Kelly Times Two

Oh my goodness. He just melted my heart. Every time before I put Isaac down for a nap, I sing "I Am a Child of God" and then put him in the crib. Today I asked if he wanted to sing with me and he said, "sing!" So I took the binky out of his mouth as we stood next to his crib, and he practically sang the entire song with me! I had a hard time singing and not crying because it was so incredibly sweet! He has been listening and learning. Sometimes he applauds at the end of the song. He is such a joy to have in my life.  This was taken outside a Subway sandwich shop near Kelly's work, where we often meet him during lunch on Mondays since Kelly goes directly to Chinese class each Monday after work. Isaac is usually in bed by the time Kelly gets home, so this gives them a chance to see each other a bit during the day. He still goes down so well for his nap without crying and sleeps for about two hours every afternoon. He's such a good baby.  A few days ago, I was ...

Isaac has been adding many new words to his charming little 21-month-old vocabulary and seems to be delighted that he has figured out ways to verbally express his wishes to us.  He loves being able to tell us what he wants, then get the reaction that he expects, simply by saying a word or a combination of words that he has learned.  For several months he has been able to understand much of what is going on, and we are all so excited when we hear something new that he clearly utters.  For quite some time, Isaac has known to say "amen" at the end of a prayer, since he hears us praying often as a family at the table before we eat, or when we have family prayer.  Sometimes he will squeeze his eyes together to pretend they are closed and bow his head.  Tonight as Hannah was ready to go to bed, we gathered together for prayer and somewhat jokingly, Kelly called on Isaac to say the prayer. Without thinking of it, I called him over to stand by me to help hi...

Our family went on a five day vacation to Washington, D.C., last week to support our high school freshman son, Christopher, as he had the honor of participating in the well-known National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade with his school's marching band.  We took the baby and Hannah with us on Thursday from Austin, and flew non-stop to DCA, rented a car, then drove to visit friends in Lovettsville, Virginia, then later on to another set of friends in Manassas, Virginia, followed by our hotel stay near the heart of all the tourist spots in our nation's capital.  We were just a few minutes away from Reagan International Airport at the Radisson Hotel. Isaac has turned into an excellent sleeper during the past several months, thanks to following suggestions from several friends and family on how to better sleep train him.  He has a few beloved items that help with the process, and we took those essentials with us on the trip to ensure maximum sleep time for the wee one durin...

One year ago today, this little angel came into our world, sent directly from heaven, without a doubt.  Isaac is our fourth child, but the first that I gave birth to.  He was the result of a successful fertility treatment called In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) , our first and only attempt.  The fact that I was 48 years old when I got pregnant, is a miracle in and of itself.  I had long since given up the idea of ever being able to experience pregnancy and childbirth after having been diagnosed with unexplained infertility, until a rare contact from a dear friend had renewed my desire.  This is the story of how Isaac came to be, and the loving environment that welcomed him.  Take note of the numerous small miracles along the way, leading up to our pursuing this dream. There was a three-week window of opportunity when our family had come to our Austin home for the holidays, while we were living in Taiwan for one year.  My long, lost friend sent us a bea...

It took nine months for this little guy to grow inside my tummy, and today he is nine months old!  Happy nine months, my sweet Isaac.  (I actually wrote this on December 19, when he was 9 months old, but didn't publish it until today.) Please bear with me as I write a note for my son to read some day when he's old enough to know what I'm saying. These pictures were taken at the doctor office for his well baby check up. Every day is brighter because you are in it.  Daddy and I simply adore you, and so do your sisters and brother.  Actually, everyone who is around you is captured by your cute-as-can-be smile and endearing disposition.  You are starting to crawl really well, and you're working on standing up by pulling yourself up to the edge of something or someone.  You love moving your hands around, both of them are always twisting in little circles, and you often clap, clap, clap them together.  In addition to nursing three or four times a day, you...