Ye Kings of New England

Our First Post-Language-School Task

2011-12-28T02:14:00.000-05:00

Now that we've made it through the crazy two months of language school (and PASSED our A1 exams!), we're on to some different types of activities. My favorite, for many reasons that I will shortly expound upon, was a trip to IKEA!!!

Gregory and I are huge IKEA fans. We love their prices, the ease of transporting large pieces of furniture home in our own vehicles without delivery charges, and the accomplishment of assembling these items. But we also love the IKEA store -- the maze of fun furniture displays, the cheap and yummy food, the espresso bar, and yes, even the accomplishment of making it through the store successfully! Yesterday, on our first IKEA visit with a child, we discovered a new delight -- watching Nathanael explore toys and furniture in the kid's section! We were all quite entertained. (And in case you are not aware of the IKEA kid-care, they watch your kids for free between the ages of 3 and 10! We're counting down the months to a free date!)

But on to the purpose of this post. After over two months, Nathanael has been outgrowing the nightly use of our hosts' pack 'n play. (Read: None of us have been sleeping so well these days.) IKEA's crib prices simply cannot be beat, so we headed out on our little adventure the first day stores opened here after Christmas; the store was crazy crowded! And I feel as if I should also make a note here about visiting an IKEA in a language you aren't completely familiar with yet: if at all possible, try to go to one in a language you know first; I cannot imagine how confusing it would be the first time without being able to fully read and speak the language!

We found the crib I'd seen online, and Nathanael begged for us to let him get into the display. We conceded, and our little guy proceeded to lie down in the crib and sing his sleeping song. We were all hooked.

This morning, I am pleased to report that all three of us slept through the entire night. What a relief!

Nathanael loved watching Dad put the crib together.

And here's his new little haven.

It's crazy that we've had our son in "temporary/loaner" beds from age 3 months until 20 months! And we have another 4-5 more to come! (Those "loaner" beds have been a huge, huge blessing though!)

Christmas Day Memories

2011-12-26T02:05:00.000-05:00

Here are a few of our favorite Christmas Day photos. We didn't manage to take very many this year. Someone kept us busy!

Sorry this one's blurry, but he was so excited to wear his boots that he really wouldn't stand still.

Our Little Helper

2011-12-23T13:30:00.001-05:00

Nathanael wanted to show you all how he does laundry here in Vienna. Seriously, I did not prompt him on how to do this! I simply asked him if he'd like to show the camera how he does laundry, and this is what he proceeded to do. :)

First, he puts the clothes into the washing machine.

Then he adds detergent here.

Then he presses this button to start the machine.

Next he puts the clothes into the dryer.

Then he closes the door like so.

And he turns this knob to select the level of drying.

Aren't you proud of our little helper?!

It's amazing how much he has grown up in these two plus months!

Thoughts on a Tuesday morning in Vienna

2011-12-02T01:14:00.000-05:00

I'm on my daily trek into the city for class. I should be studying now, but my iPod just switched from German dialogue to Augustana's "Boston," and all of a sudden, my romantic sentiments are engaged, and I'm inspired to write - with pencil and paper yet! Why not blog, right?

Vienna, in the late autumn / early winter, is covered in a thick fog. It's the curse of the Donau. This beautiful waterway which shimmers bright and blue in the summer causes a droggy haze to cover the city in the drudgery of winter. Every so often the sunrays find their way through the haze, and we all breathe deeply and sigh. "Die Sonne scheint." I made up a silly song in German on Saturday, singing it with giddiness to Nathanael as we walked to the grocery store. It was simply about the sun shining, the weather being warmer, the day beautiful... It reflected the light feeling of the sunny morning.

Where am I going with this? I cannot help but view all of this from a spiritual perspective. I actually love the fog here -- it's something different, and it causes me to have a greater appreciation for the sun when it blesses us with its rays. Recently I have been reflecting on God's sovereignty in often only allowing us to see what we must for our current situation, sometimes one step further. We rarely view this foggy haze as a blessing. But when the rays of understanding suddenly break through, it is truly glorious! We see a fraction of the beauty of our Creator, how He marvelously works all for His glory and how He is so intimately aware of our needs and concerned with our good.

As I strive to learn this new language, I am truly in awe as to how God had prepared Gregory and me to be here in Vienna in the many years prior, even though we were oblivious to His greater plan, even though we felt we were often walking through a foggy haze. I smile as I think of how this also is only a tiny thread in the tapestry of His Kingdom's plan.

A Palace, A Wood, and Remembering the Dead

2011-11-03T02:36:00.000-04:00

As class hasn't been too exceptionally challenging yet (we've not yet completed our second week!), we've been taking advantage of weekends and holidays to get out and see the sites. Last weekend, we visited the famous Hapsburg summer palace - Schonbrunn. We'd been told it was gorgeous, and we discovered that everyone is telling the truth, but it's not necessarily the palace that takes your breath away; it's the grounds. They were stunning in the brilliance of autumn. Unfortunately, the pictures don't show you this, so you'll just have to come and visit.

Tuesday was All Saint's Day, and so we took a morning walk together to a nearby pond. Nathanael loved playing in the leaves, pushing around his stroller, finding dirt piles in which to play... (He's cutting his fourth tooth in one of these pictures. :)

Then we headed to the Vienna Woods in the afternoon. Gregory and I love urban settings, but we definitely appreciate and need time in wooded areas. We loved to take walks in the woods near Gordon Conwell on Boston's North Shore. We were thrilled to discover the Vienna Woods. They are large and breathtaking, and apparently there's a great view of the city from the top. We just didn't catch the sun to see it on Tuesday.

We ended the day by stopping off at a cemetery for some cultural education on how Austrians remember their family members on All Saint's Day. Almost every grave had candles lit earlier that day by visitors. Many were decorated with floral arrangements. The final picture here is a grave piled with wreaths, likely from a burial that morning or the day prior.

Though the experience was educating for us, we were consumed with compassion for these people and their lack of knowledge (in the heart) of our Savior Jesus Christ. We pray God might use us here to make a difference in many lives...

German in the Autumn

2011-10-28T10:09:00.000-04:00

Gregory and I have made it through our first week of German language class! We're thrilled to finally be able to focus on this language and even begin to see some improvements in our comfortability with speaking. Of course, that said, a lady on the train today was trying to ask me or tell me something about Nathanael, and I had absolutely no idea what she was trying to say. (Other than I COULD understand she was using the "she" pronoun for my son - ha! Oh well, he IS beautiful! ;)

Nathanael and I just returned from a family date in the city. It's the moments like these that take my breath away. We met between classes, walked to the Naschmarkt to grab doner and durum for lunch, and ate by the playground in front of Karl's Church. The trees are turning, and the chill in the air seems to whisper, "Autumn is here...autumn is here." I managed to snap a few pictures of Nathanael playing in the leaves, but they really don't do justice to the beauty of this time of year and the glee exhuberating from this little boy's being!

We are so encouraged to be in Vienna as a family. It is the beginning of the fulfillment of a promise from God, that He would bring us here to serve Him and His people. We're here now (though not yet permanently), and we're striving to learn German so that we may best serve Him here. We're excited to see what He does!

(As you can see, he is finding plenty of sticks to play with in Vienna.)

You wouldn't believe how many pictures of Nathanael come out like the following:

That's our boy, always moving his feet!

Proof that we're here

2011-10-21T17:50:00.000-04:00

I've taken very few pictures since we arrived in Vienna, somehow none during travels and our first day here. I guess that's what happens with a toddler. :) However, here are a few from the past couple days.

This one's for the grandparents. Nathanael has found a couple places to pile his cars and trucks. This is one of his favorites.

Here's Greg outside the BAO offices, where he'll eventually work. They didn't have a big sign, so he's pointing to it in the picture.

Outside the Hofburg Palace

(I think Nathanael was pointing at a truck driving by, imagine that!)

In front of the famous Stephansdom

He finally fell asleep in the afternoon.

Karlskirche at Karlsplatz, practically across the street from our language school

Still sleeping at Schwarzenbergplatz

Playing in the Stadtpark (it reminded us of the Boston Public Garden!)

And We're Off!

2011-10-16T12:52:00.000-04:00

We're off to Vienna tomorrow. I'm hopeful to share some pictures and stories over the next 12 weeks, but only when I'm taking a brief break from language study! In just over eight weeks, we take our German proficiency exams which will allow us (assuming we reach A1 level) to apply for our residence permits on January 2. When I think about the next two months, I have some anxiety related to my own abilities to learn what I need while also caring for myself and our family. But I know our God is big enough to do this, and I believe that He will! We'd love your prayers for us as we adjust and learn over the next eight weeks!

In other news, Nathanael will be 18 months old at the end of the week! What an exciting journey parenting is! I feel I must comment about how well he has been doing in the church nursery for the past couple months, lest I forget this stage of adjustment. The last few weeks, he has practically climbed out of our arms to go into the nursery, no fuss what-so-ever when we leave. What a change from last year! I expect he'll struggle more in the coming months with the different places, people, and language, but I know he (we) will eventually adjust.

Here we are all serious-like and ready for our residence permits. haha These pictures just make me laugh.

Now, I must get back to packing and decide what toys to take for this little guy. I'm thankful Austria has plentiful rocks and sticks!

Little highlights

2011-10-15T21:52:00.000-04:00

Raw onion, anyone?

An added challenge to the normal push-ups

Gregory and his dad used to do this...

Nathanael is quite serious about his Little People.

Apple-Picking with the Cioffis

2011-10-14T07:00:00.007-04:00

Another highlight from our time in Boston -- one of the only other ones of which we have pictures -- was our Cioffi/King Family Day. We spent the afternoon at Smolak Farms in North Andover and concluded with an incredible lobster dinner. We discovered that (1) Nathanael still loves apples, and (2) Nathanael has expensive taste - he loved the lobster!

Nick and Deborah took some amazing pictures, so here are the highlights of the Kings. I'll abstain from sharing all the adorable pictures of Josiah; let's just suffice it to say that he is quite the cutie.

Tickles at lunchtime

Finally a great family photo

This boy loves apples!

He was rarely without two apples in his hands.

We had to hold his fingers back, lest the peacock take a bite!

First touch of goat...hmmm, how momentous!

The cider and cider donuts were incredible!

A picture to cherish for years...

Make Way for Ducklings

2011-10-07T15:42:00.000-04:00

We took the bus and T into Boston a couple days. Nathanael loved the bus and mostly loved the subway, though he did put his hands over his ears at one point when the train started screeching loudly. (Don't we all want to do that?!)

Of course, we had to stop by the Public Garden and say hello to the ducks.

And we even happened upon our favorite book characters from Make Way for Ducklings!

Nathanael patted each duckling,

and gave the mama duck lots of hugs.

We attempted a family picture,

as well as the typical "riding the duck" picture everyone has,

but in the end, Nathanael just wanted to give more hugs.

Here he's insisting that YOU should go visit the Boston Public Garden and hug the ducklings as well.

A Tufts Visit

2011-10-06T19:09:00.000-04:00

Nathanael with the Tufts Jumbo statue in the background

We've returned from Boston. We had a marvelous time with friends and family, though the "goodbyes" were really quite sad, even the second time around.

One highlight for me was visiting friends and former colleagues at Tufts. Though our visit was short, it was wonderful to see these dear people and reconnect a bit. Nathanael did alright with it all but especially loved playing out on the lawn. We played tree tag and helped Tufts out by picking up some fallen limbs.

Autumn Joy

2011-09-28T10:42:00.001-04:00

Apple-picking in North Andover with the Cioffis

Many more pictures to come, but I couldn't wait to post this one!

Vienna for the Holidays

2011-09-13T05:30:00.000-04:00

We're off to Boston on Friday for a few weeks. I can hardly wait to see all my dear friends there. It will be surreal! And hopefully the autumn weather will be in full force. I love Boston in the early autumn...

But as exciting as that is (and it really is!), we have an even bigger trip quickly approaching about which I cannot help but post: We're off to Vienna on October 17th!!!

We're not actually moving to Austria quite yet, but we're going for two and a half months to take a couple intensive German courses and then apply for our residence permits. Despite the hard work of learning German (which we both love actually), we are so excited to have this time to begin to know Vienna, meet our colleagues there, and simply get a feel for where God has called us to live.

This decision came about somewhat quickly within the last week. A couple weeks ago, we were informed of a newly released requirement for our Austrian residence permits: we both must prove A1 proficiency (in EU standards) in German before applying for our residence permits on January 2! This is estimated to take around 200 hours of language study or about two months of full-time study. After much prayer and discussion with colleagues, we decided the best way to assure our success is to spend two months learning German in Vienna before applying for residence. The pressure of learning the language is simply too great for us not to go and immerse ourselves in the language; we cannot move to Austria in 2012 if we do not pass our exam in December!!

So even though I've fallen away from posting much on this blog recently (do you see why now?!), I can assure you that come the end of October, I should have some great stories and pictures to share!

On a completely unrelated note, here are two picture of Nathanael helping Greg wash the car on Saturday. He was so busy working that I couldn't get him to look at the camera!

Two Teeth and Still Counting

2011-08-22T13:21:00.000-04:00

Our sixteen-month-old finally popped his first tooth this past week, with his second close behind. I'm suspicous that he understood the doctor a couple weeks ago when he threatened a visit to the dentist for x-rays since we hadn't seen any yet. It is a little strange to go so long without teeth, but it sure has not held him back in eating! One awesome advantage of him being this old: Nathanael was actually the one to tell me he had a tooth! That's right; I had taught him about teeth and told him constantly that he should tell me when he had one. And the day of, he kept looking at me and pointing to his mouth. We were so excited and made up a tooth dance and everything! I must say that I am hugely relieved that we don't have to make an appointment with a pediatric dentist to check on the existence of his teeth. (We are thankful for God's timing!) Not only was I not looking forward to fitting that into all of our traveling (nor the cost!), but let's be realistic; that would not be a fun appointment for any of us. Nathanael does NOT sit still long enough for x-rays!

The next photo like this will show teeth!

In other news, Gregory heads to Detroit tomorrow. I'll join him alone on Sunday to visit a church, and then we're back again for a few weeks before taking off as a family for Boston on Friday, September 16th. I make no promises about another blog post for a while!

Video clips - Cheerios, corn, cars, sprinklers...

2011-08-07T16:05:00.000-04:00

This is more for the grandparents and aunts than anyone else, but if you like watching youtube video clips of Nathanael, I've posted a few more in the past month. Simply follow the link: http://www.youtube.com/yekings. My favorite is the most recent one of him eating his cheerios and milk with a spoon. Who knew you could fit so many cheerios on a tiny spoon?! Of course, eating corn on the cob is pretty cute too...

Tractors and Food

2011-08-06T21:52:00.000-04:00

While Dad has been away, we've stayed busy playing with tractors...

(With Grandpa at the farm where he grew up)

(Wishing Dad were home to take him for a ride)

...and playing with food.

(Helping Grandma can tomatoes)

(Rolling around a sweet potato)

Waiting expectantly

2011-08-03T23:30:00.004-04:00

A friend recently brought this verse to my attention. (Thanks, E!)

"But as for me, I will look to the Lord;
I will wait for the God of my salvation;
my God will hear me."

It is from Micah 7, verse 7.

During Ramadan, as I pray for my Muslim friends for the eleventh year, I find myself asking, pleading, "How long, oh Lord? How long will they remain in darkness? Bring forth your light!" Something about this statement from Micah -- in the midst of the dark and desolated, seemingly hopeless lives around him -- something about his words gives me great strength. I know that I am not alone in my pleas. Many others join with me in crying out for God to bring His light into their lives. I am determined to press on -- as Micah did -- in faith and wait for God to show Himself as only He can -- worthy of all glory and honor and praise, worthy of their lives. And I trust that my friends will one day see and believe and intimately know this all glorious God.

source: http://faithsteps.wordpress.com/2009/07/05/not-constantinople/istanbul-sunrise/

In six days...

2011-08-02T13:00:00.019-04:00

In six days, Greg will return. And we'll have many more opportunities to take pictures like this:

and this

and this,

and this.

It sure is difficult to go without a husband and dad for 17 days!!!

How to stay cool in this summer heat

2011-08-01T12:00:00.030-04:00

I thought about looking up the number of days we've had excessive heat in the last month (we're talking multiple weeks with temperatures hanging around 105), but then I decided that would be semi-depressing. Instead, I'll share a few pictures from the past month to show you how Nathanael has managed to stay cool (or rather have fun being hot) in this summer heat.

Run through a sprinkler and play in the mud

Stay inside and watch Dad swelter outside

Go to the lake in the early morning hours

Find a shaded park and take cute pictures

Pretend to be a lemur

Somehow they keep cool, so why not?!

I know something beautiful awaits us.

2011-07-31T22:15:00.001-04:00

I've been spending a few nights recently looking into apartments in Vienna. Greg's in Boston, and that means no one is telling me that I should be going to bed. So I lose myself in taking in all the information I can on the city to which we will relocate soon. It's a time-consuming project, apartment hunting in a foreign language! I pour over our German-English dictionary (Thanks, Nick & Deb!) looking up key words such as commission and deposit and central heating. :)

In some ways, it has been encouraging. I am learning so much...about the different districts of Vienna, about the cost of apartments, about how heating and electricity works (though I don't quite have that one figured out). I'm also discovering that it's not likely we'll find an apartment within budget that has an extra room for an office/guestroom/2nd kid's room. Though that's somewhat disappointing, it's helpful to have that frame of mind going into the move rather than being stunned by rental costs when we arrive.

It is somewhat strange moving to a city I've never visited. I guess our move to Boston in 2006 was similar, unless you count my 8th grade history trip. We had no idea what parts of the city we could afford or where we would work or where our church community would be located or what would even be a good fit for us. But even though Boston was somewhat foreign to us, it wasn't really foreign-foreign. Vienna is a new city, a new language, a new culture, a new community, a new job... It is exciting, and it is a little crazy too.

I do not know where we will live in Vienna nor how life will play out for us in those first few years, but I do know one thing: God is our provider. He has a great plan to bring glory to His Name through our lives lived in the place He has called us to be. He will set us up in an apartment that will enable us to pour out our lives for Him - into each other, into our neighbors, into a community of Christ-followers, into the Turkish immigrants who may also feel somewhat out of place in Vienna... I am so excited to see how God turns all of this craziness into something beautiful.

Schönbrunn Gardens, Vienna
source: http://www.benoa.net/austria/vienna/pages/Vienna-07.html

Six Years

2011-07-30T00:00:00.004-04:00

Happy Anniversary, Love.

Mended

2011-07-29T22:29:00.001-04:00

Greg reminded me of this song today. It's called "Mended" by Watermark. I couldn't find it on youtube, or I would've posted the link. It's beautiful. The lyrics are awesome, so here they are.

Mended by Watermark
http://itunes.apple.com/album/the-purest-place/id314757236

You repair all that we have torn apart and
You unveil a new beginning in our hearts and
We stand grateful for all that has been left behind and
All that goes before us

Chorus:
You've got all things suspended
All things connected
Nothing was forgotten
'Cause your love is perfect
You are our healer
And you know what's broken
And we're not a mystery to you

We will dance 'cause you restore the wasted years and
You will sing over all our coming fears and
We'll stand grateful for all that has been left behind and all that goes before us

Chorus:
You've got all things suspended
All things connected
Nothing was forgotten
'Cause your love is perfect
You are our healer
And you know what's broken
And we're not a mystery to you

Lord, you mend the breech
And you break every fetter
You give us your best, but what we thought was better
And you are to be praised
You are to be praised
You are to be praised
You are to be praised...

15 months

2011-07-22T21:38:00.000-04:00

I would feel remiss to not post something today. It is Nathanael's 15 month birthday, and though I didn't take his measurements or set up a photo shoot with Mr. Bear, I have definitely taken time today to think on how God has changed my life in the past 15 months. I feel a combination of humbled by my selfishness and gratitude to God for how He has grown me in selflessness. I admire my husband even more than before as I watch him love and serve and teach our son, while also sacrificially loving and serving me.

And let's not forget the star of the day. What an incredible change a few months or even weeks bring! He is our little law enforcer, quickly pointing out and grunting at things that are out of place (in his opinion). He is our little imitator, trying to swat at flies or make the same sounds as us. He is our little learner, pointing and taking in everything we teach him and working hard to understand and perform well. He is our little talker, filling the home with lots of words beginning with b (bed, bath, bear, book, ball), many animal and motor sounds, and a cute little British sounding "oh". He is our loving son, generously tackling us with his big hugs and slobbery kisses, and resting his head on our shoulders before bed. He is our toothless eater, somehow still managing to gum food like cucumbers and corn on the cob. He is our little spoon holder, expertly scooping his cheerios and milk from a bowl. He is our little boy, filled with wonder when it comes to anything with wheels or motors, anything that makes a lot of noise, and anything outside, the dirtier the better. No one could have accurately prepared me for how grown up this little boy would seem by fifteen months!

I love being Nathanael's mother. He is truly a gift from God. Oh that I would bring God glory in the way I mother him...

Boulder with Aubs

2011-07-13T09:00:00.000-04:00

At the end of our week in Colorado, we stopped in Boulder to visit our dear friend Aubrea.

She was an instant friend since she handed Nathanael some rocks!
I love these pictures with Nathanael and Dad looking so alike.

Family Time in Colorado - Outdoor Adventures

2011-07-12T09:00:00.003-04:00

In addition to hours and hours watching Nathanael play in the park, we enjoyed walking along the river,

hiking,fishing and taking to the trails on ATVs (the guys),and downhill mountain biking. (This is Gregory and me if you can't tell.)

Family Time in Colorado - Indoor Day

2011-07-11T09:00:00.001-04:00

We had our fair share of time in the condo since it was rainy/snowy and cold at the beginning of our trip. I think you can tell how we entertained ourselves from these pictures. :) It's crazy how having a kid along changes a family vacation!

Auntie Carrie was feeding Nathanael Cheerios, and he just leaned back on the couch and relaxed.

Nathanael spent a lot of time reading with Mr. Bear and his favorite people.

Family Time in Colorado - Hideaway Park

2011-07-10T09:00:00.001-04:00

Some of my favorite pictures of Nathanael from our family's time together in Colorado were in Hideaway Park, a stone's throw from our ski condo in Winter Park.

Grandma and Nathanael "riding" the double motorcycle

My little rock climber

I discovered I'm too long for little kid slides, but this little guy still loved going down with me.

Fort Invasion

2011-07-09T09:00:00.005-04:00

Other than bumping his head a few times every day, Nathanael enjoys sitting in his fort and dragging toys in and out of the space. (Of course, in this picture his face only communicates how tired he was.)

We're still working on a strategy for fort defenses. The invading cat looks to be in charge to me.

Family Biking

2011-07-08T13:04:00.002-04:00

We are soooo excited about this!

Coming from a city which highly values biking (Boston) and moving to one which values it even more (Vienna), we are thrilled to be able to create family memories on our bikes! Yea for child bike seats!

As a personal sidenote, I have to admit I was slightly nervous riding yesterday, a little over two weeks from my big mountain biking fall in Winter Park, Colorado. Let's just suffice it to say that I probably won't be doing much downhill mountain biking again in my life. I still have some tender bruises reminding me of that fun event. To be fair though, I mostly enjoyed the experience up until I fell. And two years ago when we did the same thing, I had a blast! (Of course, two years ago, my friend Aubs was the unlucky one who fell and ended up breaking a bone! Ugh!)

Here are Gregory and me on our way up the mountain the last time; I'm thankful for this goofy helmet which really protected my chin and face!

Creating Blog Books

2011-07-01T17:05:00.000-04:00

With a quick Google search, I ran into some helpful blog posts about printing blogs and making books out of blogs. This one was the first one I found, and it was quite helpful. The comments were as informative as the actual post. From that article, I looked into a few options: Blurb (too complex and time consuming for what I wanted), BookFabrik (easy and looked great but didn't keep my text and pictures ordered properly), Blogbooker, and Blog2Print. The latter two have my recommendation, and I am actually using both:

Blogbooker.com

This is a free, simple pdf. You simply export your blog (they tell you how), put in your blog link, and they create a pdf to download. (TIP: Once the page says it's completed, scroll down to see the link that enables you to download the pdf. It will not automatically download.)

I actually did this once and realized that some of my pictures weren't showing up. I checked my blog and discovered some of my html coding was off, so an hour later, all the images were fixed, and I created another pdf within a few minutes.

Pros:

Quick and easy
Free, so you can update it at any time, no cost
Great LINKED table of contents
You may choose to include comments and footnoted links.
This is a good option for having a back-up electronic copy of your blog that is viewable and user-friendly.

Cons:

The format of the posts is not pretty. It's not really something I would want to print. Margins and images and text are all over the place. Image sizes vary throughout, depending on the type of image and coding used.
You cannot choose dates or posts to exclude. You get the entire blog.

Blog2Print.com

This service was definitely the highest recommended among fellow bloggers, and it quickly became obvious to me why. Last night, I discovered it, created a book (still in process) to cover blog posts from pregnancy to Nathanael's first birthday, and created another book (just ordered) of my letters to Nathanael during his first year. This is really a great, quick service. After having a few issues, I ran into this tutorial which I wish I had read first as it would have saved me some time. I'll address those shortly, but first the pros and cons.

Pros:

It's not difficult to use, especially compared to a program like Blurb. Of course, Blurb gives you a ton more options, but Blog2Print is better for the blogger who doesn't want to spend months (or even hours!) creating a book.
Options!!!

Choose dates, posts, comments, additional pictures, additional pages...

You can even choose posts by labels which was a wonderful feature for me in making a book from my "Dear Nathanael" letter posts!

You can share your books through email or html code. Ideally I would include the book here, but the coding wasn't seamless, so maybe this "pro" isn't as great as it sounds...

Cons:

It's easy to get caught up into customizing a book, spend time choosing posts, comments, etc, and then you realize you didn't include something you wanted. You have to start all over from the beginning if you didn't initially include a post or comment.
It's not free. The pdf cost is reasonable (around $8) for the quality of product. The actual books seem a little expensive to me, but I'm not sure they're more expensive than having it printed at your local copy store. Color prints often run around 50 cents per page at those stores, and that can add up with a couple hundred pages plus binding!
No reordering of pages that I could discover. I would've liked to have added a page at the beginning instead of at the end (still easy to do if I choose to print from the pdf). And I would've liked to have reordered some of my posts (which I could do in blogger if I wanted, but I'm lazy).

Now for a few tips:

I found this random blogpost from someone after I made the same mistake, so I suggest you follow her suggestions as well. ESPECIALLY THE PART ABOUT KEEPING YOUR FORMATTING, even though it will add more pages. This was important for me since I often just post a few pictures with descriptive text above and wanted them to be in the correct order.
If you're picky, expect it to take a few tries to get it how you want it. Save any text you write (such as the dedication) in another program so that you don't have to come up with it again. Make a test book first so that you can see all the program options. The books are easy to delete from your account, no charge.
Before creating your book, make sure all your images are appearing correctly on your blog. For some reason, some of the image coding on a few month's worth of my pictures was messed up slightly, and I had to go back and fix those. I should have checked that before getting into this process.

Once I receive my small book, I'll post a picture. I still haven't decided what to do about the entire blog. I'll probably end up buying the $8 pdf and find some cheaper way to print it and bind it on my own. I like the idea of a three-ring binder so that I can cheaply add additional years' posts in the future...

A Special Stop Before the Mountains

2011-06-29T16:28:00.004-04:00

We love that one set of my grandparents lives in Western Kansas because every time we go to Colorado, we also get to spend time with them!

Father's Day breakfast with Dad and Great-Grandpa

Nathanael was watching Great-Grandma closely.

Riding in Great-Grandpa's golf cart

(I think he would have liked it more if it made a "vroom vroom" noise!)

And of course, Nathanael had to assist cousin Lane with his piano performance. I think this is actually a picture of him grunting and pointing for his book which is on the piano.

We love our dear families!

Four new video clips

2011-06-15T22:07:00.003-04:00

Just posted a few more video clips to youtube. Here they are for those of you following along on the blog. (Facebook friends, you'll have to visit our blog at http://yekingsofnewengland.blogspot.com to access them.)

Nathanael has such a boisterous laugh when he's imitating adults laughing. It's contagious!

We made homemade ice cream for Memorial Day, and Nathanael was entertained by an ice cube for quite a while.

You can't see the actual bears, but Nathanael's absolute favorite part of the zoo was the bear exhibit. Here he is growling.

I love watching Nathanael run around the house, and this pull-behind toy is a favorite running companion of his. (25 cents at a garage sale!)

Adventures of a 13-month old

2011-06-15T16:50:00.004-04:00

Here are the latest pictures to tell you the story of Nathanael's adventures.

Climbing (on boxes, furniture, trees, etc.)

Splashing in the Pool

Playing with silverware (definitely NOT using it properly yet)

Coloring

Playing with dirt

And we can't forget Mom's attempt at taking passport pictures. What a task with a wiggly little boy!

We miss you, dear family and friends afar! Wish you could join us in our adventures!

Gardening

2011-06-08T10:00:00.000-04:00

Nathanael loves to help Grandpa and Grandma in the garden. He grabs a bucket of his own and dives right in (literally, he is constantly covered in dirt and mud), breaking off the asparagus, spreading the picked weeds around, pulling the petals off of flowers, "planting" rocks. It's a good thing this guy is so loved! :)

First Zoo Trip

2011-06-07T10:00:00.000-04:00

We were so excited to see our friends Chase and Bonnie when they were visiting from LA. Unfortunately, we couldn't pull off a trip to Tulsa, so we ended up meeting Chase halfway. The small Kansas town had a random zoo, which Nathanael thoroughly enjoyed.

Here was our first attempt at a picture with the guys.

This one was much better. He needed a little space.

Family photo!

Nathanael absolutely loved the black bears and growled at them the entire time. (The two black spots in the middle left are the bears. The little guy on the right thinks he's a bear.)

I think he might have barked at the peacocks. haha

Three monkeys hanging out together

I love my sleep

2011-06-06T10:43:00.004-04:00

I am so out of shape, in terms of depending on my sleep! Nathanael has an ear infection, and last night was the first night of six that he finally slept!!! I feel like a brand new person today after not having to get out of bed once last night! I'm sure he feels much better as well. The poor guy had some really difficult days. Hopefully we're past the worst of it! I think, after that string of sleepless nights, I am all the more convinced that a little brother or sister for Nathanael is a long way off!

Here's our little guy yesterday admiring the leaves above him.

As you can see, sick or not, this boy will be happy outside!

Our Silly Little Bug

2011-06-02T10:00:00.000-04:00

This boy is full of silliness. I was able to capture a few funny poses one night. This must have been right around Easter, hence the eggs.

How big is Nathanael?Soooooo big!!!!

The Great Outdoors

2011-06-01T22:31:00.005-04:00

It seems many of the pictures I've been taking of Nathanael in the past month or so are outdoors. Here are a few older shots to capture some of his adventures.

He helped Dad fill the rock bed around Easter. Notice the rock in his right hand.

Sitting in a rock bed

Piling rocks in the car (Notice a theme?)Moving rocks from one bed to another
I think he made the "tractor" noise during this entire walk with Grandpa.
Looking afraid that I might take away his rocks
This was my childhood playset!
Playing in the sand!!!
I have no idea what they were looking at, but aren't they cute?

Red Stockings, Anyone?

2011-05-19T23:23:00.002-04:00

We may be many miles away, but our devotion remains.

Four fun video clips

2011-05-11T16:36:00.003-04:00

I posted these on youtube/Facebook but forgot about the blog!

Here are the latest four videos I uploaded of Nathanael.

He simply can't wait for the fun part of this little riddle:

This one needs no intro:

This one is for the family; he loves to carry around his player and sing.

Sorry about the orientation; the clip is still cute - Nathanael loved joining Grandma in this song.

Two happy people

2011-05-05T09:00:00.001-04:00

I'm not sure which one loves books more...nor which one loves these moments more...

A Spring Evening Walk

2011-05-04T14:55:00.000-04:00

I think this was the evening or the evening after we returned from Dallas...
They were both so happy to be walking outside.

Cameron Park

2011-05-03T09:00:00.000-04:00

Cameron Park (near Baylor) has changed quite a bit since the days I used to frequent it. Still, we greatly enjoyed trying out our hiking backpack (thanks, J&K!) on some of the trails. It was beautiful and refreshing.

Fun in Texas

2011-05-02T09:00:00.001-04:00

I'm ashamed with how few pictures I took on our trip. I thought about pulling out our camera at multiple times but rarely had enough energy to follow through and do it.

This one was taken by the precious little girl's mom:

Blue Bell Ice Cream! (He didn't get any.)

Nathanael loved this toy bus.

Looking like such a big, silly boy

Car days

2011-04-30T09:00:00.002-04:00

This little guy spent way too much time in the car from March 31 - April 17. Even though he refused to take a nap longer than 25 minutes (correction: he slept 40 minutes once!) in the car, he still hung in there and managed to be in good spirits most of the time.

Car Wash

2011-04-28T09:00:00.001-04:00

Here begins a line of catch-up blog posts with some of my favorite Nathanael pictures.

Mid March, we had a couple crazy warm days and took advantage of them by washing our car. Nathanael joined in on the fun, kind of.

Watching from the grass

My Boys at Baylor

2011-04-27T07:00:00.000-04:00

I cannot believe it took five and half years of marriage (and a baby!) to finally bring Gregory to Baylor. We only spent about an hour on campus, but it was still completely surreal.

Notice Pat Neff Hall in the background

Running around in the Quad in front of Draper

I still love my Green & Gold!

Picture with Gimple Grandparents

2011-04-26T15:45:00.000-04:00

We took advantage of being together on Nathanael's birthday and took a family picture - Nathanael with Dad & Mom and Grandpa & Grandma Gimple.

Dear Nathanael (12 Months)

2011-04-22T12:00:00.003-04:00

My dearest Nathanael,

Happy first birthday, son! One year ago, we wondrously and joyfully welcomed you into our family; no one could have adequately described how blessed we would be by your presence in our family. We celebrate your life today and the incredible gift of God that you are to us. We rejoice in the Lord over you, Alim.

You are measuring somewhere around the 30th percentile for both weight and height, about 29 inches and 21.5 pounds. We are constantly amazed with how much you can eat. This past week has been exciting as we've introduced you to whole milk and egg whites. You loved eating your very own slice of veggie, bacon, and cheese frittata! A couple other (not so healthy) food highlights were pepperoni pizza and Texas Roadhouse rolls (without the honey cinnamon butter, unfortunately). And we can't forget to mention the birthday cake! To our surprise, you quickly spit out your first bite of banana applesauce cake; hopefully when you're older, you'll appreciate the cake's resemblance to Mr. Bear. :) We introduced you to a straw this month, and you love drinking your water out of a straw cup. Though you seem to go through days where all you want to do is chew on everything, you have made it to age one without any teeth!

With visits in Kansas and then travels through Oklahoma and Texas, you have seen so many new and old friends this past month that it would be impossible to list them all! We can suffice it to say that you have been thoroughly loved and cherished and prayed over by many people dear to our family. Despite your inability to sleep well in the car, you were a great traveler (for the most part) and showed incredible adaptability with our hectic travel and meeting schedule. A couple family highlights for Mom were introducing you and Dad to Baylor and a family hike in Cameron Park.

This is such an exciting age as you are taking in everything around you. You loved visiting families on our travels, closely observing and imitating all of the other kids (and dogs). You began sharing (handing objects) with other people and kids, and you also transitioned from only taking things apart to actually piling and stacking items now. One of our favorite developments in this way is how you choose a book and bring it to one of us to read to you. It's adorable, and we will stop almost anything we're doing to sit down and read to you when you do this. You love to tackle us when we're on the ground, usually smothering us with kisses and zerberts.

You say "MahMaw" for Grandma (which you know she loves), and you pointed to a baby in a book the other day and clearly said, "baby". You are beginning to respond appropriately when we ask you to point to a nose or eyes, and you are pointing at everything for us to identify many new words and objects each day. You recently brought Mom our family photos and asked her to identify all of your grandparents and uncles and aunts. You have a loud, boisterous, two syllable laugh now (haHA) which makes everyone around you laugh. You sometimes seem to be practicing consonants, "s" and "th" being the most noticeable ones. You growl at your big bear. You try to imitate Mom's fish face and the elephant noise.

Nathanael Alim, we love you, son! What a joy it has been to watch you grow this first year. Happy birthday!

Lovingly,
your daddy and mommy

Nathanael Alim - constantly in motion 12 month old

And a few outtakes:
Crazy fearless kid...
"Why are you holding me, Dad?"
Carrying Mr. Bear around by his ears

Compare these to his 11 month pictures here.

Birthday Celebration

2011-04-21T22:00:00.000-04:00

Grandpa was home today, so we took advantage of the rare family time and celebrated Nathanael's birthday a day early!

What could be more appropriate than a Mr. Bear cake?!

He wasn't really into the sweetness of it. Can you tell?

But he had fun squishing it between his hands!

And he gladly offered it to the rest of us.

He enjoyed opening a few special gifts and cards as well.

And lastly, we created a homemade hand impression to remember Nathanael's one-year-old hands for years and years to come. (Getting the imprint from Nathanael was way more difficult than I imagined!)
A special day indeed...

On the road again

2011-03-27T12:17:00.007-04:00

In a few days, we will load up our car and venture out again, this time down I-35 through Oklahoma and into Texas. I have been looking forward to this trip for months, years really. Gregory has never visited my alma matre nor met most of my dear friends down south. Too bad we won't be hitting Baylor's Homecoming!

Other than all of the incredible people we're visiting, I am looking forward to warmer weather (it's snowing in Emporia right now - what?!), pictures of Nathanael in the Texas bluebonnets, and maybe even a Dr. Pepper float during Dr. Pepper Hour at Baylor! Yummm...

I am not looking forward to meltdowns in the car with Nathanael; he is not a fan of his carseat, so this should be quite interesting. I'm not looking forward to a somewhat hectic schedule which will make naptimes and playtimes a little challenging for the little guy. And I am not ready for the shock of potentially hot weather (defined here as 80 degrees or warmer).

So here we go!

The next post on this blog will likely be Nathanael's ONE YEAR BIRTHDAY! Ah!

Here's little Kimi in the Texas bluebonnets at age 14 months (April 1982).

Dear Nathanael (11 Months)

2011-03-22T11:00:00.000-04:00

My dearest Nathanael,

You are eleven months old! We celebrate you today and the gift of God that you are to us. We delight in God through your life, dear one.

You seem to have leveled out some in your growth, still measuring around 29 inches (40-50th percentile) and 21 pounds (35-40th percentile). You have almost completely transitioned into table foods now, joining us in eating most of our meals. You especially love mac & cheese, meat (beef, chicken, salmon, pork), potatoes, and green beans! In fact, you prefer to feed yourself now (with finger foods) instead of having us spoon feed you. You are fascinated by silverware but definitely haven't figured out how to use it functionally on your own. Still no teeth!

This month has been quite a busy, busy month for you as you transitioned from crawling everywhere to walking everywhere! It is amazing to watch you waddle, fall, waddle, fall all over the house and yard. You are quite thrilled with yourself in this development as well. Sometimes you almost look like you're running! With your increased mobility, you even managed to unravel an entire roll of toilet paper once before we caught you. With the weather warming some, we have been able to spend more days outside; every day (multiple times) you walk over to the front door and hit on the door to let us know you desperately want to go outside. And one of your favorite things to do outside is ride in the John Deere wagon! You've managed to eat a little dirt and moss already - yuck! And you simply love to take things apart, whether it's emptying drawers and cabinets or unstacking books or toys or moving rocks from a pile. You've figured out how to climb over objects, including climbing up stairs.

Watching how you go down to sleep really shows us how you are growing up. You love your routines and thrive when we're able to stick to them. With our current lifestyle of lots of traveling, this has been difficult at times, but we have been amazed at how well you pop right back after a hard day of traveling. You are aware of when it's time to nap or go to bed and are great about going to sleep (sometimes after playing in your crib for a while, meowing at the animals on your quilt, making your car noises, etc). And to our delight, for the most part, you continue to sleep well, which is no surprise with how active you are all day!

You are communicating more and more each day, pointing being one of your biggest developments this month. You continue to say "dada" and "mama" and "breh" (bread) but haven't really ventured beyond those words. You wave bye-bye and goodnight all the time, play peek-a-boo, and sometimes raise your hands into the air when we ask how big you are. You also make your objections known quite clearly. Unfortunately for you, we don't always let you have your way. (For example, your nails must be clipped, and your diaper must be changed, and you cannot be outside every moment of the day! haha)

Nathanael Alim, we love you, son! Happy eleven months!

Lovingly,
your daddy and mommy

Nathanael Alim - 11 month old

And a few outtakes:
"Why is Mr. Bear's foot touching me?!"
Cracking up while kicking Mr. Bear's foot away
Spotting the cat and scheming how to pull out the most hair

Compare these to his 10 month pictures here.

A Funny Bedtime Story

2011-03-12T09:00:00.000-05:00

Hmmmm... Somehow I'm not sure this bedtime story is really soothing him to sleep. :) At least they're having fun!

(over a month old, from early February)

Walking!

2011-03-11T23:04:00.004-05:00

As of Wednesday, we have a walking boy!

He took his first steps in Michigan at Granddaddy & Grandmom's home. But just a few days ago, he really started walking longer distances and with more stability. Here are four 10 second videos. The last one - Walking to Daddy - is the best!

How to Pray When Disaster Strikes

2011-03-11T22:24:00.006-05:00

My friend Audrey Eusey linked to this article - How to Pray When Disaster Strikes - on Facebook today. I found it an extremely thoughtful guide, one I will most definitely be using in the days ahead. Audrey and her husband and one month old son will be moving to northern Japan in August. Please pray for them as they prepare to plant their lives among these people whose lives have been forever changed by today's events.

Here are the main points from the article:

Pray for those in need of rescue that it will come swiftly.
Pray for the rescuers – safety, rest, encouragement, in the midst of horror and unrelenting pain.
Pray for families that have witnessed the unthinkable, are worried about loved ones, and fearful for their own safety.
Pray for children who need comfort and safety, hugs and reassurance – even if they are physically “fine.”
Pray for governments and authorities that all red tape would disappear and corruption would cease.
Pray for relief agencies to have wisdom and compassion to make a lasting difference.
Pray for those around you that they would respond not just with what they can do, but with their heart.
Pray for yourself that you would have a heart of compassion – start now and it will grow.

I would add one more: Pray that people would turn to the only One who will truly complete the work of restoration and healing.

My daily delights

2011-03-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

Here are three photos from yesterday that I have to share. These are common scenes in our home.

Kissing his book

Petting the cat

Throwing his clothes

What to do next

2011-03-07T23:15:00.002-05:00

This pose just makes me laugh.

10 Month Photos (+9 days)

2011-03-05T09:00:00.000-05:00

We're back in Kansas, and that means Nathanael and Mr. Bear have been reunited. Nathanael actually squealed when he saw Mr. Bear, crawled over to him, threw him on the ground, tackled him, and kissed his belly and face multiple times.

Our photo shoot was another story.

This was the ONLY photo with a smile.

And here are some outtakes.

Can you tell he's not feeling well?
Poor guy has a nasty cold virus.

Compare these to his 9 month photos here.

Dear Nathanael (10 months)

Silly boy

2011-03-04T09:00:00.000-05:00

Child prodigy?

2011-03-03T09:00:00.000-05:00

Maybe he's not quite ready to play Mozart yet, but he definitely enjoys the cause and effect of banging on keys and hearing ~~beautiful~~ loud music.

Playing with Daddy's toys

2011-03-02T09:00:00.001-05:00

Upon our arrival in Michigan (3 weeks ago), Grandmom pulled out a few board puzzles of Greg and Angie's. It was fun to see Nathanael chewing away on them. And as an added bonus in this picture, the little yellow box in front of Nathanael was my "ipod" when I was a little girl. (You wind the knob, and it plays a song.)

Wow, it's crazy how much he grows in a few weeks. This picture already looks old to me!

King Grandparents

2011-03-01T09:52:00.004-05:00

Grandmom received multiple slobbery kisses yesterday. That makes it official that Nathanael knows and loves his Grandmom and Granddaddy King.

We leave tomorrow, and I have sadly not been able to post much while we've been here in Michigan. Here are a couple pictures we will treasure for years.

I think Nathanael ate more of Grandmom's cereal than she did!

(Notice the suitcase of toys in the background. That's correct; we brought a suitcase full of toys!)

Grandpas make great climbing obstacles.

We love you and will miss you greatly, Mike & Mary!

Dear Nathanael (10 months)

2011-02-22T09:00:00.001-05:00

My dearest Nathanael,

You are ten months old! We celebrate your exuberant and always active life. You bring us such joy, son!

Our estimates for your weight and height are around 21 pounds (45-50th percentile) and 29 inches (50-55th percentile). You love your independence and would prefer to eat everything on your own (though we spoon feed you a lot right now). Interestingly though, you are still trying to learn new food textures associated with finger foods, and they're often not to your liking (unless it's a fruit or starch or grain). You continue to nurse four times a day, though you simply hate lying still and would much rather be exploring. Still no teeth!

We flew to Michigan this month, and though you traveled well, you also managed to pick up the roseola illness which made your transition quite difficult. We enjoyed the extra cuddles that came with you not feeling well, but the high fever and rash were definitely scary for us first-time parents! After recovering, you quickly warmed up to Grandmom and Granddaddy and have been thoroughly enjoying the few weeks you have to steal their hearts again.

Your biggest development this month was taking your first steps! You want to walk so badly but haven't figured out how to sustain your movements past a step or two. You are able to stand on your own for as long as nine seconds. You cruise around furniture and walls, climb over objects, and dance (bounce and sway) when you hear music. You are always moving, moving, moving. Despite your crazy activity, we continue to marvel at your long nights of sleep, and so far, to our delight, you haven't shown any desire to drop your morning nap.

You finally added "mama" to your repertoire, though "dada" is still more often heard. You imitate sounds and words constantly and are extremely aware of all the noises around (a train whistle, dog barking, doors closing, water running). We had a few surprise warmer days in January and were able to enjoy the outdoors, including John Deere wagon rides and stroller walks. We are excited to explore the outdoors with you in a few months! Until then, we have a ton of fun during our evening family dance parties; you laugh and giggle and dance along to your heart's contentment! Your friendship with the cat continues to grow, and you've now progressed to kissing/licking her. The dog, thankfully, is learning not to kiss/lick you. You really miss your pet friends here in Michigan.

Nathanael Alim, we sure love being your parents! God has given us such a gift in you, and we are excited to watch as He forms you into a man for His glory. Happy ten months, son!

Lovingly,
your daddy and mommy

Your 10 month pictures will be a week or so late. Mr. Bear is stuck in Kansas.

Until then, here you are this morning showing off your ability to stand...

And your cute little wave

Worthy of my Facebook profile?

2011-02-15T19:27:00.003-05:00

I finally caved and added Turkish to my Facebook profile. I feel slightly hypocritical in doing so. It's been six long years since I have lived in the country, and my retention is not the greatest. Yes, I still dream in Turkish now and then, I remember and understand most of the grammatical rules, and simple conversations are well, simple. But my vocabulary is embarrasing! Sometimes I cannot remember the most basic of words - like common fruits and vegetables! My pronunciation is dwindling which means my spelling is not always right anymore (it's a phonetical language). And to be honest, sometimes I can't even understand my Turkish friends' status updates! So thus I have resisted adding it to my Facebook profile.

Until I started learning German.

I now distinctly recall the first few months of learning Turkish while at Baylor. I would lie in bed at night and practice the four different "o" and "u" sounds over and over, trying to imitate my tutor's pronunciation and hear the differences. I recall how difficult it was to carry on the most basic of conversations. If someone didn't say a phrase with the exact vocabulary I learned, I was hopeless. I remember how I had to translate all the words and grammar in my head from Turkish to English and then reorganize them back into English word order so that I could make sense of anything.

And here I am again, but this time with German.

I realize that though I am quite limited in my Turkish right now, six years later, it won't require a whole lot to regain it quickly.

So now as I begin to learn German (and I say that quite loosely), I have decided that my knowledge of Turkish is most definitely worthy of my Facebook profile.

German? Definitely not.

Father or son?

2011-02-13T22:30:00.001-05:00

Nathanael is definitely his father's son.

I think that was taken of Gregory around six months of age, but I may be off a little on that.

I'm pretty sure I have a picture of Nathanael with that same expression, but I couldn't find it tonight. This one will suffice.

Proof

2011-02-05T22:54:00.002-05:00

I love you x 3

2011-02-05T09:35:00.003-05:00

Gregory and I met in Istanbul. So it is no surprise that we still use Turkish from time to time. People usually look at him strangely when they think he just called me, "John M.". The Turkish word for "my dear" sounds somewhat similar. Sometimes we use Turkish when we want to say something privately. Though I must sadly admit that is getting more and more difficult to pull off the longer we're away from Turkey.

Last night, Gregory was teaching me a few German sentences. (I probably know less than a couple dozen words or phrases!) And as we were falling asleep, he whispered in German, "I love you." I lay there last night thinking about how this language that is so new and foreign to me right now will somewhat quickly become another heart language for me, just as Turkish became years ago. It's amazing and a little overwhelming to think on that. How different our lives will look a year from now... God, we're trusting in You alone.

Treasuring the cuddles

2011-02-02T18:28:00.004-05:00

Recently Nathanael has been willing to cuddle from time to time. In general, it needs to be right before or after sleep. And if we can give him a pacifier to hold, he'll often suck on his fingers, lay his head on our shoulder, and hug. (Yes, he actually prefers to HOLD a pacifier -- or the nose of his elephant lovey -- when he's really tired.) It's precious. And I'm not sure if this is a stage he's going through or if it has to do with something else (maybe he's teething?), but we are thoroughly enjoying it and taking complete advantage of it while it lasts.

This afternoon after naptime, Nathanael was cuddling and hugging. I decided to continue the sweet moment by singing him a soft, sweet song. His reaction? He started jumping and bouncing in my arms. Oh well. Cuddle time turned into mother-son crazy dancing time. I'll take what I can get. We had fun dancing around the room.

No pictures of cuddling available, but here's our cutie eating a vacuum cleaner part.

A Rolling Stones fan?

2011-01-31T09:00:00.000-05:00

11 new videos

2011-01-29T10:18:00.003-05:00

Here are the most recent videos of Nathanael. They are all only 5-30 seconds. (I think most of them automatically published to Facebook as well.) If you only want to watch one or two, I would highly suggest the highchair sounds videos or the Cheerio eating one. The others are entertaining as well, but then, I AM his mother so I might be partial.

Books, and more books

2011-01-29T09:00:00.000-05:00

I think Nathanael learned how to organize his books from his daddy.

Okay, maybe Greg is a little more organized than that.

He's growing too fast!

2011-01-28T09:00:00.000-05:00

Something about this picture makes Nathanael look so grown up. I love the picture. I'm not too excited about how fast he is growing though!

Creativity Points

2011-01-26T09:00:00.001-05:00

So maybe it's not the traditional way to play the piano, but you have to admit it's quite cute.

Kissable skin

2011-01-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

Delighting in the simple things:
running around without clothes!

Best Friends

2011-01-23T09:00:00.000-05:00

Dear Nathanael (9 months)

2011-01-22T11:28:00.001-05:00

My dearest Nathanael,

You are nine months old! And what a delight you are, my son! I cannot believe all that you have learned and accomplished in the last month. You have truly graduated from "baby" to "little boy" status.

We actually had to buy you a bigger carseat this month, since you maxed out your infant one, now weighing 20-21 pounds (50-60th percentile) and measuring around 28.5 inches in length (60th percentile). I can hardly believe that you are now eating finger foods. You are quite limited in what you can eat though, since you still don't have any teeth! Significant new foods for you this month included cheese (yum!!!), chicken and turkey, and blueberries. Grandma says that you are not into your bottle much anymore; you actually prefer your sippy cup now. Where has our little baby gone?!

You began the new year by taking off crawling. Shortly after that, you learned how to pull yourself up to stand on almost anything your height or shorter. I will never forget stepping into your room at the end of one of your naps and finding you standing in the corner of your crib with a huge smile on your face! We definitely had a couple days of multiple bumps and bruises before you learned how to sit back down well. Walking (with the aid of our fingers) remains one of your favorite activities, though it's actually running that gets you to giggle with glee. And put a toy in front of you while you're walking, and you'll have fun kicking it around the room. You remain a great, long night sleeper, with the occasional interruption now and then, and you're sticking to two naps now without exception.

Your communication skills are absolutely exploding! You let out a high pitched squeak to the cat (your version of "meow"), say a short "ahr" to the dog (your version of "arf"), say "dada" constantly, and have begun using inflection in your babbling strings so that you sound like you're telling stories. You understand so many words we say! When we ask, you turn off lights, knock over towers of toys, clap, give high fives, and wave bye-bye. You know the actions for "Trot, trot to Boston" and throw yourself backwards with glee. You are also really understanding what to do with certain toys. My favorites are watching you pull out your drum and begin hitting it and seeing you move your cars and trucks (and other random toys for that matter) back and forth across the floor. Oh, and we cannot forget about your first experiences understanding the word "no," though it doesn't really stop you yet.

This last month included a special holiday: We celebrated your first Christmas together! Though you definitely are not able to understand what nor why we celebrated, you enjoyed having an entire week to play with Uncle Drew, Aunt Carrie, and their two labs. And you were able to spend a few days with many of Mama's extended family, including your great grandparents on Mama's side. We greatly look forward to reintroducing you to your grandparents in Michigan this next month! What a special few weeks we have ahead of us!

Nathanael Alim, what an amazing blessing to have you as part of our little family! We thank God for the gift of you. Happy nine months, son!

Lovingly,
your daddy and mommy

Nathanael Alim - 9 month old

And a few outtakes:

Compare these to his 8 month pictures here.

First Piano Lesson

2011-01-11T09:00:00.002-05:00

Lesson #1: Play gently, Nathanael. Not so hard, dear.

A boy and his dog(s)

2011-01-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

Drew and Carrie brought along their two labs when they visited for Christmas. They're a little (okay, a lot) calmer than Grandpa & Grandma's lab, so we allowed them to be around Nathanael some. Watch the progression of Nathanael's comfort with them in these pictures.

He was actually crawling over to the dog in this picture.

Recent Nathanael developments

2011-01-09T13:39:00.008-05:00

Nathanael began crawling on January 1st. A few days ago he discovered how much fun it is to climb and pull up on things. And he does not care about stability. That means he's constantly falling and bumping EVERYTHING! He's also getting into anything within sight and reach! It's hilarious. (And it's also a tad bit challenging as I'm not sure how to help him understand his boundaries at this age.)

He also has graduated from Momma's arms to the church nursery for Sunday morning church gatherings. And he did alright this morning. He hit his head within the first ten seconds which wasn't the best beginning (big pouty face and tears and lots of Momma hugs), but shortly after that, one of the nursery workers brought him a fun toy, and a little toddler girl walked over and sat and played with him -- two great distractions. I was able to sneak out with no problem.

And wow is he learning and understanding quickly now. One of our favorites is that he anticipates the ending of one of his little nursery rhymes (not sure if that's what to call it) - "Trot, trot to Boston." At the end, when we say, "or you might fall in," Greg leans him back so he's almost upside down. Nathanael barely makes it through the first line before throwing his head back in anticipation. It's hilarious! He recently learned how to clap, and he loves flipping off the lights when we leave a room. He will knock down a stack of toys or blocks when we say, "Knock it down." He says, "Dada" all the time, but I think he has almost no understanding of the meaning. He also loves babbling "blah, blah". And he understands that when we say, "Good job!" he has done something right. He smiles really big and gets excited.

And of course, he's learning how to make his desires known with lots of loud grunting and protesting. Oh my goodness. Are we really ready for this?

And here's an older picture (from some sick days in early December) to make this post better:

Bonding over Books

2011-01-09T09:00:00.000-05:00

And the newspaper too

Admiring Auntie Carrie

2011-01-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

And admiring her long, dark hair!Okay, maybe that wasn't such a great idea.

Walk, walk, walk

2011-01-07T22:00:00.000-05:00

This boy LOVES to walk. Watch out if you're around him. He'll grab your fingers and expect you to walk him around for hours!

Walking with his buddy, cousin Audra

Hoping Auntie Carrie will get off her knees and REALLY walk him

Bonding with Uncle Drew

Roping Dad in on the fun

We Miss You, King Family!

2010-12-25T18:22:00.002-05:00

Here are a few pictures from this morning, King family. So sad to not be with you!

We love you! Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T12:18:00.004-05:00

Nathanael shares his Christmas cheer with all of you!
Merry Christmas!

Worn out

2010-12-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

We sure saw lots of this in Boston:

And then he'd pop back up like this:

But he couldn't hide it long.

Even while eating

Dear Nathanael (8 months)

2010-12-22T11:30:00.001-05:00

My dearest Nathanael,

We absolutely love the special family of three we have become! Your daddy and I frequently look at each other and say, "I love our son." This month you returned to your New England roots! We have had quite a full month, traveling to and from Boston, missing your Daddy for ten long days, and a couple weeks of sickness thrown in there as well.

Amidst all of that, you continue to grow and change with fervor! We estimate your weight at a little over 20 pounds (60th percentile) and your length a little over 28 inches (70th percentile). When you've been healthy, you have been eating massive amounts of solid food, but with our travels and your illness, we've only expanded your repertoire into yogurt and a few bites of bread. You've started showing interest in feeding yourself this month. You try (without much success) to put Puffs and Cheerios in your mouth; you have learned how to drink from a sippy cup on your own (though your preference is for us to hold it for you), and you've even attempted to help feed yourself with the spoon a few times.

When it comes to physical development, we think your first word should be, "Walk!" It seems you could be happy all day if we simply walked you around the house non-stop. You are so close to crawling, but you haven't figured out how to move forward instead of backwards when you're up on your hands and knees. We are thankful that despite our travels and your illness, you continue to sleep well through the night and during your two naps, with only a few difficulties now and then. One night when you were sick, you even slept 13 and a half hours straight! You are learning to understand many words. You generously give your slobbery kisses when we say "kiss" -- even to Mr. Bear and the dog! You know who Mama, Dada, Grandpa, Grandma, dog, and cat are. We're working on sign language, but I'm not sure if you're into that yet. You are quite the chatter now, babbling multiple sounds all day long. It's adorable. You fill our home with much laughter and smiles.

Here are notable events from your past month that we want to remember: letting Abby (the dog) lick you; seeing (but not eating) your first Thanksgiving turkey; great flights to and from our beloved Boston; doing much better with "strangers"; play time in Boston with Felix, Eden, the Stump kids, Eli, Ameliah, and Angela's Asher; two weeks of fun staying with your Uncle Andrew & Auntie Angie; bubbles with Nick & Deb; admiring Boris the turtle; loving on Mama's former colleagues at Tufts; a couple Sundays back at Hope Fellowship; unwrapping your first Christmas gifts; helping to decorate the Christmas tree (rather watching Mama decorate); rocking in Grandpa's chair; and skyping with Dad.

Nathanael Alim, your life is a gift. We praise God for you. Happy eight months, son!

Lovingly,
your daddy and mommy

Nathanael Alim - 8 month old

And a few outtakes:

Compare these to his 7 month pictures here.

Highchairs can be sentimental

2010-12-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

How many times did I see Miss Eden in this highchair? Too many to count... I found it quite sentimental to feed Nathanael in Miss Eden's highchair while in Boston. God truly answered years of prayers with these little ones! And in a few short months, Miss Leah will be taking the seat of honor! Thanks, Thomasons, for loaning Nathanael your girls' chair (and toys and crib) for a couple weeks!

The stare

2010-12-21T08:00:00.002-05:00

(P.s. - Happy Birthday, Auntie Carrie!)

Boston Moments

2010-12-20T07:00:00.001-05:00

And in the moments where Nathanael and I were not busy meeting people, here's what we did.

Playing with Eden's toys

Drinking from a sippy cup

Silliness on the couch

Exploring more furniture

And we can't forget about eating our clothes

Boston Friends

2010-12-19T08:00:00.003-05:00

These pictures are really random. It turns out I was horrible about remembering to take pictures of Nathanael with all of our Boston friends. I'm glad I have a few, but I wish I was able to capture all of the special moments we had there!

Admiring Deborah

I love his expression of awe as he's looking at the older boy!

Playing with Eli

Jessie & me with our babes

The famous Auntie Angie

Charming all passengers

2010-12-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

Nathanael really was an amazing air traveler. On the way to Boston, he was a little noisy before he finally fell asleep for his afternoon nap, but one of the passengers around us (an elderly gentleman actually) stopped us after we landed and told us that Nathanael was a wonderful baby on the flight. Wow, that was a relief to hear!

Here is our little charmer waiting to board the plane in Kansas City.

Traveling back without Greg was a little more difficult. I had been praying three specific requests: (1) that Nathanael would not be difficult when trying to go through security alone, (2) that we would have an empty seat next to us on the flight, and (3) that Nathanael would sleep well for most of the flight. God graciously answered all three with a huge YES. What a blessing!

Christmas with the Bryans

2010-12-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

Uncle Andrew and Auntie Angie spread a little Christmas present cheer while we were in Boston. This boy is just old enough to enjoy unwrapping gifts! (Can you tell it was almost time for him to go to bed? ha ha)

(sorry this one is out of focus)

Hurry home, Daddy!

2010-12-16T11:48:00.002-05:00

You are so missed!

Boston Bubbles

2010-12-15T22:10:00.001-05:00

Thanks, Nick & Deborah, for introducing Nathanael to the joy of bubbles!

Babble, babble, babble

2010-12-14T00:51:00.003-05:00

Here's what you'll enjoy about this 30 second video clip: Nathanael babbling (he just started this a few days ago), Nathanael smiling, Nathanael rocking back and forth on his hands and knees, and as an extra treat, mama babbling. Enjoy!

Back in Kansas

2010-12-13T16:15:00.006-05:00

A few days ago Nathanael and I returned from a couple weeks in Boston. (Greg remains for another week!) I took some great photos, but I forgot my camera cord to share them with you while we were there! Ugh! So I will simply have to share some pictures over the next couple of weeks. Unfortunately, Nathanael came back with a cold that has really wiped him out (and his mama!) for the last few days. He still manages to be as adorable as ever though. Here are two of my favorite photos from our first day back in Kansas. He was rocking back and forth so much that I cut off his head in the first photo!

Dear Nathanael (7 months)

2010-11-22T14:43:00.001-05:00

My dearest Nathanael,

If only you understood how significant the last month or your life has been! One day you will ask why we live in Austria and not in the United States with the rest of our family. And we will tell you our family story, especially how God led us to solidify the decision this past month. It is amazing to think that you will be fluent in two languages - German and English - and that you will likely be correcting Daddy and Mommy's German pronunciation for years. We trust that this decision is God's good for you, and we are excited to see how He matures you in Christ as you grow up in Austria.

Many parents told us that this age was one of their favorites. We whole-heartedly agree so far. You are an absolute delight! Every day brings something new - a new physical development or vocalization or food. You are enthralled with life, and your joy is completely contagious!

You are a healthy, growing boy, weighing around 19 pounds (58th percentile) and 27.75 inches in length (73rd percentile), according to our measurements. Every time we pick you up, we exclaim about how big you are! No one prepared us for how big you would be in seven short months; what a transformation! You love your solid foods and have become an incredible eater; it seems your new favorites are mango, squash, and banana. It is so much fun to feed you little bites when we're eating the soft fruits!

The last few weeks have brought about great change in your ability to entertain yourself. I think your physically developments have helped to keep you distracted. You roll all over, scoot backwards a little, push up on your hands and knees, are trying to sit on your own, and stand holding on to objects. And you simply cannot get enough standing and walking (you prefer to walk backwards) holding our hands. You are learning to wave (with your entire arm), and you seem to discover a new sound or facial contortion every day! You continue to sleep well at night (11-13 hours!) and even did quite well sleeping in the car one night and in many new places when we traveled to western Kansas and Colorado for ten days. You sleep in the oddest positions sometimes, but you seem to be fine with whatever happens - back, stomach, side, squished in a corner, etc. Oh, and the smiles and giggles -- you pour them out generously to our delight! I still love your big, tight hugs and slobbery kisses. You seem to be offering them to others a little more now too, which warms many hearts.

This was a big month for you as far as new experiences -- your first snowfall, a new state - Colorado - and seeing the Rockies, interacting more with other babies and kids, actually allowing a few people other than family to hold you, traveling through the night, a hike in the foothills, a few days playing with your Granny Nanny, meeting some of Daddy and Mommy's dear friends in Colorado, seeing fish in a fishtank, riding in an umbrella stroller, seeing the international space station cross the sky, and the loss of your first pet - our cat Ayse (well, I don't think you comprehend the last two, but we want you to know you experienced them).

Nathanael Alim, you are a gift from God. We are excited to see you understand and believe this over the years! Happy seven months, son!

Lovingly,
your daddy and mommy

Nathanael Alim - 7 month old

And a few outtakes:

Compare these to his 6 month pictures here.

Boys and their trucks

2010-11-20T15:41:00.001-05:00

Something new every day

2010-11-17T14:59:00.003-05:00

Today's new adventures:

sucking in his lips (for minutes at a time)
and holding himself up to stand

Oh, and we can't forget giving kisses to Mr. Bear