Happy Turkey Day!

Thanksgiving is such a wonderful holiday. A day of celebration. A day of eating and good food. A day of football??...and of course, A day of giving thanks and remembering all of the many blessings you have in your life to be thankful for.

This year we were able to spend this special day with great friends!

We got together, decorated, cooked, and brought together a fabulous Thanksgiving feast!!

Christal was the mastermind behind the table settings....I took pictures, and helped with these adorable napkin holders:

 Everything looked so put together.....

...and so much like Thanksgiving...

The food was, of course, AMAZING and DELICIOUS!!!

(I brought mashed potatoes, drinks, and veggies...)

We had turkey, rolls, mashed potatoes, creamed carrots, string beans, candied yams, stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy, egg nog, ginger ale, and ..........

Dessert!!! 

(banana cream pie, pumpkin pie/cookies/cheesecake!) YUM!

And our entertainment for the night - this little monkey...

...and his table-dance??  ;)

For being as far away from home as I have ever been for the holidays, it sure didn't feel like it!

I am grateful for wonderful friends - and our home away from home!

Happy Thanksgiving Everybody!!

Noa's Quarterly Report (videos!)

Noa is now 15-months old!!!
...I can't believe it!

How he's grown in the last 3 months:

☆he is SO TALKATIVE!! - his vocabulary has been expanding day by day - and he mumbles to himself a lot!

☆he can now say (mostly Japanese, but some English): Hi!, foot (あんよ), hand (お手て), pineapple, apple, pasta ("pa-pa"), baby, keys (かぎ), 着いた, ouch (いたい・たい),  no, bread (パン), belly button, milk (牛乳), やだ, eyes (おめめ), drink (飲む), doggy (わんわん), oatmeal, cheerio, cereal, banana, アンパンマン, cookie, what (なに？)・・・I know there's more!・・・ 

☆he loves to listen to (and try to gesture to) Itsy Bitsy Spider, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and Popcorn Popping

☆he eats 2 whole packets of oatmeal for breakfast! (one apple/cinnamon mixed with one plain)...then wants more cereal afterwards...how is he so small?!?!

☆he loves smoothies and fruit - grapes, bananas, apples, pears, watermelon, strawberries, pineapple...

☆he sleeps through the night! (Hallelujah!)

☆he has been falling asleep on his own for 2 months now! 

☆he's starting to like vegetables...(raw) cucumber, tomato, (cooked) potatoes, carrots, celery, corn, green peppers...

☆he plays well on his own...plays with other kids even better!

☆he's showing signs of understanding both Japanese and English 

☆he says "uh-vyu" when you say, "Love you!"

☆still gives the best kisses, and blow-kisses, ever!   
☆he says "uh-oh" when he drops something
☆he loves throwing things
☆his favorite snack: a tie between banana and cheerios (the plain kind)....but when he can have it, its definitely smoothies!
☆his favorite thing to play with...my cell phone or keys
☆his favorite song: Itsy Bitsy
☆his favorite toy: mega blocks




Here are some great videos of how Noa has been growing!
(sorry my phone camera video quality isnt that great...)

Noa saying "pineapple" :)

Noa got a hold of my phone...and recorded a video...

This is how Noa has fun, while daddy is studying in the library!

 

translation: "gyu-nyu" = milk and "pan" = bread... "oishii" = YUMMY!

I'll be back to post his 15-month stats after his doctor's appointment soon!

24 weeks...and counting....

...counting DOWN for a very exciting event happening in our lives very soon!


You may be asking...so, what's the event??


I will tell you....


*

*

*


the event involves


*Noa becoming a big brother...
*Me, becoming a mother of TWO...
*Our family total = 4!  (wow)
*2 sets of diapers!! (ahh...)
*us = # of kids (not outnumbered yet!)
*2 car seats...*sigh*

so on, and so forth...



but we are SUPER excited!!!


cuz look how cute :D
 
 

BOY or GIRL...any guesses??
(we will find out in just a couple of weeks!!!)

I am about 16 weeks into my pregnancy [I can't believe how long I've gone without blogging about it!] and I am feeling great! - no morning sickness like last time (yipee!!), but feeling a lot more tired and fatigued ALL the time...which could have something to do with having a very active 1-year-old...haha
I am showing a lot more than last time...[some of you may have thought I was just getting fat...totally understandable! :D]  and this pregnancy has gone a lot FASTER! I am almost half way through already! It feels like just yesterday I found out that I was having another baby.

I am NOT nervous about the pregnancy...but VERY anxious about after giving birth...Not really sure how I feel about becoming a mommy to TWO little ones yet...I feel like I have my hands full with Noa already - how am I going to juggle a toddler and a newborn?!? [help! any advice??]
We wanted our kids to be around 2 years apart so its (almost) perfect!  The due date is April 30th 2011...so Noa and the baby will be at least 20 months apart


I am very grateful for the blessing of motherhood. I am thankful that we are being entrusted with another precious child of God, and look forward to the wonderful experiences and adventures of our growing family!!!