We're back!

Sorry for the long, 1 month, lull in the blog updates. I hope to someday win back our readership with stunning updates. However, that probably won't happen today.

I'm happy to report that we had a great, low-stress trip to the states. The girls did well on the planes and Ryan and I were surprisingly alert for most of the flights--which is nice when you've got 2 kids you're responsible for.

notice Selah with the pacifier and Eden with the headphones

Grammy & Pops with us

While stateside, we were able to connect with old friends, parents, and some relatives-all in only 8 days!

Ama and Graddaddy with the girls

Before we returned, Selah and I started coughing. Eden started coughing, after we returned AND cut her two bottom teeth. All said, we returned with jet-lag, a baby with bronchiolitis and cutting teeth, Selah got an ear infection and respiratory junk and Ryan & I just felt tired and sick for most of the 1 1/2 weeks its has taken to get healthy, rested and happy.

Eden with my Meimaw and Papaw

Eden is 6 months old now, weighs 17.2 pounds and is 26 inches long. She can sit up on her own and rolls to get to things that are beyond her reach. She loves Selah, but with a little distance. Eden smiles all the time and loves to wake me up in the middle of the night. She naps about 3 times a day and eats rice cereal 1-2 times a day.

Selah will be 3 years old next month. When did I get old enough to have a 3-year old? Oh yeah, I'll be 30 next month...definitely old enough. Selah's favorite questions are "why?" and "what's a story about?" She asks us to tell her a story about 100 times a day, it seems. She is no obligated to tell us a story in between our stories... and is slowly learning the elements of a good short story. Right now, the introduction of the characters is great.

Ryan is usually napping once a day, when he is home and eats all his vegetables at dinner. He likes to play Hide and Seek with Selah or "Finding Nemo" (in which they hide Nemo).

Great News!

Last week I found that I can eat a little bit of all of the forbidden foods, except peanuts, without upsetting Eden! I am so thrilled, especially because we are heading to the states in 2 weeks and I was a little sad thinking about trying NOT to eat all the delicious foods that I miss. Thank you, Lord, for this gift (at least I'll take it as a gift)...and I'm excited that Eden's stomach is maturing as well. :)

Eden is almost 5 1/2 months old now. Eden is still re-learning how to sleep all night, but is slowly getting better. She was sleeping well at 4 months, but my milk supply had a little bit of a dry-ish spell, so she started waking 2 or 3 times a night from hunger.

The girls are getting along well, and even took a bath together the other night. Eden is responding to her name and very grabby. She started eat cereal 1 week ago and seems to be slowly getting better at eating more than is smeared on her face.



Selah loves to hear stories. All day long she asks for stories and will occasionally make up one for me. I am constantly amazed at how quickly she learns and how much she remembers. She is a great helper and very polite (as long as she's had her nap). She loves to play rough with daddy and knows how to give a surprise beating from time to time. Selah also loves to chew gum. She asks for a piece everyday. She does a great job of saving it for most of the day because she only gets one piece a day. However, sometimes we do find gum stuck on her sippy cup, on the table...or worse, in her blanket because she was put to bed without someone taking the gum.

Playing in the Meadow

Hanging Out

Just a few years ago, we never would have guessed that we would be passing the time in the evening drinking çay, eating baklava, and playing backgammon. It's been very key for us to be able to embrace the positive things of the "host culture" where we live. Believe me, çay and baklava is a combo worth embracing.

A couple of Heroes


Selah took this picture of her favorite Heroes. Not too bad.

Recent Conversations with Selah

Selah enjoys the pool on the balcony

What was I thinking??...the aftermath was not pretty.

Me: Come on, Selah. We're taking Eden to the doctor to get some shots.
Selah: I want to get a shot.
Me: But you don't need any shots, Selah. Shots aren't fun; they hurt.
Selah: But I really want to get a shot. I'll be sad if I don't get a shot.
Me: Okay, when we get to the doctor's office, tell her that you want a shot.
[Selah thinks for a moment.]
Selah: But I don't know how to say that in [her language].
________________________________________
Selah: Mommy and Daddy are from Houston.
Me: Yeah...Where is Selah from?
Selah: from Houston
Me: Where is Eden from?
Selah: Mommy's belly.
_______________________
Me: Selah, you can't just rip things out of Eden's hands when you want them. You can't just take things away from your friends or they won't want to play with you anymore. You have to ask for things before you take them. [As I am saying this, I am brushing Selah's hair to put it in a pony-tail and try to take the pony-tail holder from Selah's hand.]
Selah: Mommy, you can't just take things out of my hands. You need to ask nicely.
__________________________
Selah [to Dad]: Where are we going?
Dad: WE'RE not going anywhere. Daddy's going to work.
Selah: You're going to work AGAIN?
__________________________
Selah has an assigned drawer in the kitchen. This is for her cups/containers and toys...THE drawer that she has permission to play in. Yesterday, as I was cooking dinner, I notice her run into the kitchen, open her drawer and pull out a sippy cup full of water. She took a drink, put the cup back in the drawer and ran out of the kitchen. I guess this is now her special water stash.

Eden is starting to enjoy her exersaucer

She loves her changing table. Notice the chunky legs.

Selah providing toys for Eden

Update on the Girls

Last week we went to the Northeast part of the country for a vacation in the mountains. It was beautiful. Selah and I tried on one of the local head-dresses. We saw beautiful, lush mountain meadows, rivers, beautiful rock bridges and lots of bad roads! On the first day, Selah wanted to go home. She wasn't so excited about the great outdoors. She quickly warmed up to it and knew what a river, meadow, tea plant, bee farm were when we left.

Rock Bridge

At the ruins of an old fortress

Eden is doing great! She is a plump, happy girl--as long as I am disciplined enough to stay on the diet. She is sleeping from about 7 PM - 6 AM without a feeding. She takes 2- 3 naps a day and usually takes a 2-hour nap in the morning and at least 2 more 1-hour naps in the afternoon. Though, today she is working on her second 2-hour nap as I write. She can stay up for about 2 hours before she loses control and melts into a wad of whine. To put her to sleep, I sing 2 songs then turn her over to her tummy and pat her bottom for a couple of minutes. If I haven't missed the "window of opportunity," she'll pop her thumb in her mouth and drift off to dreamland on her own.
She loves to smile and has started laughing at loud when tickled in the right spot. Eden is starting to grab things that pass in front of her hands, including my drinks and food. She likes to lay on her play mat and grab the toys above head but usually rolls over to her belly within a couple of minutes. Then, she doesn't know what to do with herself. Eden definitely prefers to be on her tummy and rolls both ways with ease.
We took Eden for her 4 month appointment this week. She bravely received 2 shots and Selah ate Eden's reward lollipop for her.

Stats:
Weight: 6.5 kg = 14 lbs 5 oz
Height: 63 cm = 24.8 in

Selah continues to "love strong," as Ryan would say. She gives powerful hugs and kisses and is a close-talker when it comes to talking to Eden. Selah is full of questions about life and..everything and enjoys wrestling with her daddy. She laughs a lot and has a lot of fun. She is increasingly strong-willed and likes to do things without any help--go to the bathroom, change clothes, turn the t.v. on/off, get in the stroller, put shoes on, feed herself, etc. Last night, she cleared the table and wiped it clean while I put Eden to bed. She is also happy to use the dust buster to clean her crumbs after snacks/meals.

Selah entertains herself with books, coloring, playdough, and babies. She has 4 baby dolls and finds taking care of them is a full-time job. Her favorite book/movie is currently Snow White. She has told me several times that she wants to read Cinderella and Beauty and Beast next (these books are pictured in the Snow White book). Selah's imagination is in full force as she pretends to swing her cousin Sara Kate at the park. We also regularly have dinner with Sara Kate's family (Ryan's sister, Rebecca; David; and Elisabeth). At least once a day, I think we reenact the scene from Snow White where Snow White eats the apple, falls asleep and then the prince wakes her up with a kiss. Of course, Daddy is the prince. Selah is Snow White and I am the mean queen. (Am I really that mean?) Selah loves to change clothes and wear skirts and dresses while she dances around the living room. She still spends a lot of time at the park. I've asked about preschools and one of my friends told me how much they cost....not sure I'm up for using that percentage of our income on preschool. So, we're going to put that one on the back burner for a while.

Selah's Stats:
Weight: 15 kg = 33 lbs
Height: 92 cm = 36 inches

In our cabin

Picnic in the mountain meadow

A few more scarfs

Head Band over the Swim Cap

Selah has a head-band thing. She likes to wear one day and night. When she wakes up in the morning, she calls for me, asks for milk and cartoons then does a head-band check before getting out of bed. Sometimes it falls off while she is sleeping (imagine that) and we have to find it before anything else is done.