress of the fire but were glad it had burned out quite a bit by the evening. Jack was enthralled with the airplanes and helicopters flying back and forth spraying water over the area.

Helping Daddy sweep the leaves

Fire

Yummy lunch with the family

SA Trip: Stellenbosh

2011-04-16T13:46:00.005-04:00

This past week we've been staying in Somerset West, a town about 40 minutes from Cape Town. Some very kind friends have allowed us to stay in their house while they're away and it's been wonderful, as it's much closer to several areas we wanted to explore, than Cape Town.

One of those areas nearby is Stellenbosh, a beautiful wine growing region. We've spent the week visiting various wine estates, eating in delicious farm restaurants (all offering wonderful fresh grown food) and doing a bit of wine tasting.

One of our favorite wineries so far is Tokara and we've enjoyed lunch here twice. Their deli/restaurant is called the Deli Cat Essen (ha!) and has the most delicious food. They even have a playground and beautiful lawn for kids and the views were stunning. No wonder we went back!

The Deli Cat Essen in all its yumminess

Eating out on the patio
(so kid friendly with huge boxes of toys to play with!)

The playground

You could look at these views all day long and never get tired of them

Where all that magic happens!

South Africa: Braai

2011-04-13T10:30:00.007-04:00

In South Africa we don't have barbecues, we have a braai. Pretty much the same thing, consisting of yummy grilled meat. On Saturday night, my aunt Wendy had us over for dinner and her husband Warren did a wonderfully delicious braai for us with chicken kebabs, short ribs and boerewors (farmers sausage) on the grill. We had such fun and after dinner us girls went out to a local store to buy some fudge, one of my favorite South African treats. The photos aren't that interesting but you can see what we were up to :)

Granny, Wendy and me before dinner

Warren, Bryn (4) and Sophie (7)

South Africa: Tour Bus

2011-04-12T06:18:00.009-04:00

We arrived safe and sound in Cape Town last Wednesday. The trip was rather tiring but we made it, as did our luggage, all in one piece, so I'll spare you the details! And we really haven't stopped enjoying ourselves ever since we landed. The weather is still hot here, although with the breeze and cooler nights, it's perfect.

We're primarily staying with my Gran with short trips to other places. On Thursday we got settled and then my Aunt Wendy and her two kids came over for tea. Then in the evening, my other aunt, Tracy, came over for dinner with her husband, Nolan, and their kids David and Lauren. On Friday, we spent the day at my Aunty Sarah's house which was lovely too. Her daughter Camilla is the one getting married, so we talked wedding the whole day with all the cousins while Jack ran around happily in the garden in between naps. (Unfortunately, I didn't take any photos those two days...jet lag got the better of me!)

On Saturday, Granny took us, along with my cousins David and Lauren, on a scenic tour of Cape Town, on a topless bus (yes, that's what they call them here...Andre was intrigued!). This just means they don't have a roof on the top deck of the bus. What a fantastic way to see the scenery! We thoroughly enjoyed the 2.5 hour tour, although poor Jack was pretty wriggly by the end.

We forgot to actually take a photo of our bus, but here's
one from their website

Me with Granny, David and Lauren,waiting for the tour bus

A township we passed on our way

Hout Bay, one of our favorite family haunts growing up

One of my favorite beaches, Llandudno

Craft stalls along the side of the highway

More coastline along the tour

Granny entertaining Jack on the bus

Government building

View of Cape Town harbor

I'm trying to post each day as we do things, so it's not overwhelming when we get back. However, internet access is unreliable so I may not succeed!

And We're Off!

2011-04-05T12:47:00.003-04:00

We have officially begun our big adventure! We're trading the warm spring of the South for the fair winds of autumn a little further south. In Cape Town. Originally we decided to go now because my cousin Camilla is getting married in April (congrats Mill!) and then due to booking issues and visa hassles our three week trip turned into a five week one. Which we're not a bit disappointed about!

Yesterday we flew on the overnight flight to Amsterdam. Nighmarish flight with poor old Jack, who refused to sleep except for a tiny bit at the end. But we made it and checked into this very nice hotel room in the airport (we can't leave the airport because of Andre's visa situation so we're staying here until our flight leaves early Wednesday morning):

They are called "cabins" and are really small but beautifully done and just enough space for everything, including Jack's pac n play. After a good nap for all three of us, we had lunch, explored the airport and were very impressed with what we found. And there's even a tiny RijksMuseum here! (So I did get to see some of the great works of art, despite not being able to set foot outside the airport!) And Jack had great fun playing at this playground with several other little ones:

I think what impressed me the most was the recently added "Baby Care Lounge". It's got these gorgeously done up cubicles complete with a bench for the mom, crib for the baby, and curtains that pull all the way around for naps. And there's a huge counter-top with changing pads and deep sinks to give a baby bath too! Amazing!

Thankfully, we do not need the "Baby Care Lounge" for our 24 hour stay, due to my sweet Husband's forethought in booking us a room. But, if we did, we'd be well taken care of!

So if you're looking for good sightseeing in Amsterdam, the airport's pretty great :)

13 Months Old

2011-04-02T17:51:00.003-04:00

Our Jack boy is officially over a year old now! He's so grown up seeming and toddles around confidently, refusing to hold hands when we're out. He still can't say anything except "gar" for car but knows a lot of words and people's names. He still loves big kids, balloons and anything on wheels. And machinery. And wheel chairs. So much for toys. Give this boy an engine to play with and he's happy!

During our little visit in Chattanooga we had great fun taking Jack to a nearby park. He's never been to a park before and enjoyed everything from the sand to the swings, and of course the slides:

I love this one. It looks like Jack is about to be swept off by gale force winds!!

We are so proud of you Jack boy and love you bunches, you cute little 13 month old!

Room Makeover and The Flood

2011-04-01T18:28:00.005-04:00

For the last month our house has been in a state of chaos. Which has slowly driven us mad (although I must say, the Husbie has put up with it all very well considering he's the neatest of neat freaks!). First, we decided to repaint our bedroom. The caramel walls needed a makeover, so fresh pale blue-gray was chosen, after much debating. Then just as we were used to the mess from moving our bedroom into the living room, the washing machine broke, overflowed and caused a flood in one part of our condo (And serious damage in the condo below us. And poured into the basement parking lot. Yes, it really really overflowed!). So we had to move quite a bit out of that area into the living as well. Chaos! It's slowly getting sorted out now, but was rather interesting there for a bit. Here are some pics of all the interestingness :)

Trying to mop up the mess

And there was lots of mess

Anyway, here are the before and after shots of our room. I've still got to put pictures up etc., but you get the idea. I'm really pleased with how the color turned out and am so happy to have a "new" bedroom!

Before

During

And after

Thank you Husbie, for doing such a beautiful job!

Going Visiting

2011-03-30T07:41:00.003-04:00

Last week we spent a two days in Chattanooga, staying with good friends and visiting Andre's American "parents", Jack and Carolyn. Jack has been in hospital and ICU for a month due to complications after a surgery and we are so thankful he is now about to go home. Praise the Lord! Last week he was still in the rehab facility so we visited him there.

The Jacks

Little Jack was obsessed with Big Jack's shoes (and his wheelchair)!
Side note: it's really embarrassing whenever we see a person in a wheelchair
because he points and says "Car" in a really loud voice. As you can imagine,
being in the elderly care facility there was plenty of pointing going on!

Nonee and Doodan gave Little Jack his first race car and to
say he loved it is an understatement!

Andre with his American family :)

We got to stay with our dear friends Myriam and Conrad and were completely spoiled! Myriam made us wonderful food and looked after our every need. And Jack loved being at their house with all that space to wander around in. Thank you for having us!

Jack got lots of lovely cuddles from Aunty Myriam

Jack was a little unsure of Kitty but he eventually made friends

Time Away

2011-03-18T15:06:00.002-04:00

Thankful for my Husbie, who loves to surprise me. Thankful for little trips away. For beautiful places to enjoy and friends to enjoy them with. And I'm especially thankful for being able to get out of a house full of chaos, heavy duty fans and workmen cleaning up after a small flood in our laundry room!

Loved watching Jack enjoy every minute in the water!

Loved spending time with Pip and Dave and their little one

Loved sunbathing with cocktails and a good friend for company

Loved watching my boys enjoying each other

Loved dusk over the lake

Loved eating lunch on the balcony

Loved watching Jack's reaction to the canoe ride (he wasn't a fan!)

Most of all I loved this little face, taking it all in

So, today I'm thankful. For time away and good memories. And that the fans and workmen were gone when we got home :)

Jack Turns One!

2011-03-17T10:13:00.004-04:00

Yes, this is a bit late, I know!! But here are some pics from Jack's actual birthday when we celebrated at home. My Mum was still here visiting and we had a little tea party with a car cake (his favorite thing and one of his only words is "car").

Car cake

A barnyard complete with all the animals, from Mummy and Daddy

Cuddles with Nana

Blowing out the candle

Yummy (this time he loved the cake...I guess chocolate is his thing!)

Enjoying cake with Daddy

And Jack took the opportunity of being the center of attention to start walking on his birthday!
Congrats little boy!

Going Crazy...

2011-03-08T21:53:00.005-05:00

Yes, I am. With the blog. And I'm having SO MUCH FUN!! Thanks to this creative tool and this wonderful resource for blogs. I used her "natural linen" background and love it! It's a work in progress, but with me that's pretty standard, as I'm always messing around with my "stuff", looking for creative outlets. So here you have my new design, for now. I know, it's totally summery and not fitting for the season at all. Oh well.

Mum and Dad's Visit

2011-03-07T11:17:00.005-05:00

Last weekend Mum and Dad were in town to celebrate Jack and Alexis' birthdays. Unfortunately, Andre was out of town with our church youth group on a ski trip (he is helping out with the youth at the moment) but Jack and I got to spend lots of love time with Mum and Dad and the rest of the family.

With Grandpa

With Nana

Playing with Aunty Nessa and Grandpa

The gang enjoying presents

Opening presents together

A new motorbike from Nana and Grandpa, just like Michaela's! Nana brought this all the way home from Cape Town in her suitcase after her visit in January. Wow!
Perfect present for our active little boy :)

And Alexis got a swing...perfect for this placid little girlie!

Hanging with Uncle Steve and Aunty Rachel and Michaela on their car.
Jack was thrilled to be able to climb all over the car!

And walking with his adored Uncle Steve

On Sunday everyone came over to our house for lunch.
Here are the cousin twins in their Sunday best.

And watching Praise Baby with Grandpa

Thanks for spending time with us all Mum and Dad. We LOVE having you!!

12 Months Old!

2011-03-05T15:15:00.003-05:00

Our baby turned ONE on Wednesday and we're amazed as we think back to this time last year. There are so many treasured moments to remember, photos to look at, stages he went through, new things accomplished. We are so proud of our little boy and incredibly thankful for him and the life God has given.

He now weighs 19.4 lbs, is 31.5 inches tall and is walking! He's thrilled about this, as being very curious, he can now really go places! He loves people, especially other children but Daddy is still the favorite, for sure. He can say "car" now and is obsessed with anything on wheels. We love seeing his interests emerge.

Happy birthday to our darling boy. May we celebrate many more with you!

One Day Old

One Month

Two Months

Three Months

Five Months

Seven Months

Eleven Months

Twelve Months Old!!

It's a Party!

2011-02-28T09:11:00.005-05:00

My sister and I can't believe our babies are turning 1! Alexis had her birthday on February 13 and Jack's birthday is this Wednesday. These "cousin twins", as we like to call them, had their party this past Friday and we had such fun celebrating them together.

We decided to go with the Hungry Caterpillar theme as there were girl and boy things to decorate with from that story :) Ness and I made cakes, decorations and food and had a great time doing it. Ness very kindly hosted the party in her basement which was perfect. And thankfully Mum came in town just in time to help out with the kiddos!

All dressed up and somewhere to go

Mummies and one year olds!

Mummies and cakes

Drink table

Fruit sticks

Cake table

Goody bags

The room before the party

And the room during...!!

The birthday cousins

And there were lots of babies!!
(poor Alexis decide that since it was her party, she could cry!)

Me with my birthday boy

So glad we did it and although it was quite overwhelming and quite a crowd, I hope to enjoy many more of my Jacko's birthday parties in the years ahead! Thank you to everyone for coming and for the beautiful presents you brought for our babies!

Our Week

2011-02-23T10:23:00.006-05:00

Busy week. Work week. Fun week. Lots of friend time sort of week. Here it is in photos for your viewing pleasure :)

MONDAY:

Jack has discovered books this past month and often I'll find him sitting
in hisroom "reading". But he loves it best when we read to him of course.

TUESDAY:

And we took the very necessary plunge and bought him the big boy car seat.
He was MORE than ready for that!

WEDNESDAY: Hannah popped over for a visit after work which was great fun. Jacko was already in bed so we actually got to chat uninterrupted!

THURSDAY:

We met up with Vanessa and the girls at Chick-Fil-A one evening for dinner.
Here are the cousin twins enjoying their
nuggets while staring each other down.

FRIDAY:

And guess who tried chocolate for the first time?

I don't have pictures from the weekend but we had a fun one! We had our neighbors over for brunch (they have a 2 year old) and had a great time getting to know them. Sunday was church and then out for coffee with my friend Pip and her little man. Jack, however, was up to so much mischief (namely emptying all the napkins of the holder, throwing food on the floor and then trying to escape out the front door) that we hardly got any conversation in. Sorry Pippy!!

MONDAY:

On Monday night I went out to dinner with my very special friends
from work, Robin and Ellyn
(pregnant with her third and moving out of state next month).
We had such a blast together. Miss you girls!

TUESDAY:

Little Man has claimed this couch by the window as his favorite spot and
is now learning the genteel art of "reclining" !!

Hope your week is going well too. I have a little before and after project to share this next week...our bedroom makeover!

Jack Shares his PJs

2011-02-18T15:25:00.003-05:00

Last Wednesday Michaela and Alexis were visiting around bath time and so jumped in with Jack. The three of them enjoyed splashing about together and then Jack let them borrow some PJs :) Luckily, we have them in all sizes, thanks to kind friends who have passed theirs along to him. He even has several 2T pairs which fit Miss M nicely (us grown ups did have a good laugh at her stripey leggings though!!)

Jack, Alexis and Michaela

The Cousin Twins

Miss M in her big boy PJs :)

P.S. I also want to say a HUGE Happy Birthday to little Alexis who turned ONE on Sunday! You are such a sweet little girl and we all love you!

Times, They Are A Changing

2011-02-15T22:47:00.004-05:00

So our poor child has still been using the infant car seat. At 11 months old. I know, I hate to admit it. But the fact that he was out growing it somehow escaped me and perhaps, secretly, I didn't want to acknowledge how big he was getting!

Andre has just finished a big painting project and so had a day to hang out with us. We decided it was CAR SEAT DAY! After visiting Babies R Us and seeing one we really liked (Safety First Alpha Omega Elite for $180), Andre found the exact same seat at Sams Club on the clearance rack with no price tag on it. Long story short, we love the very kind sales lady at Sams. She decided that $70 sounded like a good price for a clearance car seat. Say what?! Unbelievably amazing.

I will definitely be adding that to my 1000 gifts of thankfulness list :)

What a big boy!

Book Page Wreath

2011-02-13T10:28:00.006-05:00

Since I've been itching to create something the past few weeks, I finally hit upon something useful, beautiful and do-able! I'd seen this on one of my favorite design blogs and decided to copy :)

Super easy and despite the fact that I felt somewhat guilty for tearing up one of my favorite books (!), I now have "Little Women" hanging on my wall!

Buddies

2011-02-09T10:41:00.002-05:00

Jack and Alexis were playing last week and we suddenly noticed how they differ in height!
Aren't they cute?!

11 Months Old

2011-02-04T21:15:00.003-05:00

I just can't believe our little boy is about to celebrate his first birthday! He was 11 months old on Wednesday and is just in that not-quite-a-baby-not-quite-a-toddler stage. He is almost walking but still tentative as he knows he's likely to fall!

And, drum roll please, he's kind of sort of said his first word: "guck" for duck :) I thought he was never going to talk but he seems to finally realize that he could if he tried!

He's understanding instructions a bit more now and can turn around to get down off the bed or couch when we tell him to, turn off the light switch, or give us objects. So cute.

Playing with big kids is still a much loved past-time, as is seeing his grandparents on Skype. But Daddy and bath time still rank highest among his "favorite things"!

Happy 11 months little Jack...we are so incredibly thankful for you!

Little Climber

2011-01-27T16:19:00.004-05:00

Jack's favorite spot in our house is the big sliding door/window that looks out over the street and the duck pond. He knows the word for car and duck now and eagerly crawls over to the window if we ask him where the ducks are.

This favorite place has just become dearer to his little heart as it also houses the big armchair and footstool he has learned to climb this week!

Love those ducks!

Hmmm...

Now there's an idea!

Up we go

Nearly there

King of all he surveys!

Now what about getting down?

Oh, that's the easy part!

Guess I'm going to have to grow eyes in the back of my head to keep up with him...this morning I found him climbing from the arm of the chair up onto the piano. Yikes!

Christmas Memories

2011-01-25T10:58:00.001-05:00

This is a random post from December! We had a sleep over with Michaela right before Christmas when Ness and Sean went out of town for a night and took Alexis with them. We had such fun and Jack loved having her around. Here are a few shots of her decorating some gingerbread men I made:

Very serious about the icing!

She very thoughtfully made one for Alexis too

Jack helped

The Amaryllis

2011-01-24T13:49:00.000-05:00

Just before Christmas, Andre's "adopted" parents, Jack (who our Jack is named for) and Carolyn, sent us such a lovely gift: a potted amaryllis bulb. I couldn't wait for it to bloom and yesterday it did (I had been rather worried I would manage to kill it along the way!) We're enjoying it in all it's gorgeousness!

Thank you Nonee and Doodan!

Saturday Brunch

2011-01-22T15:15:00.000-05:00

It's taken me a week to post this but I'm finally getting caught up on some blogging. Last Saturday, our dear friends, the Barkers, came into town for the day and stopped by for brunch. Unfortunately, Andre was out working that morning, but I had a great time catching up with them. Thanks for spending some of your day with us, friends!

Evie, Mara Kate and Jack

Jana and me ('scuse my lack of make-up here!)

Dr. Phil

2011-01-21T21:40:00.002-05:00

So I came into the living room yesterday and this is what I saw:

He had turned on the TV all by himself and was watching Dr. Phil. Ha!

And Of Course, Some Snow Pics!

2011-01-11T19:25:00.007-05:00

Yes, we're snowed in here down South and having fun with the unusual weather. Thankfully no power outages in our area, so we're very blessed to be warm and safe and able to just enjoy the snow. Even though the weather warmed up a bit today, it's supposed to get really cold again tonight, so lots of ice is forecast for the morning. Best to stay inside, we're told! I was so proud of myself for having stocked up on all necessary items over the weekend (specifically diapers and formula), only to discover as I cleaned up a particularly yucky diaper this evening that we are now out of wipes. Oops.

Our building

Cars stuck on the road nearby

One of the ponds in our complex

The boys

He giggled when his butt went through the ice

Ok, guys, it's getting chilly!

Holiday Catch Up #7: Last One!

2011-01-09T11:54:00.008-05:00

I promise this is the very last post about the holidays! I just have to get all these photos up here for family far away :). Our time in Pennsylvania with Andre's family was really special and quite relaxing. Olga and Vladimir spent the weekend with us. They own the house that Mama and Deada live in and are putting it on the market soon, so while they were there, we all spent some time sorting, throwing away and doing small repairs. The kiddos played together so nicely and Jack didn't have a dull moment with all his cousins giving him attention!

Deada and his youngest great-grandchild (Jack is #25!)

Loving the swing

Getting some fresh air with Daddy and cousin Phillip

Contemplating the corn rows

Deada and Marianna

Sisters

These babies sure do love their Baba!

Vladimir doing house repairs

Andre, Phillip, Danielle and Neena playing card games

Andre helping to sort through boxes of papers

Danielle the bookworm

Olga and Marianna

The littlies playing together

Jack enjoying bath time as always, especially exploring a new tub!

We are now back home, getting settled in and into the routine of a new year.
Happy 2011 everybody!!

Holiday Catch Up #6: New Year's Day

2011-01-09T11:35:00.003-05:00

New Year's Day 2011 was Mama's 60th birthday! We had fun opening presents in the morning, cooking a big birthday lunch and having Andre's sister Olga and her family arrive in the evening. They live about 2 hours away from where Mama is now and they have 6 children. Needless to say, Jack was in heaven with all these "big" kids around!

Mama opening presents

Birthday love for "Baba"

A wonderful milestone to reach!

Mama and her brood
Vladimir, Olga, Marianna, Deada, Anna, Andre, Mama,
Danielle holding Jack, Phillip, Neena and me

Mama and Deada with the kiddos
Couch: Deada, Anna, Marianna, Jack, Mama, Danielle
Floor: Andre, Phillip and Neena

Holiday Catch Up #5: New Year's Eve

2011-01-09T10:38:00.007-05:00

The Monday after Christmas I came down with a nasty 12 hour tummy bug which Rachel also had. Thankfully, Mum and Dad were still with us that day and were such a help with Jack, as Andre was out working on a project the whole day. Dad was wonderful, playing with Jack, feeding him and keeping him occupied, as Mum was trying to get ready to leave for her trip to Cape Town that night. Her plane ended up being delayed three hours due to weather and Dad's flight back to Illinois was canceled until the next morning. Poor things! So, drama, drama in our household that day.

By Wednesday when we left to head up north for New Years with Andre's family, we all had colds. Yuck. But we had a good trip up and settled in for a relaxing week in Amish country :)

On New Year's Eve, Andre went out for a drive and took some great photos of the surrounding views for us.

View from the street where Mama lives

Amish buggys are everywhere!

Amish farm stall where we buy amazingly yummy bread

And yes, folks, honesty is the best policy around here :)

Last sunset of 2010

Mama opening her Christmas present
(a book of Jack's first year in photos)

Andre's Grandfather, "Deada" in Russian

Mama's sister, Lyuda

A New Year's Eve feast

Holiday Catch Up #4: Boxing Day

2011-01-08T14:20:00.004-05:00

If you have any English roots, you'll know that the day after Christmas is called Boxing Day in any country that used to be a British colony. This apparently came from the tradition of "boxing" up all the left over Christmas food for the servants to take home to their families. Fascinating little fact, I know!

Anyhoo, so this year, on Boxing Day, my whole family met at Vanessa and Sean's house for a meal and time together before Mum & Dad left town. Ness made a wonderful meal for us all...thanks Ness!

Beautiful dinner table

Mum and Rachel with the cousin twins

Alexis (10 months) and Jack (9.5 months) playing together with a new toy

Family photo

The whole family

Holiday Catch Up #3: Christmas Dinner

2011-01-08T14:02:00.004-05:00

Since my sister and my brother's families were spending most of Christmas Day with their respective in-laws, we, along with Mum & Dad, headed over to have Christmas dinner with our pastor and his wife, Paul and Sharon (he's also my former boss, and one of my best friend's dads...yes, it's complicated!). They weren't going to be able to have any of their kids around this Christmas and so invited us to celebrate with them. We had such fun and a delicious meal. Thank you so much Paul and Sharon!

Because the morning had turned out to be such a rush, poor old Jack still had not opened his presents or stocking from us by the afternoon! So I took it all with us to Paul and Sharon's house and we had fun while waiting for lunch to be ready.

Jack's first Christmas stocking
(he was much more interested in chewing on one of the puzzle pieces
than enjoying any of the other toys he got!)

Enjoying the cozy fire inside and snow falling outside

Paul, Dad and Mum looking through the book that we gave my parents
for Christmas. It's a picture album of the three grandchildren over the past year.

All of us around the table, minus poor Sharon who was slaving away in the
kitchen to produce such a lovely meal for us!

Daddy and Jack

Jack with his main present from us: a Noah's Ark filled with
Mr. Noah and animals :)

Holiday Catch Up #2: Christmas Morning

2011-01-08T10:13:00.003-05:00

Mum and Dad stayed with us over Christmas weekend and so we enjoyed them on Christmas morning. Jack slept late and so didn't get to open his presents before we had to leave for church. Our church does a Christmas morning service, very kid-friendly and Jack loved being up front with all the kids and their toys (they're each allowed to bring a quiet toy!).

After church, my whole family came back to our house for breakfast casserole, tea and mince-pies, a Jones family tradition on Christmas morning! We had a wonderful and somewhat overwhelming time (!) opening all our presents and stockings from each other and Mum & Dad. We were all thoroughly spoilt...thanks everyone!

Nana and Grampa with Jack

Michaela opening her present from Nana and Grampa

The Cousin twins' first Christmas!

Andre having a yawn :)

Dad having a good chuckle

Jack getting into the presents

Miss Alexis and me having a cuddle

A new book!

Rach and Steve

Nana and Alexis

Holiday Catch-Up #1: Christmas Eve

2011-01-08T10:01:00.003-05:00

Ever since Mum and Dad moved to Illinois, we have been doing the switch up for the holidays. One year we all try to spend Christmas up there and the next they come to Atlanta. This was an Atlanta year and proved to be a busy time with all we had going on!

On Christmas Eve, we celebrated with our good friends Pip and Dave and Pip's parents, along with mine. Pip and Dave have just had a baby in November and so this is the first time they haven't made it back to Australia for Christmas. So Pip's parents came out here to be with them and help with little Josh. We had such fun eating yummy lamb roast cooked by my dear Husbie and a delicious chocolate cream cake from Alons brought by our sweet guests. Jack was in bed before anyone arrived and so we were able to concentrate just on our fun evening. Nice!

Toasting the occasion!

Rocking the little man through his tummy troubles
(Josh is so cute and tiny...Jack looks like a giant next to him!)

Steve and Rachel joined us for dessert

10 Months Old

2011-01-05T20:26:00.004-05:00

Jack turned 10 months old on Sunday. And for some reason I'm really having trouble with this milestone. I just can't believe my baby is two months shy of his first birthday. Anyway, I'm sure I'll get over my disbelief as I have no other choice and time waits for no baby!

He is growing so much at the moment and gradually discovering new things and abilities. He's cruising pretty well now, getting used to a sippy cup and trying all sorts of new foods. Apart from an egg allergy and a series of not so nice ear infections, his health is good. I still think he's on the skinny side, but no one else appears worried!

Much to our amazement and my delight he has turned into quite a cuddle bug at night (the first time he even laid his head on my shoulder and gave even the slightest semblance of a voluntary cuddle was at 9 months!). I'm in heaven :) So thankful for our little boy and the joy he brings each day!

Mama

2011-01-01T15:31:00.003-05:00

Andre's Mama turns 60 today. What a wonderful way to start off each new year, with a birthday! Mama is such a special lady and I am honored to have her as my Mama now too. She always displays grace, humor and kindness, no matter what is thrown her way (and lots has been through the years, not always pleasant) and is so loving to all she comes into contact with. We love you Mama and wish you a wonderful year ahead!

Mama (right) with her older sister Lyuda and her younger brother Sasha (1950s)

Mama and Lyuda as teenagers (1960s)

Mama with Andre as a baby (1973)

Mama with Andre and Olga (1980s)

Mama in the 1980s

Mama with her mother (Baba Neena) and father (Deada) (1990s)

Mama arriving in the USA!(2006)

Mama's first time at the beach (2007)

Mama and Deada with Jack (2010)

Happy 60th Birthday to a wonderful Mother! We are so blessed to have you in our lives!