Merry Christmast EVERYONE!!

Our Christmas Card and Newsletter we sent out this year ~ We want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

2009 has been a great year for our family. Shortly after our late honey moon in Japan we found out that we were expecting a baby. On August 21st at 1:35 AM, our son Noa Donny Maris was born. He weighed a healthy 8 pounds 5.5 ounces, and was 19 inches long. His middle name Donny is taken after Chad's late grandfather, Don Kim, who passed away in July of this year. We have enjoyed every minute with our little one. He is the joy of our lives.

Chad has been going to school and working in Utah. In February, he was called to be the 2nd counselor in the Japanese Ward Bishopric. He is enjoying his busy life with school, work, church calling, and getting used to being a new dad.

Megumi graduated with a degree in Exercise Science and Nutrition from Brigham Young University last April. It was hard for her because morning sickness was the worst during her last semester of school. Now she is able to stay home with Noa dand be a full-time mom. She is enjoying her new role as a mother, and is rying hard to keep up with a very active 4-month old.

Noa is growing and changing everyday. He weighs close to 15 pounds now. He loves being with different people, talking, smiling, and laughing. He is very curious and has learned to turn over. Now he really wants to sit, crawl and stand on his own. He is the first grandchild on both sides of the family, and he loves all the attention that comes with it. He has two great grandparents in Japan, and two great grandmas and a great grandpa in America. He is excited to spend his first Christmas and New Year in Michigan with his mom's family.

We thank you for all the support and love that you have shown us this year. We are truly blessed to have such great friends and family in our lives. We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Love,
Chad, Megumi and Noa Maris

Happy 4 Month Baby!!

Happy 4-month Birthday, Noa!!

Noa is now: 15.0 pounds, 25 3/4 inches long, with a head circumference of 43 1/2 cm!
[all the numbers are pretty much in the 50-75th percentile]

Noa at 4 months:

• Can roll over onto his belly
• Smiles and laughs at everything and everyone - lots of *giggles*
• Plays with mommy's hands
• Loves toys and stuffed animals (starting to play with them a lot more)
  
• Grabs everything around him
• Drools a ton! and goes through several burp cloths and bibs a day
  - teething maybe?
  
• Tries to eat BOTH of his hands at once
• Is still soooo wiggly
  
• Sucks on his fingers AND thumb (just started recently)
• Loves playing with daddy
• Enjoys playing airplane/being up really high
  
• Is starting to get ticklish :D
• Sleeps better through the night - like 5 hours (YaaY!)
  ♥ Is still the JOY of our lives ♥

He's finally done it...

Two days ago (a few days short of his 4-month birthday), Noa rolled over by himself! and he's been doing it ever since....he absolutely loves it too!! The only problem was every time I tried to video tape him doing it, he would either take a really long time to be able to do it or he wouldn't do it at all...most of the time Id just look away for a few seconds and when I look back, there he was on his tummy smiling and giggling.... BUT today, I was finally able to get a few good clips of him rolling over, so ENJOY!

(look at that face...you can tell that he's so proud of himself)

Needless to say, babies get really tired in this position rather quickly (using all those baby muscles and such) and Noa still doesn't seem to be able to turn himself back over onto his back...so...he puts into use his vocal cords to let me know that he's done being on his tummy....he is definitely learning how to use those babies and he knows that he will get his way no matter what

(don't worry, as soon as I turned the camera off I helped him turn back over...)

It's AMAZING to me that babies just know/learn how to do things on their own, without anyone teaching them...and they hit milestones all by themselves! I still can't believe that Noa's reached this HUGE milestone already! It's so exciting, but at the same time, it feels like the time is just flying by...I really want to enjoy every second I have with this little guy

: *2009 Christmas (family and Noa) Pictures* :

A special thanks to Ai-chan and Yoko for these wonderful photos.

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

With all the snow and cold weather outside and Christmas music on the radio - I am fully and completely in Christmas-mode! Chad, Noa, and I will be spending Christmas in Michigan with my family! I am so excited and cannot wait to see everyone, and for my younger siblings to finally meet Noa...it's going to be GREAT!
Christmas has to be one of the greatest times of the year. It's definitely my favorite holiday!.... It's not only the time we get to spend together with family, and share gifts with one another, but it is a time to remember the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. It is not a season of receiving, but of giving. Jesus Christ dedicated his whole life to helping and giving to others, so that mankind can have joy in this life. I am so grateful for everything that I have been blessed with this year, and I don't think that there is any better way of showing that gratitude other than giving to others.

Here are some ideas that i have come up with on how to give and share during this wonderful season:

• Donate to a charitable organization - examples of organizations that are dedicated to help...Toys for Tots, My two front teeth, and the Salvation Army.

But of course you don't have to have money to give:

• Invite an elderly neighbor or someone who lives alone to join your celebration
• Deliver a meal to a family in need
• Write a thoughtful note to someone special
• Bring your host a small gift to show your appreciation and offer to help clean up
• Donate clothes, food, anything you have...
• Volunteer at a soup kitchen
• Send a care package to a soldier, or missionary
  
• Visit hospital patients
• Shovel snow for a neighbor

This holiday season, share joy and love with others by giving of yourself in service to those in need. And Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas.