Wow...March already???

Tomato planting March 1st

He likes to put his feet up on the table...hmmm...think we should nip this one in the bud!!

A daily occurrence - his breathing treatment for asthma

So, I have obviously NOT kept up with blogging through the holidays and now into the new year (3 months into the new year!). For the family that does follow and check here to see how we are doing, I apologize for not taking the time to do this. Right now Liam is napping and I have taken some new pictures (which I do often) and some new videos to post for you all to enjoy!

Quick update on Liam: He is now almost 1 1/2 years old! He took his first steps just around Christmas time and has been off and running since then. He loves doing whatever we are doing - digging in the dirt with Dad or putting on an oven mit to mimmick me. He LOVES books and we could read them all day long. He does not say any words yet - some may be worried, but I do think he will do it in his time. His has officially been diagnosed with asthma, apparently only triggered when he gets a cold. He spent the couple days after Christmas in the hospital in Lynchburg, VA and has not had a cold since then. He is on daily inhaled steroids to help the ever present inflammation in his airways so that when he does get a cold, I can manage the more immediate symptoms with better efficacy. So often Brian and I just stare at him and watch him move around doing cute things, discovering new things and we just laugh. We LOVE being his parents and find that this truly is such a journey we didn't know existed!

Brian and I are doing well - you may get our updates via email as well and so you probably know we are working for our ministry here in South LA and also Brian is trying to find a part time engineering position. We will hear tomorrow from one company that sounds promising. We know the Lord will continue to meet our needs, even in this difficult economy.

So enough of the writing, enjoy the pictures and video! Hope you all are doing well too. Thanks to those of you requesting a new entry - it helped me to get my bum in gear!

Finally, an update!

"So Big!!!"

Brian's trying to get him to walk! We have a little bet out - we'll let you know who wins!

He likes "riding" on the skateboard.

Our in our back driveway in the walker and with our landlady, Sara

Poor Boo Boo

So, that was the first month since Liam was born that I didn't post anything! Sorry to those of you that do check our site. It was a great October though, lots of ups, a few downs and even a couple of trips to the hospital! So, it was definitely a full month.

Well our trips to the hospital were for our little guy! He had been sick off and on (mostly on) during the whole month of September and most of October as well. The second trip to the ED landed him an admission because he needed some oxygen to support his breathing. He had a bout of bronchiolitis - a common childhood illness. Since it is a virus, not much to do but help him out with some O's and a little IV fluid. He spent 3 nights at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles - it felt like home to me. I even got to visit some friends in the PICU. I wish I had been visiting under different circumstances, but it was good nonetheless.

Also, praise God! We had a great month of fundraising. God was able to raise for us 99% of our goal for the month of October! What a blessing - we will have a full pay check in the month of November. Our overall support is still steadily increasing, but we see so clearly how God is providing for us and giving us our daily bread. It is amazing.

Liam is changing lots too - he is learning all sorts of tricks now too. He is still not walking but is cruising everywhere he can! He can clap his hands when we say "clap" ; he does "so big" with his arms in the air, he gives me "kisses" (a nice lean in to my neck)and he can point to his toes, a turtle on a pillow and my nose! It's great. It is hilarious how much little things like that are celebrated for a little guy. He is also of course testing his limits in everything, but that is expected. I think Brian and I are doing well maintaining consistency, but that too I am sure will be tested. Also, Liam is sleeping ALL of the way through the night - 11 hours! It is wonderful and as I write, I have weaning Liam down to 2 feedings per day. I have a mix of emotions as this time of our time of nursing is coming to an end.

So, here are some pictures!

videos

Here are the videos I thought I could post in the last one!

Enjoy!

An update finally

Well, we have been home now for almost 2 weeks. The above pics are from our drive home after visiting my sister in Wisconsin. We stopped in Arches NP and Zion. We wanted to see Rocky Mountain National Park but it snowed all in the park the night we got there and the park was closed. But we drove through about 4 inches of snow over the pass of the Rockies! It was beautiful. We loved our drive back out West and are glad to be in our home again and getting down to business here!

So we arrived just before Liam's 1st birthday. We celebrated with our small group. When everyone was singing "happy birthday" he got shy and I could tell by the end of the song Liam would be crying. And sure enough, it frightened him the singing. But he ate some cake and ice cream and it was nice to celebrate the passage of his first year. It was amazing to think what happened last year and how far we have come. What a blessing.

We have been getting busy now just getting into a routine and things have been going well. Support raising is going well, just taking some time. We have been learning so many things during this process from the Lord and it has been humbling, challenging, and also unifying for our family. We are excited about seeing how God works during the coming months.

Liam is doing really well these days!! He is crawling more and more and pulling up on things. He has been scooting on his belly for weeks now, but he is getting the hang of traditional crawling more and more and literally changes from day to day. His pulling up on things is getting better and better and I sure do have to watch him like crazy now! He loses his balance sometimes and takes a nice fall, but it doesn't stop him from trying again. He had his 1 year check up on Monday. He is in the 15th percentile for height and weight so he is proportionate. He is becoming more and more picky with his food and it is a battle at each meal but breakfast. Oh well, we'll keep working on it!

Well, hope you enjoy the pictures and the videos especially. On a sad note, we lost our video camera in Maryland and so are videoing on our digital camera some.

We are heading out...

Well, our time in Maryland has come to an end. I thought I'd just post a few more pictures on here of Liam with family. Also some of the pictures are of of Liam in the bay out back and also of some toes in the Atlantic ocean. He didn't like the waves coming up to him so quickly, but we did get him wet! Tomorrow we are leaving for Canada and a stop in Auburn, NY to see my great aunts. And this time next week we'll be in Ohio visiting friends and going to a Buckeye game! Looking forward to it! We may not get another chance to post but we should be home by the 15th of September, Liam's first birthday!

Support raising is going well - please pray that the Lord would continue to provide for our needs as He has so faithfully. We are ready to get home but have felt so blessed by our time with family, new friends, and in this beautiful part of the country.

Love always,
Brian, Sara and Liam

Our Vancouver and Maryland Adventure

At the point at Nana's house

Annapolis, MD by the waterfront.

On the "point" at Gigi's house. It was Liam's first time out there to the bay!

At Brian's grandmother's house just south of ocean city, maryland

Gigi (Nana) feeding her great grandson his breakfast!!!

By the waterfront

We made a little side stop to Washington, DC before an appointment. It was brief, but we drove around and went to the Mall. Neither Brian nor I had been to D.C. for many years.
With Pop Powers
Staring down Uncle Eric (Brian's brother)

VANCOUVER, CANADA July 26-31

A visit to a local park near Sooke in Canada. It was VERY chilly!!!

My brother and sister, Amy.

As the tide fluctuation was great at the place we stayed on Vancouver Island, we found all kinds of creatures - snails, hermit crabs, bigger crabs. It was fun to explore!!

Brian and Liam out in front of the house we rented on the Sooke Bay.

The Boys: Robert (my brother), Elijah, Brian and Liam and Eric (brother in law)

With Grandpa

Cousin Elijah is pointing at Liam's teeth and Liam loved laughing at Elijah because I think he thought he sounded funny talking!
Playing "Peek a boo" with Rene
Storytime with the kids






The Cousins: Liam, Elijah and Anna
On the ferry over to Vancouver Island. It was beautiful!!



Out in front of the rented house on Vancouver Island in Sooke

This was a feast!!! My brother Robert does a lot of urban farming in Vancouver where he lives. We decided to spread out everything he has harvested - including the berries and the jam he made with the berries to take a picture! We had a plenty for dinner that night and it was so tasty - from potatoes, kale, carrots, beets, lettuce, eggs, etc...it was yummy~


Picking blackberries with uncle Robert at one of Robert's urban farms he works on.



With my Dad and Maureen and Robert

Horseshoe Bay

In Robert's backyard which is all a garden! He even has a big grapevine which will be harvested for wine in September.

I can't believe it is already the end of August!! We have almost been gone from our home in LA for 2 months. We definitely feel like gypsies at times, and now that we can see the end near, we are looking forward to getting home and permanently unpacking. However, we feel incredibly blessed and fortunate to be on the east coast with family for so long. We have been in Maryland for 3 weeks now and much has been going on. We are back in Ocean City now spending time with GiGi and continuing to meet with people interested in our ministry. God is teaching us much about faith and truly hoping in Him and not in people. It is good. Brian and I have had some rich conversations recently and our faith has been deepening. We are learning lots!

So, I have MANY pictures to post here but I will give a bit of an update on Liam first! He is an absolute JOY and brings so much happiness to us as well as those around him. I know that my family deeply misses him and I know that Gigi and others who are around him all of the time are not looking forward to him leaving shortly. His smile just sparkles!! And it comes so easily it just makes me happy. He is scooting A LOT on his tummy - actually it is more like combat crawling. He is getting stronger each day and before long, he will a pro at the traditional crawl! He also loves standing and pulling up a little on things. He loves banging on everything and has found is favorite toys among them all - a metal mixing bowl and a wooden spoon. It makes the perfect "ding" and he blinks his eyes while smiling as he hits it repetitively! He is also "talking" a lot - lots of "gagas" and "dadas" and roaring like a lion and a little bit of loud screaming. I think he likes to hear himself talk! Uh oh.... He is waving lots, and even waves at the fans above in every room here. He finally is picking up his own food and loves feeding himself, though when I get him out of his seat, I see a lot in his lap. He is a big breakfast eater and loves yogurt, oatmeal and apples or bananas for breakfast. As Gigi says "He eats more for breakfast than I do!" I am just starting a third meal for the day - a lunch time snack. He hasn't been eating a ton, but I am trying hard to find good things for him to eat. I am still making his food for the most part and just yesterday tried broccoli and cheese which he enjoyed. And, the biggest change seems to be his sleeping. He has been sleeping at night lots and usually has a 7-8 hour stretch of sleeping at night. Praise God!!! This truly is an answer to prayer. I feel more rested as this is the most sleep I have consistently had for over a year! It is amazing what a parent can endure for a child. We just love him to pieces and can't get enough of him!



Hope you enjoy the pictures!