Month 11 Update

11 Months 

LIKES: 

climbing the stairs 

dancing 

eating apples 

being tickled by Daddy 

Noah's Ark flap book 

clapping

The craziest thing about month 11 is that after 11 months comes 12! I can hardly believe my little man is about to be a year old. He is growing and changing every day and is at such a fun stage.

Some new milestones this month were include learning to sit back down once he pulled himself on things; this took a while to learn and it really frustrated him! Now that he can get up and down as he pleases, he's hard to keep up with! He cruises around the furniture and is he's still crawling everywhere. He is also able to understand several phrases such as "take a drink", "let's go to blank room", "clap your hands", "no-no", etc. He is chatting all the time, mostly saying Mama and bye-bye. He says a few other phrases consistently but I don't have a clue what he's saying :) My favorite new task this month was clapping. He randomly just starting doing it one day at lunch and he was so amazed at himself! Now he loves to clap about everything, especially when asked. He continues to climb the stairs at super-speed and darts to them any chance he gets. The stairs helped us learn "no-no" :)

We'll go to the pediatrician again next month, but I think he's gained a couple pounds and definitely a couple inches. He's outgrown several pairs of pants due to length! He's still wearing size 12-18 month clothes. He has six teeth and we've been out of the teething world for a few weeks which has been nice.

Isaiah loves to play. He's a really great independent player which is nice for me to get things done. But he really lights up when I join him in the floor. He loves his toys- balls, puzzles, and stackable cups seem to be his favorites. He LOVES books. He got several new ones for Christmas that he's enjoying daily. His favorite is a Noah's Ark book with pop-up flaps. He still loves to be tickled by his Daddy as well as being thrown over his shoulder and running around the house. It's pretty funny to watch as well :) He's learning to roll his ball, but sometimes would just rather hand it to us instead. He loves handing us things, actually. He likes taking selfies and watching videos of himself. And my absolute favorite is that he loves to dance! He started this in Gatlinburg with some crazy singing animals that his Randaddy had, and he has gained some new moves since! Anytime I play music or a toy sings, he starts bobbing his head, waving his hands, and rocking back and forth. It. is. so. cute.

A few fun/new things we did this month were a Boren Christmas family vacation in Gatlinburg, TN. There were 17 of us and we had tons of fun! We went to a "just for babies" storytime at the library here and made new friends, read a story, and learned some songs. It was super cute. Josh and I went on a date night while some sweet friends watched Isaiah at our house. I'm sad to admit that it was only our third date since Isaiah was born (we've had a little bit going on!), but we've resolved to make it a habit. Lastly, while Josh and I spent a day in training with a missions organization in Maryville, TN Isaiah spent the day with my mom and brother. It was by far the longest I've been away from him (even though they did bring him to visit during lunch break) and he did so great! Not even a tear. I did pretty good, too :)

Isaiah is still eating like crazy- three meals and we added an afternoon snack. He still nurses 5 or so times a day, more if he's sick. But he goes much longer stretches if we're out and about. He loves to eat apples, sweet potatoes, and small cubes of cheese. He'll eat most anything we give him, but he's quick to let us know when he doesn't like something by throwing it off his tray and into the floor! Some new things he tried this month were oranges, grapes, quinoa, dates, yogurt, kefir, pancakes, and toasted bread. It's fun that we live in an international area because he gets to try lots of flavors. He loved a dish that an Iraqi friend made recently. His least favorite food is avocado. He snarls his nose at the very site of it. He's a growing, eating boy and I'm pretty sure we'll go broke when he's a teen.

We had a rough cycle of sleep in the middle of this month. I'm still not sure what the deal was because he wasn't sick or teething, but it only lasted about 4 nights and he started sleeping better again. He goes to bed between 7-8 and sleeps in his crib until some time in the night when he wakes and I bring him to our bed. He sleeps very soundly in bed with us. I don't know how we'll ever break the habit but it is what it is and if I read another book on sleep I might go crazy. Right now, God is teaching me to be grateful for Isaiah's life and health and not to resent his sleep habits. Praise God I have a baby boy cuddled up with us at night. One day he won't want those snuggles, so I'm trying to enjoy them while I can. Even if it means longer than I ever dreamed without regular sleep :)

 "I'm over the pictures. Can you just hold me now?"

Isaiah,
You're upstairs napping right now. The house is so quiet and still when you are sleeping. For one small boy you bring a lot of noise and personality to the table! I've had fun with you the past few days since your Daddy started working. We're at home without a car and we've definitely made the most of it. We've cooked and cleaned, put puzzles together, stacked cups into towers just to laugh when you knock them down, crawled around the floor, climbed up the stairs, gone for walks, met some neighbors, and so much more. I don't know how I'll ever manage you getting a brother or sister- you keep me quite busy! But I wouldn't trade it for the world. Thanks for making me a mommy. 

Love you, Mama

 Isaiah,
You're napping for me as well (a few days later).  It's been a great month with Christmas, the trip, etc.  Our life seems to be taking some form of shape or structure.  I did get an interim job teaching at a Christian school.  I plan on finding out how to get licensed to teach.  Hopefully, I'll be able to take some steps in that direction this spring.  Anyway, we are thankful God gave me a job.  As for you, you have been so much fun.  I've started this thing where I put my mouth on your stomach and side and you laugh so hard.  It's been really funny.  Other things have been going, but your mom has summed them up rather well.  I look forward to when you are a big brother, and we take out on adventures together, while mom has your younger sibling (if that be the Lord's will).
Love you, Dad

the honeymoon is over

We've been in America for 6 months. I can hardly believe it! One thing I can say for sure is that transition is not my forte. I'm not certain which transition was harder- to the Philippines or back to America, but both have been trying. For someone who's never lived overseas for an extended period of time it sounds absurd to think that it would be a challenge to come back to a country where we'd lived for 20+ years after only spending 2 years away. But for anyone who can relate, you know it's true. There's a "honeymoon stage" where everything is new and exciting. Then reality sets in. No one wants to hear your Philippines stories, yet you don't really have anything else to share. You're American yet somehow you think so differently. Culture stress takes its toll...again.

Some things I miss about our life in the Philippines:

• the breathtaking scenery at every corner- mountains, ocean, rice fields, flowers, it's endless 
• coconuts in our back yard, and front yard, and side yard, and street 
• the sound of laughter and screaming in our outdoor kitchen, even when my baby was sleeping, because it meant our friends were there 
• mangoes. y'all, I really miss the mangoes. 
• having my freckles counted by silly kids 
• watching those same kids grow in their knowledge of the Lord and His grace 
• our first home as a married couple and a family of 3 
• simplicity. I long for the accepted simplicity. 
• some of my very best friends 
• the fresh air blowing through our open windows 
• cold showers on hot days
• the need to depend on the Lord for the simplest of things, because I really couldn't do much on my own there  

 Someone once told me that being a Christian was harder in America than in Africa (his home country). That sounded like the craziest thing I'd ever heard, but it makes a lot more sense now. We have so much at our fingertips in America. I've found that it's quite easy to forget about the Lord and rely on our own strength. There were nights when I prayed for Isaiah almost all night as I fanned him in the sweltering tropical heat when the electricity went out. It was so hot for such a little guy. I haven't exactly prayed for that here. More than once I've laid him down and walked out of his room (hello! he has a room!) before I even realized that I didn't pray for him. The same God who kept us in the Philippines keeps us here. He protects us and provides for us and loves us o so deeply. I'm praying as we embark on the 7th month of life in an affluent land that I will press into Jesus, acknowledging who He is, and pray without ceasing. 

I'm thankful for where we are in our journey. We believe we are where we are supposed to be. Thank you to those of you who have been a support to us in our transition back to the States. We're very grateful for the encouragement, prayer, and gifts we've received. God has been faithful.

Here's a little update on our status in Nashville:

• We've continued worshipping at The Church at Antioch that I mentioned in a previous blog post. We also got plugged into a small group there. We're so very thankful for the bond that is Jesus. We really know very little about most of the people in the group, but because we all love Jesus, it's such a refreshing time each week. We look forward to knowing them more.
• We've connected with other believing neighbors here and started gathering weekly to pray for our apartment complex, challenge each other, and visit neighbors who may not know of Jesus.
• We've learned that the majority of our apartment complex is made up of Iraqi and Hispanic families. There are also Africans and a few Southeast Asians that we've seen. And other Caucasians and African Americans as well. The nations are truly represented in this little pocket of Nashville! Most of our community is made up of refugees, seeking a life of peace in a new land. Join us in praying they'd find peace in Jesus.  
• Josh got a job! For at least the next semester Josh is teaching at a Christian academy in Smyrna, TN. During his job search, Josh sensed that God was telling him to be a teacher. In the future he'll pursue a master's degree in education, but God has so graciously opened this opportunity to get some experience at a school where an education degree is unnecessary in the meantime. This is a huge answer to prayer! 
• Isaiah is growing so fast- he'll be a year old next month! He's doing well and learning much. He loves life and his laugh is contagious. We're impressed by his new tricks daily. 
• I (Autumn) am praying about creative ways to contribute to our income, be home with Isaiah, and create a stronger sense of community for the refugee women around me. A few ideas have been tossed around so please pray for God's will in how I will spend my time. 

It's crazy to imagine that six months ago the following pictures were our life! 

 

 

Month 10 Update

 
10 Months

Likes: 
Puffs
Pulling up 
Being tickled
Christmas music
Peek-a-boo
Eating finger foods
Mama
Balls

Someone made the comment a few days ago that Isaiah had the look of a little boy now rather than a baby.  After I put myself back together, I realized he was right. My sweet baby boy is on the verge of toddlerhood. Only two more months until we celebrate a year of life for him. Month 10 has been one of my favorites as Isaiah’s fun personality has come out a lot more.

After getting over the flu during Thanksgiving, this month we’ve managed to stay well. We went for his 9 month well visit check up a little late and the pediatrician said he was exceptionally healthy. She also made note that he was very alert and verbal for his age. Our little chatterbox :) He’s growing well and still wearing size 12-18 month clothes.

A few new things this month include pulling up on every single thing in sight, climbing stairs, and more teeth! He loves trying to pull up on new things and is discovering that not everything can hold him (like the laundry drying rack!). As much as I try to keep my eyes on him, he’s gotten quite a few bumps and bruises along the way. He also learned to climb our stairs (with the help of Daddy) and he’s so proud to show off his new skill. It’s fun to watch him explore and play around the house. He also got two more teeth this month, making a total of 5. There’s another trying to break through right now. Those little chompers are sharp, too!

Some of his other favorite things are playing with balls and reading books. He actually enjoys looking at the pictures before he eats the book now! We discovered this month that his feet are super ticklish and he can barely handle them being tickled. His little tickle laugh is the sweetest sound. He likes to watch his daddy throw a ball up the stairs and see it bounce back down to them. He’s also amused by throwing things in the floor for us to pick up :) A good game of peek-a-boo will keep him chuckling for a while, too. He’s learning that Daddy is really a whole lot more fun that Mama, but he’s still very attached to me too.

Another highlight of the month is that the boy loves to eat. He still nurses about six times a day, but finger foods are so fun! It took him a while to really take to solid food, but he’s all in now. A few fun things he tried this month are salmon, coconut milk, rice pasta, and oatmeal. He still loves sweet potatoes, beans, pears, and bananas. He loves feeding himself pouches when we’re out somewhere. And his new favorite is puffs! O my goodness, he’s addicted. I found some organic vegetable puffs on a great sale and he loved them! He’s getting a couple more cans of them in his stocking for Christmas :)  He eats three meals a day with us, and sometimes I feel like he would just keep eating for as long as I kept putting things in front of him!

Sleep…what a wonderful thing. Some days are good and some days are not, in regards to Isaiah’s sleep. Lately he’s been napping very consistently for 1.5-2 hours in the morning and an hour in the afternoon. Yay! He naps well in his crib now, which is nice. This month we started transitioning him to his crib at night. He goes down for bed in his crib after I rock him and usually sleeps until midnight there. Depending on how tired I am, I either bring him to our bed or rock him for a while and put him back in his crib. He’s yet to make it past 3am in his crib, though. That’s ok for now, and a huge step for us! It’s been nice to have a few hours of sound sleep a night. I realize baby sleep is a personal and touchy subject. It’s amazing how much unsolicited advice one can get when sleep is brought up. After all the moving and transitioning our little guy has done, it is no wonder sleep is a struggle. We’re doing what works best for our family right now and co-sleeping is just part of it. The area of sleep has broken me more than once as a new mom. I’ve cried over it more times than I’d like to admit. And God has shown me His grace through those tired nights and days again and again. It’s another way that I’ve been able to lay myself down for this mommy ministry and allow His strength to carry me through. So, for any worn down, sleep deprived mamas out there, you’re not alone. You have the most wonderful, rewarding job in the world. You were chosen to be the perfect mommy for your little one. Be patient. Love them through the hard times. Trust in the Lord and let His strength carry you. I have to remind myself of this often.

Lastly for month 9-10, Isaiah’s little babbles have started taking shape. He loves to hear himself talk all the day long. He says Ma-ma and bye-bye. Cute! And he makes this funny “heee” sound when we think he’s trying to say “hey.” He also says “pa-pa-pa” and my dad is certain he’s trying to say Papaw! Next on the line up is “Da-da” since right now he calls Josh Ma-ma too :) He can also understand a few things I say which is so fun! I can say “Where’s Daddy?” or “Where’s your puppy dog/ball?” and he looks around until he finds Josh or his stuffed dog or ball. I can say “take a drink” and he’ll sip some water. I’m trying to teach him a few signs for fun (like “more”, “milk”, “yes” etc.), but he hasn’t taken to them yet. We love being able to communicate with this guy a little more. So adorable! O, and I can’t forget that he gives the biggest, wettest kisses around! 

 

Isaiah, You’ve taught me so much in ten months. I love to see you light up over small, simple things and to see how fiercely you love me. Your joyful composure is contagious. So are your meltdowns. I love that I get to stay home with you every day and be there as you try new things. Be sure to thank your Daddy one day for making sure we’re able to be together. He thinks that it’s important and I love that about him. Isaiah, I remember when we brought you home from the hospital in the Philippines (where you had been sleeping in the bed with me) and you slept in your bassinet beside our bed for the first time. I cried myself to sleep because it felt like you were so far. Now you’re ten months old and the first time you slept in your crib in your own room at night I didn’t cry, but I couldn’t sleep. I checked on you about 100 times before midnight. I love you little boy and it’s hard to watch you grow up sometimes. I know it will only get harder. The saying is true, the days are long but the years are short. 

I love you Isaiah. 

Love, Mama

Isaiah, You are getting to be more and more fun. This is a couple weeks late, so maybe I'm referring more to the 11 month update time period.  Anyway, I just heard your mama say that you pee-peed in the floor for the first time at this house.  Haha.  You really love her.  I am starting to think you like me more and more too.  You've been transitioning out of this mommy only stage.  It's been more fun for me, but obviously, you still love your mom. A lot.  Lately, I've decided to go into teaching.  I may have told you this last update, but if not, that's the new news.  I'm currently looking for a job.  It's definitely been an up and down journey even though I really have the odds with me.  We will see what comes of it, the teaching that is.  Isaiah Luke, I love you man.  Keep on keepin' on.

Love, Daddy