Chime In: Traveling with Kids

We have done our fair share of traveling with little ones in tow since, well, pretty much since we became parents. It is not without its challenges; however, we are very blessed to have two very good travelers. They have their moments, but then again, we all do. After sitting in a car or a cramped airline seat for hours on end, even grown-ups can get cranky!

I confess that before our survey trip last summer, I purchased a bottle of Children's Benadryl with the intention of using it as a sedative (if necessary) on the long international flights. Luckily, I never had to use it as most of our flights were overnight, and Alex slept pretty much the whole way. But I have flown enough in my lifetime to know that there are few things more horrible than being stuck on a plane for hours on end with a screaming kid, whether you are the parent, or just a fellow passenger. So I had it in my arsenal, just in case.

Road trips are a little different, since you can set your own schedule and stop and get out of the car when you need to. A real lifesaver on our Partnership Tour has been a cheap portable DVD player we purchased on Craigslist before we left Michigan that allows Alex to watch videos in the car. And, although Rusty and I typically avoid MacDonald's like the plague, the PlayPlaces are a great way for Alex to burn some energy after we've been in the car for several hours. When we have a long day in the car, we will usually let Alex play while we eat our food, and then he eats his Happy Meal in the car after we leave. It maximizes the time we spend there and means we don't have to fight with him about eating when he would rather be playing.

With Stephen along, we have to stop every 3-4 hours so I can nurse him. Rusty will usually gas-up (even if we still have a fairly full tank) and take Alex to the potty (even if he says he doesn't have to go) just to minimize the amount of stopping we have to do. Sometimes, he will go on the hunt for a city park where Alex can play while I'm nursing Stephen. Or, he'll pull over at a rest area where he and Alex can throw frisbees for a few minutes.

So, fellow parents -- what are some of your tips and tricks for traveling with small children? What works and what doesn't when you're on the road or in the air?

Partnership Tour: Portland to Helena

We are winding down the Partnership Tour -- by this time next week, we should be on our way back to Nashville. Our time in Portland was a real whirlwind of activity. We blocked out a few days for family time with Ronda, Robbie, and Johnny. The rest of the time, we were spending time with friends and extended family (my grandmother and cousins as well as some of Rusty's cousins all live in the Portland area), taking care of some business related to Rusty's mom's estate, and visiting with churches and missions committees about our plans for Angola. Fundraising in the Northwest is especially difficult right now, due to the economic downturn as well as Cascade's recent closing. However, we are getting the word out; now we will wait and watch God work -- after all, he is bigger than all of the limitations we perceive.

Although we enjoyed our time in Portland immensely, it was a crazy busy time since both Rusty and I know so many people and have so many connections there. We were almost glad to get back on the road again! We left Portland a week ago Tuesday, stayed the night in Vancouver, WA with our friends the Onsomu's, and on Wednesday, headed west to Coeur d'Alene. We stayed Wednesday night with old college friends Ben and Christina Heater and their kids and were able to visit with some folks at the Dalton Gardens Church of Christ about Angola.

On Thursday, we drove to Helena, Montana. We have enjoyed the last few days here with Uncle Roy and Aunt Margaret Ramsey, former missionaries to Kisumu, Kenya and teammates of my parents. It has been fun reminiscing about the past with them -- the other night, we even watched some of their old family movies! There are not many people anymore that I can connect with when it comes to my childhood in Kisumu, so I have enjoyed that aspect of our time with them.

For Alex's part, he has enjoyed the experience of four-wheeling! The other day, we took their two ATV's up into the hills near their house. Rusty and I rode one, and Uncle Roy and Alex rode the other one. (Aunt Margaret stayed back at the house with Stephen.) We had such a great time and saw some gorgeous scenery. Alex keeps asking when we are going again!

This past Sunday, we presented about Angola to the church in Great Falls on Sunday morning and the church in Billings on Sunday night. Then, on Monday, we drove back to Helena, stopping to visit friends David and Alison Ellis in Bozeman (David and Rusty were at Harding Grad together). We will be here in Helena for another week, and then we'll begin the long journey back to Nashville. Please continue to pray for us as we travel and fundraise!

Note: I have been meaning to post some pictures of our team time in Colorado last month. Teague, however, beat me to it. Rather than post many of the same pictures on my own blog, I'm linking to her post here. For Facebook users, Katie uploaded a bunch of pictures there as well.

My Boys

This picture makes me smile every time I see it. I am such a blessed woman to have these three in my life!

Life at Four Months

It doesn't seem possible that Stephen is already 4 months old. We are on the road right now and haven't been to the doctor for the standard four-month well-baby checkup, so I have no idea how much he weighs. I am guessing about 15 or 16 pounds. We'll find out next month, I guess. He is, in the words of his Aunt Teague, "stout."

Major milestones during the fourth month included rolling from back to tummy and starting to laugh. He is spitting up less and drooling more. He will chew on anything he can get in his mouth -- toys, burp cloth, blanket, my finger, or his personal favorite, his own hands. He continues to be a content and easy-going baby; he hardly ever cries and is still sleeping well despite our crazy schedule. Everywhere we go, people comment on what a good baby he is. I am so thankful because I don't know how we would do what we are doing right now if we had a high-needs infant. I'm sure we would manage, but traveling would be so much more difficult.

Thank you, God, for our healthy, happy baby boy!

Partnership Tour: Colorado Springs to Portland

The Partnership Tour continues... a week ago Tuesday, we left Colorado Springs, headed for Rocky Mountain National Park. We camped there for two nights with our team, enjoying great food and conversation amidst the beauty of God's creation. We took a hike one day through the mountains up to Lake Haiyaha and enjoyed a picnic lunch on the boulders at the water's edge. I will put some pictures up soon.

On Thursday, we said our goodbyes and began the drive westward over the Rockies. We spent Thursday night in Glenwood Springs, CO with my former college roomie, Amy, and her family. It was so great to see them again, and Alex really enjoyed playing with their two girls.

On Friday, we drove as far as Salt Lake City, UT, where we stayed the night in a motel. Then, on Saturday, we drove to La Grande, OR. We stayed with a lovely older couple, who, we found out after we arrived at their house, were none other than the grandparents of our friend and former fellow AET, Shawn Phelps! It's such a small world, especially in the Church of Christ in the Northwest!

Rusty presented about Angola and also preached at the church in La Grande on Sunday. On Monday, we drove to Central Oregon and visited some of Rusty's friends and family there. And yesterday, we drove over the mountains and into Portland. We will be here in Portland for about two weeks, visiting friends and family and talking about Angola with various area churches. Please continue to pray for us. So far, we have all been healthy, but we are beginning to feel a little worn down. All the moving around and the long days in the car have been especially hard on Alex. It will be nice to be in one place for awhile.

Partnership Tour: Nashville to Colorado Springs

Although we left Detroit a few weeks ago, we will not really be settling in Nashville until mid-September. We were in Nashville for about ten days at the end of July, and then we launched into our Partnership Tour, which is taking us all the way out to Oregon and back over the next 6 weeks.

Our time in Nashville was full of lots of activities. The Hillsboro church formally introduced us to the congregation on our first Sunday there; we attended their VBS; and we spent several days having meals with and getting to know some of the elders, the missions committee, and church members. The church has been so wonderful and welcoming and has really taken great care of us. We are looking forward to spending more time there this fall getting to know people and building relationships with them.

A week ago Monday, we left Nashville and headed west. Our first stop was Memphis, where we discovered Park Avenue (our church when we lived in Memphis) was having their VBS. So we went by and were able to reconnect with some of our friends there. Alex got to see his BFF Mackenzie from Harding Grad, and he was very excited about that.

On Tuesday, we spent a couple of hours unearthing all our camping supplies from the depths of our storage unit. Then, we headed to Oklahoma City. We were able to meet up with old friends from our Japan days... the Lj's, Chan's, and Britton's. It was great to see them again, and it was especially touching to watch Alex, Stone, and Freedom playing together. (There are a couple of pics on Facebook... when I have more time, I will try to upload one here to the blog.)

On Wednesday, we drove to Burlington, OK, where Rusty spoke about Angola during the evening class-time at the church of Christ there. We spent the night in a member's home just over the state line in Kiowa, KS.

On Thursday, we had a long drive from south-central Kansas to Colorado Springs. It is beautiful here, and the weather is amazing! We have spent the last several days here, meeting with our team, and visiting our teammate Nathan's supporting church. We have had several productive "meeting" days, but we wanted to include some fun, recreational time, so tomorrow, we are headed to Rocky Mountain National park for a couple of days of camping. Then, across the mountains and westward we go!

We will be in the Northwest for a couple of weeks at the end of August, then in Montana for about a week, and we may spend a little more time in the Oklahoma City area before heading back to Nashville. We are calling this our "Partnership Tour" because we are trying to drum up the remainder of our support for our work in Angola. If we will be coming to your area, and you would like for us to visit your church, please contact us at rustyandlaura AT gmail DOT com (or just leave a comment). We would love to share about the amazing things God is already doing in Angola and how we hope to join in that work very soon!

Goodbye, Michigan

Nearly eight months after we first arrived in Michigan, the time has come to say goodbye. When we first arrived, on Thanksgiving day last November, we had no idea how long we would be staying. Our lives were in flux; so much depended on when we would find an overseeing church. As the weeks stretched into months, sometimes the wait seemed interminable. Now, looking back, eight months really doesn't seem that long at all, and in many ways, it has just flown by. We are headed now to Nashville to be with our supporting church for a few months before we go off to Portugal for some intensive language study.

So, thank you, Michigan, for allowing us to be residents of your fine state for the past few months. We have enjoyed your winter snows, your gorgeous spring days, and we are loving your mild summer weather. We think your DMV should give lessons on efficiency to the other 49 states in the union. And we now think we finally understand the "Michigan left."

Thank you to all the churches in the Detroit area who invited us to come and do our Angola presentation. A special thank you to all those who contributed to our one-time expense fund. We know that the ecomony is especially dismal in Michigan these days, and so we are touched by your generosity, even as many of you face hard times.

Thank you to our Livonia church family, for welcoming us to your midst with open arms. Thank you for praying for us and encouraging us and inviting us to your home groups and being interested in our dreams for Angola. Thank you for allowing us to participate in as many church activities as our time and travel schedule allowed. A special thank you to all of Alex' amazing teachers -- he loved to go to Bible Class! And to Beth and Shannon for all the playdates -- it meant so much to Alex to have some social interaction. To those of you who have recently expressed a desire to be regular monthly contributors to our work -- thank you! Each pledge takes us closer to our goal and closer to Angola.

Thank you to "Dr. Kelly" and her staff for taking such good care of me during my pregnancy. Thank you for your willingness to accommodate my wishes for a natural birth and for assuaging my fears that my second labor would last as long as my first! Thank you for knowing when to tell me to rest and take it easy. I am only sorry that you weren't the one to deliver Stephen since everything happened so fast! Thank you to the nurses and the staff at the Henry Ford Hospital in West Bloomfield for an incredible natural hospital birth. (I wish I could have all my future children at this luxurious hospital.)

Finally, to my parents... there really are no words to express our gratefulness for all the ways you have blessed our lives these past months. Thank you for allowing us to call your home our home for an indefinite length of time. It has been such a place of peace for us, a true haven while everything else in life has been in limbo. Thank you for continuing to allow us to use your basement as a second storage unit for the next several weeks. Thank you for putting up with our messes, with a pregnant woman, with a new baby, and with a (sometimes) cranky and defiant 3-year old. Thank you for all the delicious food and good conversations. Thank you for the free baby-sitting while Rusty and I went to our Bradley classes or just enjoyed a night out. Thank you for all the trips to Greenfield Village and the zoo, and for all the special memories you made with Alex. Thank you for sharing in several special events for our family over the past few months -- birthdays, our 10th anniversary, Rusty's HUGSR graduation. Thank you, most of all, for your prayers and encouragement as we waited on God's timing.

I can think of no place I would rather have been for the past eight months, than right where God put us -- in Livonia, MI. Although I am eager to move on, to be one step closer to permanency, I will always treasure the memories of these past months, and the extended time we were able to spend with my parents.

Finally...

...we managed to get a halfway decent picture of the four of us. It will do until we can get to a studio for a professional portrait, probably sometime this fall. This was taken last Sunday. We are wearing our matching Angolan outfits. A seamstress in Angola made Rusty's shirt for him while we were there last summer. She had some fabric left over, so she gave it to me, and I made a wrap skirt for myself -- you can barely see it in the picture. The shirts the boys are wearing, I made with some of the leftover scraps of fabric. (Thanks to my crafty teammate, Teague, for the idea!)

Life at Three Months

Stephen was three months old on July 6th. He is continuing to gain weight and develop fat rolls, and is now wearing 3-6 month size clothes. Thumb-sucking is definitely his thing; he is very good at self-soothing with it. He is sleeping on a more regular schedule now -- short morning nap, long afternoon nap, and usually 10-11 hours at night, waking up just once for a feeding. I'm not sure how long his good sleep patterns will last with all of the traveling we are going to be doing the next couple of months, so I am trying to enjoy it while it lasts. When he is awake, he smiles and coos and bats at the toys on the arches of his playmat. He is such a good baby that I think he may be in danger of being ignored because he is just so content all the time!

With the warm summer weather, we have been taking Stephen outside more. He likes to lay on a blanket on the grass and watch the trees and the sky, or sit in his bouncy seat and watch Alex play in the yard. If we go on walks, he usually rides in the sling. Speaking of my hotsling, I love it! Stephen enjoys it, too, and every time we are out and about in it, I always get lots of comments on it. When I wore him in it at the zoo, I started to feel like we were one of the exhibits because of all the people (mostly children) who were pointing and staring. One lady even asked if she could take my picture!

Stephen can also sit up as long as he is well-supported, so he has been able to start joining in story-time with Alex, which is fun. The two of them are so precious together. Alex will sing to Stephen or "help" him play with the toys on his playmat, and Stephen just watches him so intently and sometimes breaks out into the biggest grin. I'm looking forward to watching their relationship develop over the months and years to come.

Our Growing Team

Nathan Holland, the Reeses, Jordan Yarbrough, the Campbells, the Meyers

This is our most recent team photo, taken at last month's team meeting in Little Rock. Since our last team photo, taken in June, 2008, we have added two children, with two more on the way (the Meyers are in the process of adopting siblings from Ethiopia).

We always enjoy spending time with our teammates. We have continued trying to meet monthly, although that has become a bit more challenging now that we are all much more spread out geographically. Despite the long drive (our meetings have been in Little Rock the last few times), we look forward to our time together. And, just in case you were wondering what it is that we do at these meetings, here is a list of the items on last month's agenda:

• personal / family updates, fundraising progress
• discussion on the possibility of our team getting some formal training in rational thinking and decision making
• recap and process some of the strategy discussion begun at May's meeting
• discussion on homeschooling options
  
• discussion on a team coach / mentor
  
• discussion on team roles
• timeline (scheduling, future meetings, moving to Portugal, etc.)
• continuation of our doctrine discussion begun at a previous meeting

There was time for fun as well. We had a cookout at the park one evening and the guys played a round of disc golf. We played games one night. And we had lots of yummy food -- there are several good cooks on this team, and we all like to eat!

Torch Lake

I'm finally getting around to posting some pictures of our family vacation to Torch Lake. Sadly, I don't have as many pictures as I should, because, after we had been there for over a week, Rusty accidentally reformatted the card in the digital camera. (And just in case you didn't know, when you do that, you permanently erase all data on the card.) So the pictures below were taken in our last three days there, as we tried to think of and recreate all the photo ops.

Aside from the camera catastrophe, we really had a wonderful time at the lake. We are so thankful to our friends Bob and Teri for allowing us to spend almost two weeks at their little lakeside cabin. It was a time of rest and relaxation, reconnecting and refocusing. The weather was mostly cool, but we had a few gorgeous days of warm sunshine toward the end of our stay. Rusty and Alex went fishing and kayaking several times. They tried to go swimming once, but the water was still pretty cold, so Alex didn't even last five minutes before he was ready to get out. After that, he was content to just sit on the beach and throw rocks in the water or dangle his feet off the end of the dock. We had a fire in the firepit two different nights and roasted marshmallows and made s'mores while enjoying the stunning sunsets.

We had some rainy, windy days too. On those days, we stayed indoors and played games, read, watched movies, or scrapbooked. We taught Alex how to play Uno Jr., Yahtzee Jr., and Candyland. He is really enjoying games right now, and (so far) is a very good sport, not seeming to care whether he wins or loses. Rusty and I watched the entire first season of "24" in the time we were there, and we both made good progress on our scrapbooks. Rusty and Alex slept up in the loft two different nights, which Alex thought was great fun. (I'm not sure Rusty slept that well, though!) We had lots of yummy food, including some of our favorite ethnic dishes (Thai curry, Japanese curry, okunomiyaki, and temakizushi). Alex helped me make pizza one night, and we made chocolate chip cookies for Daddy. I tried a new recipe for cinnamon rolls which was awesome!

We also went on a couple of "outings." One day, we drove up to the town of Charlevoix and found a nice beach with a playground where we had a picnic lunch. Another day, we went into Central Lake for an antique car show. But mostly, we just stayed around the cabin and enjoyed being together and God's beautiful creation. It was exactly what we needed before facing the next several months, which promise to be very very busy!

Our little fisherman with his catch

Napping

Sweet Stephen

A beautiful sunset

Snuggly baby

Giraffe tongue!

Just kickin' it

Row, row, row your boat...

My Brother the Blogger

So, my brother is blogging now. He has been at it for about three months now, and his posts are a delightful blend of updates on his personal life and deeper ponderings, all well-written with a dash of sarcastic humor thrown in every so often. I have wanted to be a writer since I was a little girl, but after reading some of Matt's writings, I am having a feeling that he may beat me to it! His latest post very nearly brought tears to my eyes and is a wonderful tribute to my parent's marriage, which has stood the test of time for 37 years now.

If you have a few minutes, head on over to "(to be announced)" and check it out.

June 2009 Newsletter

Our most recent newsletter is now available for viewing. Click here to download.

(If you would like to receive our newsletters via email, please send a message to rustyandlaura AT gmail DOT com. We would be happy to add you to our mailing list.)

Life at Two Months

Stephen turned two months old on June 6th while we were up at Torch Lake. Our itty bitty baby isn't so itty bitty anymore. At his two-month check-up, he weighed in at over 13 pounds! By comparison, Eliana Reese (our teammates' baby), who is 7 months older, weighs 16. I think he might pass her up before she has her first birthday! Every time I take him in, the doctor comments on how well he is growing and how solid he is. This time, he asked me, "How do you hold this kid? He is heavy!" I guess toting him around all day will help with losing the baby weight, which, sadly, is not coming off as quickly this time as it did the first!

During his second month, Stephen started smiling (relationally, not just gas). Rusty is especially good at getting him to break out in a big grin. He also discovered his hands, and seems to have a special fondness for the thumb on his left hand. Maybe he will be a thumb sucker. (Alex never was.) I have had to start bathing him in the big bathtub since he is too big now for the kitchen sink (thanks to my sister for leaving me her awesome baby bath chair). He loves baths, just like Alex did. He also enjoys sitting in his bouncy chair (a recent yard sale purchase), and being outside on a blanket under the trees. He can hold his head up really well now, and is already starting to push up with his feet on my lap.

Wonderful News!

Rusty, the boys, and I have just returned from enjoying some family time at Torch Lake in northern Michigan. We got back to Detroit late last night... and we will be leaving again on Wednesday to travel to Little Rock for another team meeting. So, the pictures will have to wait for another time. But I did want to share some wonderful news that we received recently regarding our search for a sponsoring congregation.

The Hillsboro church of Christ in Nashville, TN has agreed to assume oversight of our family and our minstry in Angola -- for at least the next five years. They will be providing half of our salary, as well as supporting us emotionally and spiritually, and serving as our "home base" here in the United States. We feel very blessed to have them as partners in our work.

Our search for a sponsoring congregation is over, but the real work of fundraising is really just beginning. We still have to raise half of our salary, as well as our work fund and our one-time moving expenses. There are many things that still have to come together before we will be in Angola. This is, however, a major step in the process... and somehow, having a sponsoring congregation makes our plans for Angola seem like much more of a reality, not just a dream anymore.

Will you join us in praising God for Hillsboro and for their commitment to us and to our vision?

Aunt Julie's Visit

Aunt Julie and the cousins stayed on for a visit after Uncle Matt's graduation. We drove up to Detroit from Abilene, dropping Rusty off in Dallas along the way for his conference. The drive took us three days, and with five kiddos, a nursing baby and a potty-trainer among them, and me being sick with some sort of stomach bug, let's just say we were all very glad to finally get to Livonia. Julie and I did enjoy some good conversations in the car on the way up, though!

We had a great time and really enjoyed their visit, although it did get loud and crazy on occasion! Major highlights included a trip to Greenfield Village, and a day at the zoo. The kids also enjoyed playing outside, swimming, and watching TV together. Alex loved having his cousins around to play with, and was very sad to see them go.

Enjoy the slide show of our time together!

10 Years Ago Today...

May 29, 1999
Portland, OR

Abilene

The next stop on our journey was Abilene, TX, to see my brother Matt graduate from ACU. We also enjoyed reconnecting with our old friends, Steve and Wendy (from our days as AET's in Japan). It was such a delight to see how their family has grown since the last time we saw them. The kids had a good time playing together. (Sadly, though, we took no pictures of our time with Steve and Wendy.)

My sister and her three girls were able to travel to the States from Bolivia for Matt's graduation, and then spent a little over a week with us in Detroit before they went back. Here are a few pictures of our time in Abilene:

The Stephens family (plus two grandkids)

The lovely lady in the black dress is Janille, my brother's girlfriend. It was a real treat to (finally) meet her while we were there.

We were in Abilene over a Sunday, which happened to be Mother's Day. Since Julie and I now have 5 kids ages 4 and under between us, we decided to forego going to a nice restaurant (which can be torturous when you have young children) and just got a bucket of chicken and went to a local park. The kids had a great time, and the adults were able to squeeze in some good conversation while they were playing.

My mom with all her kids and grandkids on Mother's Day

"Dude... they tell me we're related." Stephen and Uncle Matt getting to know each other

Uncle Matt is super fun!

More pictures of our time with Aunt Julie and the cousins to follow. I am working on a slide show and should have that up in a couple of days.

Pepperdine

At the beginning of May, our entire team (minus Jordan) was privileged to present at the annual Pepperdine Bible Lectures. We taught a class entitled "New Strategies for New Fields in Africa: The Case of Angola." (The class is available for purchase on CD for those who are interested. Click here to order.) We had a pretty good turnout and were well received. We also hosted an informational breakfast one morning.

I cannot say enough good things about the Pepperdine Bible Lectures. I really hope that we are able to attend them again one day. They had an awsome children's program (which was also amazingly affordable), so Alex was occupied and entertained. And this meant that I was able to attend some classes and keynote sessions and participate in the worship times -- wonderful! Of course, for Rusty and I, it was also a time of reconnecting with many of our friends from the Northwest, as well as people with ties to Africa and Japan. And it's hard to beat the locale -- sunny Malibu, California. The Pepperdine campus overlooks the beautiful Pacific Ocean, and the views as we walked or rode the shuttle bus were just stunning. Lots of stairs, though! If you go there with children, don't take a stroller. I was glad we didn't bring ours. Alex either walked or rode in the Kelty backpack, and Stephen was happy in the sling.

Here's a picture of our team at Pepperdine, along with Charles Kambungo and Andre Banda, Angolan friends and future partners in ministry, who were able to travel to the U.S. to attend the Lectures and also a Church Planting Movements conference in Dallas. It was a real blessing to have them here.

Life at One Month

Stephen is now well over one month old (he will be exactly 7 weeks old tomorrow) -- however, I intend to continue the tradition I started during Alex' first year of doing Month Milestone posts. (I am a bit behind in my blogging since we have been traveling and then my sister and her kids were visiting for a week.)

In his first month of life, Stephen has traveled to Coldwater to meet his great grandmother, to Memphis for Daddy's graduation, to Nashville for Mommy and Daddy's Angola presentation, to Texas, where he got on a plane for the first time, and to sunny California for the Pepperdine Lectureships. Everywhere we went, people were amazed that we were already traveling with such a young baby. "Wow, you're brave," they said. Brave... or crazy? Honestly, now that I have a 3-year old, I find traveling with a newborn to be easy. They aren't mobile; they sleep anywhere; you don't have to worry about a schedule since they don't have much of one yet; and they don't need to be entertained. He was a joy to have along on our trip, and we were glad to get to introduce him to so many of our friends and family during our travels.

Stephen is really a very laid-back baby. I think he might be even more laid-back than Alex was as an infant (although that may very well be because I am more laid-back as a mom with my second than I was with my first). I have been pleasantly surprised at how much easier things have been this time around. Nursing got off to an easier, better start, probably because at least one of us knew what we were doing this time! I seem to be handling the sleep deprivation and wacky schedules better. There is nothing that really prepares you for the way that first baby rocks your entire existence... but the transition to being a family of four has (so far) been much less overwhelming.

At his one-month check-up (which was actually at more like 5 1/2 weeks because of our travels), Stephen weighed in at a whopping 11 lbs. 4 oz. That means he gained almost 3 pounds in his first month of life (Alex only gained two). It goes without saying that this kid loves to eat! He also loves to be held and snuggled, laying in his cradle and watching his mobile, taking a bath, and riding in the sling. He is already a great traveler, which is a good thing since there is certain to be a lot of that in his immediate future!

Here are a few pictures from his first month.

Having a bath in the kitchen sink

Meeting Great Grandmother

Snuggling with Nyanya

Being loved on by Mommy and Daddy

Conspiring with big brother

Napping on a Sunday afternoon

One month old