A few pictures from the first week

Delighted with a puffy quilt for playing on!

We were given a small shower for Jasmin today. This beautiful quilt was an instant hit with both girls.

Moments before the first guests arrived, I discovered Grace like this... She had found a half empty flower pot on the front deck...


Beautiful dreamers...


Grace likes to play with these math blocks. She even sounds likes she's counting them - in Khmer even though she hears 1-2-3 in English more often.

The young Skyper after talking with NiNi

Adjusting "Home"
checking out baby sister

Trying out Jasmin's carseat...

We bought Grace a coming home toy. She likes it a lot, not according to her expression here!

Girls in pink - matching dresses; thankyou Imma!

Jasmin Joy

Surprize everyone! Jasmin Joy decided to end the due date debate by arriving on Thursday, June 21 at 5:34 am -- which is about a week earlier than the earliest given due date! Weighing in at 3.32 kg, she has defied all concerns about her being too small as well. Because of these things -- and more! -- we are so very full of thanksgiving to our God!

Here's a short list of praises from our experience; join us in thanking God for:

*the many prayers for a healthy, safe arrival of Hu2 being wonderfully answered.
*night labor and early morning delivery so the roads were clear and the hospital able to care for us immediately.
*a willing near-acquaintance (we hadn't actually met her yet!) who took our wake up call (on the first ring at 4:30 am!), arranged for her son to care for Grace, drove with us to the hospital, and coached me through the birth.
*a natural birth with much of the labor at home
*great care from the hospital despite our complete lack of Thai language
*Grace handled her short stay with strangers well and enjoyed the extra attention from daddy.
*Both Grace and Michael were able to stay overnight with Jasmin and me.
*Substitute family here in Chiang Mai who have lent us things, arranged for meals for us this first week, provided needed information, etc.

I could go on a lot longer, but instead here is some more story...

It was such a surprize, that I didn't even recognize the contractions as real until it was almost too late: Jasmin arrived a mere 10-15 min after we arrived at the hospital :O I wasn't looking, but I can imagine Michael's expressed stress at driving a laboring Liz to the hospital. We are very thankful to Lori who drove in with us, keeping us both sane and safe; she is a midwife, so it wasn't anything new for her, I guess.


Grace rather enjoyed our hospital stay as we had a big room for her to explore and plenty of nurses to charm :o) She wasn't too interested in Jasmin at first, only curious about the new crying sound. But then last night she decided to let loose all her feelings about so much change... by wanting mommy all to herself - especially if she heard Jasmin cry - and voicing her wants loudly and angrily! Thankfully today she is much calmer... perhaps half because we were able to come home this morning.

Here's some comparison pictures...

Car seat ready to go home:
Jasmin

Sweet bundles:

Grace...
Jasmin...Proud Parents:
of Grace...
of Jasmin...

Not that you can tell, but Jasmin's eyes are much bluer than Grace's.

Overdue Update

Last week we were at our Group conference. it was a relaxing week, believe it or not. Grace learned about staying in nursery with the other under twos. It took her most of the week to nt cry when we left her, but she did well. We enjoyed starting each day with worship and a devotional, the free use of a pool, lots of fellowship, and good food. It was a refreshing and recuperating week except for the cold Michael caught and then passed on to Grace and me.

Grace learned a new word: "bye bye" ! She says it to everyone all the time - I guess goodbyes are something she knows a lot about right now. Of course, she gets lots of attention and encouragement for saying it too :o)

Here are a few pics, more to come soon hopefully. Showing a few of Grace's latest accomplishments and favorite toys:Coloring!

Learning to get dressed?

diapers! They make great hats - even if she refuses to leave a real hat on...Money and mommy's purse

Now we are settling into the huge house God has given us to stay until we go back to Cambodia at the end of July. It is nice to be on our own again except that now I have to cook again ;o)

Baby news

I am more than ready to have this baby! It is getting difficult to have Grace on my lap, etc. an she is not too happy with that. My earliest due date (I have several depending on which ultrasound you look at) is June 26 - just over a week now. This is likely to be the most accurate because our doctor is thinking of inducing because it appears that Hu2 has stopped growing and the fluid levels in the womb are low.

Thailand Again!

I don't have any pictures yet, but here is some news....

Our last week in Cambodia getting ready to come was hectic in many different ways apart from the usual planning, preparations, finishing work, etc. So getting on the airplane was a big relief. Unfortunately, our usual "luck" with air travel engaged and our second plane was delayed for nearly 3 hours, so the "quick, easy trip" took us all day instead of a few hours! Still, we managed to get here and, although Grace only fell asleep on the plane a short while before landing, she traveled very well. Michael was a great pack horse so I didn't have to carry anything heavier than a water bottle :o)

Our first few days here have been wonderful for unwinding and recuperating! We are staying with some friends who are looking after us wonderfully. They have 4 year old twin girls, so Grace is quite delighted to be here also! We have been fed and watered, allowed to rest and sleep as much as we need, and given advice and help in discovering a place to stay after conference (June 8-15) until we can return to Cambodia (hopefully at the end of July).

If all works out well, we will be subletting a most fantastic house from a missionary family on furlough this summer. It is like a resort house to us: huge, open rooms; 4 bedrooms(! so if you want to visit us now is a good time...); wood paneling (so nice after Phnom Penh's eternal concrete and tile!); a shaded yard; not far from a swimming pool; in a lovely green neighborhood. God is good to us indeed!