One Year

I've been wanting to write a post about this for the last couple months, but am just now getting to it. In some ways it's much more pertinent to count back a year from now though, instead of from when we first arrived in Rochester. We had been here for a couple months and things were just starting to get, well, let's say, "interesting."

At this time last year we had just bought our new car (Toyota Matrix), we were thick in the search for a place to live, Caitlin hadn't begun to crawl yet, my sister was visiting, I was already beginning to feel lonely in my lack of friendships, we were searching for a church home, Grady had just begun to work for the startup company, "Hardcore Computer," we were dealing heavily with reverse culture shock and at a very low point in our marriage, the Canadian dollar was actually stronger than the American dollar for the first time since the 70s, gas prices were at an all-time high, and the snow was finally mostly melted after what seemed like a long winter (even though we only jumped into it in the middle!).

Well, the snow is once again finally melted, but that's the only similarity to this time last year.

It's not always so defined to think back to "one year ago" and remember what was going on, but in this case it is so clear for us. It is so refreshing to look back and be reminded that time does put so much in perspective. Life was super intense at this time last year; there were so many questions in our minds, so much unrest. It didn't stay that way though! (in some ways it actually got worse before it got better.)

When I look back next year, this is what I will remember about right now:
- the ecomony is officially in recession, and we are unsure how long Grady's job will last
- we welcomed a beautiful son into our family (--surprise!--) and are settling into life with him
- Caitlin is not only crawling, but walking, jumping, running and climbing everywhere plus chatting about it along the way
- we are gearing up to do a bit of a kitchen remodel in hopes of adding value to our home
- we have a home, and in our favorite neighborhood of Rochester too(!)
- we love our church family along with the friends we have made there and the challenging Bible studies we are a part of now
- I have found moms to meet with and get encouragement from who share the same parenting principles and am part of a fun and insightful book club, MOPS, and Mothers and More
- our marriage is not just surviving, but thriving (praise God!)
- our car has proven to be the perfect fit for our lifestyle and family
- my sister and her husband just passed their six month "anniversary" of marriage and of her living in Australia, and she's finally found a job too
- we still have "major missing Germany" moments, but are not bombarded and stressed with the constant small differences of the culture here anymore, what a relief

And all the time, God is there. Such a comfort!

What will you look back and see a year from now?

Earth Hour 2009

http://www.earthhour.org/home/

Ready For a Smooch

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

How Hard Can It Be?

Yesterday we ran around town trying to find a place to get Connor's passport picture taken. A little daunted by how precise the proportions and sizing is, we decided to forgo trying to do it at home ourselves. But you would have thought we were searching for buried treasure or something!

After being told that many places stopped doing them because of "liability" issues (whaaa??), we finally made it to Sears and paid $20 to have one snapped at the only studio in town that would. I'm thinking it's time to open an infant passport photo shop so Sears doesn't have such a monopoly on the market-! (sheesh we're lucky they didn't charge us $100! we might have paid it!)

Of course, this wouldn't be such a big deal if they hadn't changed the law, requiring even the tiniest of citizens to produce substantial proof of their non-terrorist intent by producing a passport. Eye color? Blue....for now. Hair color? Umm brown, no wait--blond, or is it kind of red? Do I have to mention it's currently in a permanent fauxhawk? Height and weight? ...you've got to be kidding me...

We went through all of this with Caitlin too, but that was way over there and it seemed more necessary. But to visit my parents in Canada...?

But if I do say so myself...I think it's about the cutest passport picture I've seen in awhile!

One Month

Connor hanging out today with our midwife, Rachel

Well I can't say we're any more caught up on sleep or that we even have the hang of having two kids any better, but a month has already come and gone since Connor arrived-! Hard to believe I've already nursed him over two hundred times and changed over a hundred and fifty diapers.

Connor couldn't be doing better. (Well, he could stop crying altogether, but I'm sure that wouldn't necessarily be a good thing-!) He's grown an inch in length and, get this, is already 8 lb, 12 oz as of today!! That's a whopping pound and ten ounces he's gained in one month-! (not to mention the six ounces he gained back after losing them the first day, which would put his weight gain at two pounds total.) Caitlin was always a huge eater but a small "grower" so it's quite the change to have this little man in our midst now! I'm going to call him Connor W, W as in weed, weed as in "growing like one"!! What a blessing to know he is thriving.

Happy 1 month, Connor!Caitlin playing Connor a 1 month birthday song on her new recorder

Spoiled Rotten

Last Sunday a "Welcome Connor" party was thrown for Connor and me by a couple friends from my MOPS (Mothers of PreSchoolers) group. Basically, we were spoiled rotten!Thanks to everyone for the thoughtful gifts of clothes, giftcards, toys and blankets. But get this, we also came home with something no mother can do without....loads of DIAPERS!That's right. We now have 884 diapers, which, at a rate of about six per day should last until...September! Now that's a gift that keeps on giving! Thanks everyone!Here's one of the outfits for Connor--I had to post a pic of this one! (since the blog is its name-twin!) I'll post a couple pictures from the event itself when I get them off my friend's camera. Until then!*

*does it make sense to say this in English? it's a common expression in German but sometimes I forget which sayings transfer and which ones don't-!