February Snapshots

Gabby can finally look like a girl! (Or at least a female cartoon character with horns.)

That is until she wakes up the next morning, when she looks more like Chris Farley...

She has taken a liking to making her own fish soup.

Just a little more milk should do it....

She had a lot of fun jumping around at an indoor inflatable playground this week.

She is also getting ready to be a big sister.

I set this box down after a Costco stop and she couldn't get enough of climbing up onto it. She was even more proud when she successfully climbed up with both of her babies on her own. Seriously - she sets up better photo ops than I can.

And of course, it is about time that I post a video of Gabby's Penguin Dance.

A couple of months ago, Gabby learned that penguins waddle, so whenever we ask her what a penguin does, or if she sees a photo of one, etc. she begins this little dance:

Baby Boyer Take 2

That's right! My body is currently working hard to produce another pair of Boyer cheeks! We have experienced so much joy with Gabby that we are very excited to soon welcome another baby into our home. My due date is July 28th, so I am a little over 3 months along. Let the countdown begin!

Boyertown and Beyond

Over the New Year, we took a trip to Philadelphia to visit Jason's family. The locals were so excited to have us all there that they named a town after us (see above). Okay, okay... Jason's brother and his family actually live about 30 minutes from Boyertown, where the Boyer ancestors settled in the 1800s. I have to admit it was a pretty cool town though.

The flight there was about as good as a flight with a 14-month-old can get. Although the flight was full, there happened to be an empty window spot next to us, so Gabby got a little space to move around and to lounge:

Gabby met her cousins for the first time. She LOVED them. And luckily they got a kick out of her, too. They made each other giggle constantly and Gabby was giving out kisses and hugs left and right. She also finally learned to do stairs, after taking many a fearless cliff dive off the entryway steps.

The family recently discovered more of the Boyer lineage, so we visited some very old churches and graveyards, where we located many Boyer headstones. It was so freezing, I was almost buried there myself.

Our oldest niece, Katelyn, was baptized while we were there. It was wonderful to be part of that special occasion.

Eventually, we made it home. And I do mean eventually. When we made it to the airport, we discovered that our flight was delayed 3 hours, then 4, then 5.... The plane had some mechanical problems and they could not use it at all, so they finally decided to wait for another plane to come from Amsterdam that we could use. Of course, it was already impossible to catch our connecting flight in Phoenix. The airline at least was willing to offer food vouchers and a hotel. However, when Jason made it though the long line to speak with them about our arrangements, he discovered that the earliest they would be able to get us out of Phoenix was two days later! Um, no. It was time to use the Gabby card. After they realized what we were dealing with, somehow they magically got us onto a direct flight to Seattle that night. Hallelujah!

But we still had to survive that 6 hour flight with Grumpy Gabbers. Remember the photo at the beginning of this post, where Gabby was chillin' in her seat on the airplane? Picture the complete opposite for our return trip. After 7 hours in the airport, and departing at what should have been her bed time, she was not a model child. I am going to leave out the details of that horrible flight, in hopes that I might eventually forget the torture. However, I do want to remember this: long international flights with a 1-year-old are now out of the question.

Devastating Earthquake in Haiti

Photo courtesy of www.metro.co.uk

I usually limit this blog to updates on our family, but the 7.0 earthquake that took place in Haiti yesterday evening has constantly been on my mind today. I was in Haiti two years ago with the non-profit organization that I worked with at the time (Catholic Medical Mission Board). I have lived in impoverished countries in Africa and never had I seen poverty the way it was in Haiti. (To read an article I wrote about my visit, click here and see pages 4-5.) The Haitian population was in need of help BEFORE the earthquake. Now their suffering is unimaginable.

I cannot even put my thoughts into words. They were not able to meet the medical needs of their people before the earthquake - now with their few hospitals collapsed, no supplies, and their few doctors among those killed or missing, how can they meet the needs of the tens of thousands who need care? Paved roads there were almost non-existent, dirt roads covered in giant pot-holes were the norm - with the additional rubble on the limited roads, how will emergency supplies get to the people? Especially when there is no gasoline. Food, water, shelter... the people have needs that will go unmet for a long time. And Port-au-Prince is known for its violence - how can people feel safe when they have to sleep in the streets?

The good news is that neighbors are helping neighbors locally and furthermore, there are people reaching out to provide relief from around the world. Those who may not have ever given a thought to Haiti in the past are giving selflessly. Trials like these do bring out the good in people. They also help us realize all of the many blessings in our lives that we take for granted.

Below is a slideshow of some of the photos I took while I was in Haiti visiting hospitals, clinics, orphanages and schools run by local church organizations supported by CMMB. (The link to the article above explains the stories behind many of the photos.) The hotel I stayed in (Hotel Montana) is apparently flattened and many UN officers who were staying there are still unaccounted for. My prayers go out to my friends and colleagues there and all of those suffering in Haiti right now. If you are able to send help, please do. These are the types of situations that my training is for, yet in my current position I feel like I can do nothing but donate and spread the word to encourage other people to help.

Christmas Activities

This Christmas was full of many firsts for Gabby. Below are some samples:

Gabby finally learns to keep a winter hat on (so much so that she likes to wear one around the house).

OrthoWashington's Christmas Party: Dinner in the Space Needle.

Gabby develops a fear of Santa at our church Christmas Party.

(What would Christmas be without a few tears shed over a strange looking man with a beard?)

Gabby becomes a pro at baking Christmas cookies (and stealing dough).

We enjoy an evening with friends walking around the Bellevue Botanical Garden's light display.

We rise early Christmas morning to celebrate Christmas at our apartment, with Mémé (Jen's mom).

Gabby decides that Christmas is a good thing (despite Santa).

Gabby learns to color at her new table.

Our happy family has a wonderful Christmas Day.

We are always thankful for the chance to celebrate Christ's birth each December. We are also grateful for the thoughtful cards and goodies that we received from friends and we wish you all joy and happiness for the year to come!

The Tranquilizing Effects of Peanut Butter

I wish that I had captured the beginning of this process on video. Gabby was happily eating her bread with peanut butter when her arm began to get extremely heavy as it raised itself to her mouth. She managed to get the bite half way in before her energy expired for the afternoon. Into a deep sleep she fell. As much as I tried to talk to her, she would just give a courtesy peek and then decide I was not worth waking up for (nor was the bite hanging out of her mouth).

Elvis Lives!

I am a little embarrassed to admit this, but around Gabby's first birthday, she spoke her first non-repetitive two-syllable word: Elvis. Now, anyone who knows Jason, knows that that moment competes with the actual birth of his firstborn child as his proudest moment as a father. The saddest part is that he wasn't the one who taught her, it was me. We have three magnets on our refrigerator - two of Gabby and one random Elvis magnet that Jason picked up in Graceland (yes, that is how big of a fan he is). Gabby loves to say the word "bébé"/"baby" so naturally she was drawn to her own photos. She kept pointing to hers and saying "bébé, bébé". Then she began including Elvis as a "bébé" so I had to correct her and tell her who that really was. I didn't think it out all the way. Below is the result:

November Catch-Up

I am not quite sure what happened to the last few weeks. I miss those days as a child when December actually seemed like the longest month ever. Now we somehow skip from November 30th straight to December 24th. Forgive me for throwing all of these pics out here at once, but I believe the missed highlights of November are in order:

Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo with Van & Ashley (and some very laid-back animals)

Mid-November, Jason had a conference in San Diego, so we decided to make a family trip out of it.

San Diego Zoo

Gabby finds a miniature horse just her size.

She considers joining in on meal time.

The elephants are her favorite, since she can imitate their sound.

We made it out of there just before the sun went down.

We drove up to LA from San Diego, where we caught up with old friends and celebrated Jason's birthday. (Or should I say Vladamir? - That is who the restaurant sang to that night.)

Gabby reunited with her former best friend, Izzie.

A day trip to the Seattle Aquarium, with Gabby's friends Josh & Van.

Despite our most valiant efforts, the kids were not so into posing together in front of the huge fish tank.

Gabby & Van are becoming best friends while their moms get a chance to work out in the mornings.

Okay, now it's time to start work on December....

No Barriers

A few days ago, Gabby discovered a new game: closing doors. First, she tried our bedroom closet. Too dark. Cries sounded from within. Second, she tried the bathroom. Too cold. Cries sounded from within. Third, she tried the laundry room, while Mommy was there to keep her company. Just right. She was up for the challenge. She reached for the door handle while on the tips of her toes and used the very tips of her fingers until she could pull the handle down better and get a grip. The rest was easy. Gabby now opens doors.

Photo Madness Part 2

Our family photo retakes were today and unlike previously, everything went smoothly leading up to the photo shoot. The problem is, it turns out that Gabby does not like to pose with her parents. I do not know what she has against us. After the first picture, she was finished and she let us know. She began screaming and refused to even let us hold her. This is generally not a good thing for family pictures. The photographer brought in someone to try to get Gabby to smile and they put in an amazing effort, just not a very successful one. By some miracle, we managed to squeak a few shots out. They may not be magazine worthy, but we are not about to go through that again, no matter how free.

Of course, after we gave up and let her roam free, she was as happy as could be. How in the world will we manage when we have more than one child??

Photo Madness Part 1

With Gabby's first birthday behind us, we decided that it was time to get our first family photos taken (and when I say "we decided", I mean "I decided"). All was prepared - Gabby's cute outfit, a 10AM appointment so Gabby would be in a good mood, and of course, flawless visions of poses I would request, props included. Here is how things really happened:

• Friday, 11:00 PM: I choose outfits for Jason and I that work well together with Gabby's dress while he falls asleep, confused at why the colors and mood of our sweaters are so important to me. After much pondering, different but warm complimenting colors are selected and I go to sleep in peace.
• Saturday, 7:00 AM: Wake up on time. I get in the shower. Jason goes for a run.
• 7:10 AM: I get out of the shower to Gabby crying. Nervous for her big day, she woke up an hour earlier than she has in the last several months.
• 9:15 AM: Having recovered from Gabby's early rising, we are set to leave as scheduled in 5 minutes. Hooray!
• 9:16 AM: Jason starts to get dressed and informs me that his outfit will not work. (The dress shirt + sweater combo will not fit at the same time.) Since he only owns one sweater (he is a warm-blooded kind of guy), our outfit plans go out the window.
• 9:17 AM: I freak out trying to quickly come up with a new plan with limited resources.
• 9:40 AM: We leave 20 minutes late (each in uncoordinated outfits) and forgo the cupcake pickup. (One of my random plans was to get pictures of Gabby with a birthday cupcake.)
• 10:05 AM: Arrive at our appointment.
• 10:07 AM: They call us back. As Gabby is walking to the studio, she trips and bumps her head pretty hard on the metal part of a stool. The fall doesn't phase her, but leaves a nice red mark on her forehead. Fabulous.
• 10:08 AM: Gabby suddenly turns hyper as we enter the studio and will not stay in one place for any of her solo photos. My plans for poses and personal props are forgotten.
• 10:14 AM: The photographer takes only a few family shots before Gabby has had enough and exhibits uncharacteristic fussiness. And the shoot is over.

All in all, Gabby had some cute solo pictures, but we don't especially like any of our family shots, at least not enough to hang up as an 8x10 in our living room. So we get to go back and try again on the family shots (thanks to Picture People's 100% satisfaction garantee). Jason is ecstatic. He loves posing for photos.

Not that you wanted to know all of this information about how weird I am about pictures, but I have never been good at omitting details. Alas, here are some samples....

Removing the bow that did not make many photo appearances,

due to her need to hand us what was on her head.