Merry Christmas 2015!

 When your amazing sister-in-law Megan says she wants to take a few pictures of Ellie, you say "definitely - yes please!"

 She gave us priceless Christmas pictures to cherish...

 And when you get back with your big girl from taking her to get shots and find the midst of the photo shoot, it works to have the big one jump right in, and because she loves her Aunt Megan so much, she gives such sweet smiles!

 Our best gift this year :)

This precious gift just keeps growing... 

 Christmas joy!

Merry Christmas from China! :)

Discovering The Christmas Story

 We started what may be a new tradition tonight. With it being winter, and with a little baby, it's harder to get outside on Sunday evenings like we used to. Add to it the fact that all of us have been sick (some still are) in the past few days, we were pretty low on energy and it was still an hour before bedtime for Hadassah. So, we decided that Sundays may be family movie night!

Of course, we want to be careful what movies Hadassah sees, and our selection is mostly what's on youtube. Flying over on the plane from America, we tried a kids movie to help pass the time, but a somewhat intense (not scary to an adult) part made Hadassah scream and we realized how things can seem so real to a toddler. So what fits the criteria of no scary parts and a good story?

Well, the best story of all is always a good place to turn! We ran into The Beginner's Bible 26-minute animated version of the nativity story, and it was really good! It kept Hadassah's attention, especially as we have been going over and over the story in various books recently, plus she has loved having me act out the story with our nativity set. With each of the characters (angel, shepherds, wise men), she kept pointing to our set and saying "Just like the story!" It's so much fun to watch her discover the joy of the Christmas story.

When we were done, she went over to the nativity set, and started acting some things out. Her favorite is the angel that flies in the sky to say "Glory to God in the highest!" - I often hear her while in another room acting that part out. :) She moved all the pieces down to the shelf and said, "Mama, the story is ready!" indicating she wanted me to act it out again. So I did. Then she found an Arch book with the Christmas story, so we read that too. I told her, "This is the best story, because it really happened! It's a REAL story!" She kept repeating that - "a REAL story!"

I realized recently, that to her, Bible stories are probably the same as any other story we read about puppies or trains or children at play. So it's time to start communicating more to her that these are special stories, because they really happened. What a privilege and joy it is to be able to communicate The Story to young ones.

God, give me the words and the clarity to show her the truth in Your Story...

Past Week Pictures

I have posts I want to write in my head, but with two children, my computer time is greatly limited. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing... I feel like I waste less time online and spend time more productively overall because I know I have less of it to myself! Though I still have moments of procrastination while scrolling through Facebook...

But pictures are quicker to post, and they say a picture's worth a thousand words, right? Most of these were posted to Facebook in the moment because that's quicker, but I've included them below for friends and family not on Facebook. :)

 Girls wearing Christmas bows for our first Sunday back to church here. Wonderful to reconnect with friends! Crazy to remember how long it takes to get to church, and the adventure of cab rides... especially when we end up with a smoke-filled one...

 I love how Hadassah wants to include Ellie in everything! And it often turns out that Ellie enjoys whatever it is, when I never would have thought to put here there (like in this play tunnel - Ellie was mesmerized by the light coming through!). She is blessed to have a big sister. :)

 Whenever Hadassah sees me in the kitchen, she says "Need to help Momma!" and tries to push a chair over to the counter. She has a hard time understanding when I don't have things she can help with - and it's hard to turn her down, even when it takes longer, when she loves it so! She especially loved helping make brownies the other day... And when she got flour on her clothes, which she'd worn since yesterday, I decided to just let her get all out dirty, then wet helping dishes, and change everything afterwards. ;)

 Hadassah in a box? "Want Ellie to get in box too!"

 I definitely have less time to just snuggle like I did with Hadassah as a baby... So I cherish the moments Ellie is awake while Hadassah naps, even though I have less time for chores and things, because this little one is growing up so fast. Already 6 weeks!

 Fun with glasses! The second born gets to wear things the first born never did at this age because she has a big sister who loves to share and wants her to do whatever she's doing. Makes thins pretty cute though!

Saturday Morning Moments

Saturday mornings are the best. Though sleeping in is a thing of the past (though sometimes one or the other of us gets a few extra minutes while the other takes child duty!) it's a time for taking things slower, staying in pajamas longer, playing with the girls more instead of chores and rushing out the door, and loving that my husband is home!

Here are a few glimpses into our morning... We're finally feeling fairly normal. Both girls only woke once last night, and each went back to bed fairly easily. The big girl got stories from Daddy (he makes up the most creative ones about her animal friends!) and the little girl got mommy milk and then projectile pooped all over me when I was changing her diaper... Just keeping it real! :)

 We got our Christmas tree up two days ago, and it makes the apartment so happy and bright. I'm so glad we got a used tree this year!

I often read stories to Hadassah while I nurse, since I'm sitting down anyway. And if there's time, it works perfectly to lay Ellie against the side cushion when she's done, and read at least one more story to give Hadassah some lap time. I love snuggling with my girls!

Then, with Daddy home, it's a bit easier to do bath time, though I can do it myself if needed. But having extra hands to run water or hand things or take one of the girls when done is helpful. With Hadassah I always used a baby bathtub, so borrowed one from friends this time around. But I found when I'm running the water and making the bathroom warm for one girl, it saves time to give them both baths at once! Hadassah enjoys the company and shows Ellie toys, and gets extra play time while I wash and dress Ellie. The Ellie got some daddy time while I washed Hadassah.

Tip: using a hand towel makes washing an infant in the big bathtub so much easier! Underneath it keeps her from slipping so you just have to support her head, and on top it keeps her warm. Perfect all the way around!

 Friends sent us matching bath towels, monogrammed with each of the girls names. I love that they're large towels too, so they can really wrap them up warm!

 Nothing gets much better than a baby under the Christmas tree. We are so blessed to have a wee one again at Christmas time!

I got this one all dressed up for a Daddy-daughter date. Can someone tell me how she grew up so fast? I braided her hair back (I love dress up my girl, and she's enjoying the special things more too!) and he took her off to Zoo Coffee shop. She was thrilled and couldn't wait to go from the time he told her about it.

And me? I got to finish up two Christmas gifts and catch up on some things online. As well as enjoy some one-on-one time with Ellie, in the brief time she's up and awake! It's funny, though, how when I just had one child it seemed like they took so much focus and time. Now, just having one or the other up and awake seems so easy! ;) I am thankful God grows us day by day, and that He grows us as mothers too. "Strengthening mothering muscles" I've heard it put. He is such a good and loving Father.

Now, what are you all up to this Christmas season? People often thank me for blogging and keeping in touch that way, and I love sharing what is going on in our little nook of the world. But, a blog is often so one-sided, and I miss the back-and-forth connection with friends. So, in a comment here, on Facebook, or an email, do make sure you all let me know what is going on in your life too! It helps us seem not so far away when we hear from friends.

Thankful

After an exhausting first night of jet lag (in bed at 11 PM after an exhausting 24 hours+ of travel, then up at 3:30 AM pretty much for the day with the toddler...) it was encouraging to see the sunrise outside.

We're home. 

The travel was pretty crazy at first but good overall... We made the mistake of getting to the Atlanta airport later than we should have. It took longer to untie suitcases from the roof of the car, and I didn't think to start the check-in process until all the suitcases were inside. Then the toddler had to go potty, then we were told by the lady at the desk that we had to use the kiosk even though we were pretty sure we had to do something special for our infant in lap. Couldn't check in at the kiosk for my (Anna's) ticket, so had to wait in line at the special assistance, and by that time it was almost an hour before our flight. They rushed to get my boarding pass printed so we could check our luggage in the nick of time, but then it took around half an hour to get the infant in lap processed. The guy helping was so patient as the person he was calling took a while to check for the taxes and fees and wondered why we weren't doing a round trip ticket for the infant... Ryan took off with Hadassah in the stroller and 4 bags to go through security while I waited and waited, jittery as I watched the clock... Ryan made it through as Hadassah seemed to know something was urgent and behaved really well, and I joined them at the gate just minutes before the doors were to close. Talk about stressful!

But the flights went well. Ellie seems to sleep really well in the ERGO or held by me, so she hardly made a peep. Hadassah enjoyed new stories (horray for thrift store book purchases) and planned activities. The crazy start that made it seem like the worst trip ever turned into the best trip ever when at the gate in Los Angelos we were called up to be told that they were giving us an extra seat for our baby (since there was one available) AND they had an infant bassinet available! It freed our arms and prevented aching backs as Eliana slept quite well with all the sound and movement from the plane, and Hadassah even slept in her seat cocooned by pillows. Her nap and night time were shorter than usual, but I was amazed at how well she slept, especially as almost every 1 1/2 hours during the night she would stir and slip down, almost off the chair, then we'd grab her and re-situate her and she'd keep sleeping!

But seriously, having a bassinet and extra seat was SO nice. Made diaper changes so much easier to have the bassinet, as well as meals, to have an extra seat to put things on. Flying with Delta has always been pretty comfortable, but this was top notch!

We didn't sleep much between monitoring children, but the flight was a lot easier on us because the girls did. What a blessing!

And a good indication that we're parents of two now? We only snapped a picture at the airport in Shanghai after arrival. ;) Our arms and brains were full enough without tracking down the camera! We were thankful that our many suitcases made it, minus one red one that got lost in the shuffle. They told us it arrived and even delivered a red suitcase last night, but it turned out to be someone else's, not ours! So hoping it gets found, as this was the one full of gifts for friends here...

Hadassah was pretty happy to be back in China and off the plane, and faithful "travel puppy" was with her all the way! But seriously, God has blessed us with an amazing traveler in our first born. She did so well the whole time, though she was definitely ready to be done with sitting as we waited for suitcases.We traded off who took her on hand-held runs here and there as we could!

The first days home with two have been fun and hard at the same time. It is good to be in our own home. Hadassah has enjoyed re-discovering all her old toys and books here, and is getting more interactive with Ellie, now that Ellie is down and around more. Before in all her wake time she was usually being held by a loving relative! But now she gets plenty of tummy time (which Hadassah sometimes does with her, or sets up things for her to look at like the book above) and Hadassah loves pushing her in the swing or spinning her toys on the bouncy chair. She's also an expert at undoing the tabs for diaper changes. I try to encourage every helping aspect I can, and love seeing her love her little sister. "I need to hold her!" is a common refrain around her, as well as "I need to help Mommy!" It's wonderful to have Hadassah enjoy doing chores, so I can get dishes done or simple food prepped as well as spend time with my girl (and thrill her in the process), since there is more time with my arms full of Ellie these days. Learning to look for things I can do with one arm, like coloring or blowing bubbles, while nursing or holding with the other!

Jet lag hasn't been as horrible as expected, though. Visions of the girls taking turns waking up ALL night have thankfully not proven true. They do seem to take turns who is up more for the night, though. ;) Night #1 was way too short, with Hadassah up very early after a late bedtime. Her sleeping on the plane while we didn't probably contributed. ;) Night #2 though she was only up for an hour around Midnight, and the other time she woke Ryan got her to go back to bed after a few stories, while Ellie slept 4 hours stretches! Night #3 had Hadassah sleeping the whole time (we heard her stir twice, but she didn't make noise to get up!) while Ellie decided to be up on and off pretty much from Midnight. And last night, #4? Hadassah woke at 3:30 AM, and even though we put her back to bed pretty quickly, made noise (singing, talking, etc.) on and off until 6 AM. But Ellie amazed us, sleeping 8 hours before I woke her to nurse and then going back to sleep for another 3! It had been an exhausting day, though, of her nursing every two hours and only napping 45 minutes at a time, so maybe she was making up for it!

And, biggest praise? Our apartment is WARM!! Many people asked if this one would be warmer, and we just weren't sure. But if it's any indication, with the heaters on I've had to take off my bathrobe and slippers because I was too hot! Whether it's the fewer windows than the last place, the fact that they seem better sealed, or the powerful, pretty new a/c unit in the living room, we are so so grateful. I was not looking forward to having to always bundle my babies inside, or have freezing hands for diaper changes... While the outside isn't too cold (around 50 degrees for the high) our apartment seems like it will keep us warm regardless, and for that we are so so grateful. God is so good to us!

Saying Goodbye...

It's that time again. Time to say goodbye. We won't likely be in America for another year...

Six big suitcases are lined up, a constant reminder that our time here is up. I hope I've remembered all we need, especially as I've guessed on clothes and shoe sizes for the girls for the next year (and Ellie is in bigger sizes than Hadassah was at this age!). I don't think I've ever been packed this early, but I worked hard during nap times to pack early enough that I'm not up until Midnight the night before we leave, as I usually am! We need to get what sleep we can. Especially as Ellie just started waking up once at night (with sometimes an hour before I'd like to wake up early morning feeding!) and we're about to switch TWO children with a 14 hour time zone change. I just don't even want to think about jet lag with two, especially after 18 hours of flying (and thus holding my baby most the time).

But we're leaving. I looked through pictures of our apartment with Hadassah this morning, to get in her mind where we're going. We're going back home. It's hard when home is so far from family, but it truly is home, where we have our things and rhythms and regular routines. It was fun to see the pictures, to remember all the work we put into it this summer, and know were are going to get to enjoy it now. 

And we're going back to friends. I've been in contact with the two other American ladies in our complex, and they're being so so helpful. They are going to host us for meals the first week, and even bring up meals two times a week for the next few weeks. One is giving us a Christmas gift of their ayi to come and help with dishes/laundry for an hour a day the first week. Another is letting me order groceries to be delivered to her house that she'll put in our fridge (and turn our heat on that day!) so we have food for breakfast right away. While the transition back with two young ones is going to be crazy no two ways about it, they are making it easier. And it just helps so much to know we have good friends - them and others - that we are returning to.

 We've said so many goodbyes, though. Ryan's parents came up for the weekend after Thanksgiving, enjoying time with the girls. Hadassah gave them sweet hugs and kisses as they left, but has asked for them several times since. I tell her they had to go back to their house, and that we'll skype them. But how do I tell her that she might not see them again in person until she is three years old? How can a two year old comprehend that? Maybe it's better that she doesn't know how long that is...

We've said goodbye to my family in stages, some last Friday, than Saturday, then Sunday, the final brother and sis-in-law tonight, my parents tomorrow... It was a wonderful Thanksgiving week with us all together, the memories and conversations we'll cherish. And even though we didn't see some of them but once a year before, somehow living overseas makes it seem so much longer. But we have been so blessed with the time we've had together.

Hadassah thoroughly loves her aunts and uncles, asking for various ones since they've gone, and mentioning things they've done with her. I grieve for her the time she won't have with them this next year. But I know that God provides, and gives above and beyond, and that we are so blessed with the close friends we do have during the year. How the Chinese have everyone be called "aunt" and "uncle" somehow helps feel like we have family there. But still... as much as I'll miss my family, I almost miss them more for how much love I've seen my girls enjoy from them.

Even crazier is thinking of Ellie not seeing any of them in person again until she's one. She won't remember being with them before then. And she'll have changed so much by the next time, from a sleepy newborn to a walking toddler! But, we have many pictures. Pictures that show how much she's loved. Hadassah enjoyed looking at pictures of her as a baby with grandparents, so I know she will pick up on the love displayed there. But still, there is much we miss by living overseas.

But, there's a lot that we gain. God is so good to give us these opportunities, and we pray that we glorify Him in them. I'm not sure what the next year will hold, but I know that He is with us, and holding us.

I am not looking forward to the plane flight or the first week back with jet lag. I don't feel I have the energy reserves I did coming here, as interrupted nights with a newborn and staying up late to make sure you have everything packed means not a ton of sleep. So prayers are appreciated!

Also, pray we get Ellie's passport and visa. It was overnighted to us yesterday, but this evening said it was returned to the local distribution center for "incorrect address." We're pretty certain we had the right address on it, but when you live at the end of a dirt road, this sometimes happens. Ryan is going to try to pick it up first thing tomorrow, so pray he is able to. We're supposed to drive to Atlanta at noon tomorrow, and fly out early Sunday morning. This adds a bit of drama... but thankfully we know that God is in control.

Trusting Him.

From college roommates to fellow mommies

One upon a time, just 7 years ago, we were college roommates... We had a lot in common: love for the Lord, quieter personalities, and enjoyment of the arts, as she studied visual art and I studied theatre and dance. And we were united on what we ultimately wanted to do: we wanted to be wives and mommies.

Those last 7 years passed quickly, as we got married in the same month and had our first baby girls in the same year. I am so grateful for a friendship that has survived the years and the many miles.

Now we're fellow mommies, with sweet 2 year old girls, me with a newborn girl and she with baby girl #2 due in January!

The week before Thanksgiving, Mary Khris drove half the day to spend two days at our house. We hadn't seen each other since our girls were under a year old, and it was so much fun to catch up on life as we fit in talking around watching the young ones enjoy each other.

The girls loved reading stories... I finally had to call it quits after 12 books or so, since I had a sore throat and my voice was going to give out!

They're both great helpers - when Lydia saw Hadassah helping with dishes, she had to help too! :)

Ellie was a trooper, being carted here and there and napping wherever she could as we played with the older girls!

The first day was very rainy, so in an effort to get some energy out, we turned on kids praise music for the girls to dance. And they LOVED it!

Lydia brought some dress up clothes to share! They make pretty cute princesses :)

Lydia is going to be such a good big sister! Almost every time I had Eliana, she'd say "I want to hold that baby!"

After rain the first day, the next two were perfect. The girls had fun swinging...

Jumping...

And of course falling down over and over on the trampoline!

A beautiful day to be outside together!

We taught them "Ring Around the Rosy" and they did it over and over and over...

On our walk I discovered a use for the long ERGO adjustment straps... Incentive to keep the girls walking!

And the goodbye hugs were the cutest ever... I think these girls are going to be good friends, just like their mommies. :)