Keeping Up With The Christians

We're Moving!!!

2010-10-08T22:00:00.000-07:00

Well, maybe not physically moving, but our blog has relocated! It just wouldn't be fair to the new baby to have the blog url entitled priyagrace.blogspot.com... So hop on over to http://keepingupwiththechristians.blogspot.com for any future updates.

Baking and Swaddling

2010-10-08T16:56:00.000-07:00

Priya and I have been having a lot of fun together these past few days. She got a cookie baking set for her birthday (cutting board, rolling pin, cookie cutters) so we decided to try it out. She loved every minute of it - from mixing ingredients, rolling out the dough, cutting out the cookies and decorating them. She was even a big help when it came to cleaning up! She helped me sweep and mop the floor and wipe the table clean. She's getting to be such a big girl!

After showing me what a big girl she is, we regressed a bit and pretended that she and her "Drewey's" were babies. We've been talking a lot about the baby - who will be here in less than 6 weeks now!!!! So I pulled out some of her old swaddling blankets and demonstrated how we'll take care of the baby, swaddle him, and put him to bed. She was utterly thrilled with it and wanted to get in on the action after her babies had been swaddled.

In the pic below she was pretending to be asleep... :)

In the video below she's starting to sing part of "A Whole New World" from Aladdin. You can sort of make out the words "I can show you the world...shining...". She's been singing up a storm these days and often makes up her own words to the tune of familiar songs. I wish I had captured more of this song. But maybe another time...

By the way, these pics/videos are all taken in what will very soon be the baby's room. Priya hasn't made the transition into her twin size bed in her real room and feels more comfortable here for now. We plan to make the transition within the next couple of weeks.

My dad has been a HUGE help since we've moved into our new place! I love painting but unfortunately haven't been able to, so he painted the master bedroom/bathroom, baby's room, Priya's room and our "dining room". Pretty impressive, eh? Dad, you are amazing! Thank you SO much!

Then it was time for the Drewey's to go to bed, turn on the "night-night machine" (white noise to block out the noise of the dorm), turn off the light...and finally put up the gate so that the Drewey's couldn't get out of their room. ;)

Ami Got Her Visa!!!

2010-09-29T12:00:00.000-07:00

Ami's visa was approved!!! She is waiting to get her passport back (which should be any day) and then she'll be on a plane the next day! :) We're so excited that she'll be here in Redding so soon! Thanks for your prayers!

Gymnastics Playdate

2010-09-25T19:06:00.000-07:00

Priya has been begging me for a very long time to take her back to gymnastics for open gym. I was feeling well enough to take her so we joined a former Simpson student (who was in my dorm my 1st year as an RD - we recently ran into each other in the Target parking lot and have enjoyed reconnecting) and her 2 year old daughter for a play date.

On the way to gymnastics, Priya was being goofy, making her own "sunglasses".Every time we go it seems that Priya braves something new. This time is was the rope swing. She loved it and kept trying it again and again despite a few tumbles!

She also enjoyed swinging upside-down. I think we have a future gymnast on our hands... :)

And finally, here's a cute video of Priya and Sophia, her new buddy, jumping on a trampoline together.

Thanks for a fun morning Leah and Sophia! We had a wonderful time bouncing around with you!

Exciting News about Ashish's sister, Ami!!

2010-09-20T17:50:00.000-07:00

We received word from Argentina today regarding Ami's visa interview date! She is scheduled to interview on September 27! If all goes well and her visa is approved she could be here in Redding in just over a week from now! Please pray for favor with those who will be interviewing her/making the final decision, for courage and clarity of speech for Ami, and for the remainder of the details to fall into place. We'll be sure to keep you posted!

Priya's 3rd Birthday - Part 2

2010-09-20T10:15:00.000-07:00

Priya is officially 3 years old! We had originally counted on having her party at a park, but the weather had other plans. So we ended up celebrating here in our apartment. I think this is the first time we've posted pics of our new apartment. So here's a glimpse into our living room/kitchen area to give you some idea where we're living now.The guests at Priya's party consisted of some of her babysitters, Sunday School teachers, Simpson buddies and some of her young friends. It was crowded in our little place but a wonderful time was had by all nonetheless.

Priya's 3rd Birthday - Part 1

2010-09-16T21:58:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, September 19 Priya will officially be 3 years old! Are we seriously at 3 years ALREADY? I can't believe how quickly our little Priya is growing up!

We are doing 2 small birthday parties for her this year so that my parents could celebrate with her before returning to Canada (party #1 is with family and party #2 will be with Priya's buddies). So tonight was round 1 of the birthday fun. We celebrated at Mom and Dad Penner's home with pizza, cake and a few presents. Priya was elated and loved every minute of it (well, except for the waiting part before she got to the cake and her presents... Hmmm - how do you teach patience to a 3 year old?)!

Priya didn't eat much of her cupcake. She primarily focused on the frosting and left the cake part alone.

Below Priya is saying thank you to Uncle Phil for a beautiful purse that he got for her. By the way, his fiance Ami (Ashish's sister) is very close to having her interview to immigrate here from Argentina! They are planning for an October 2o wedding!
Priya loved the doctor kit, bubbles, stickers and picture that Auntie Em, Uncle Joel, Ella & Jake sent to her. Thank you! :)
Saying thank you to Grammy and Papa Penner for the denim jackets and the really fun baby doll.

Having some fun with her new toys after she had finished opening them...

The C-Section Has Been Scheduled!!

2010-09-16T21:53:00.000-07:00

Exciting news! Ashish and I received a letter today informing us that the date/time for my c-section has been scheduled! Our baby boy will enter the world on November 16 at 12:30pm (unless I go into labor earlier than that date of course). How fun to know the date and approximate time that we'll be able to hold him in our arms for the first time! It's also very special that he will share a birthday with Grammy Penner and will be celebrating Grammy and Grandpa Christian's and Uncle Arpit and Aunt Binal's anniversaries that day as well. We'll definitely do everything we can to make the day special for him as well so that he won't get lost in the shuffle. :)

Who knew shaving cream could be so much fun?

2010-09-06T23:54:00.000-07:00

My SIL Jenetta has been giving me some great ideas for creative activities to do with Priya. Since I've been unable to work I've been trying to make the most of my extra time with Priya by doing various types of activities with her. Most of them involve sitting down so that I can keep my feet up (ie. crafts, painting, etc). But today we visited my parents' house and Grandpa helped us to assemble this bizarre creation to give Priya some physical activity and fun at the same time. We cut-up a garbage bag, used some golf tees to "attempt" to hold the bag down and a bottle of shaving cream. The result was a ton of fun for Priya and a lot of giggling. And no worries, Priya didn't get any of that mess in her mouth. :)

An Unexpected Shift...

2010-08-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

There have been some significant changes since I last posted...

Life at Simpson University has been getting very busy and hectic as I have been madly preparing for the return of our student leaders and a week and 1/2 of intense training. This is always a very busy time of year but this was the first time that I was in charge of putting together all of the training for our Student Life student leaders so the pressure was higher than normal.

Last Saturday (August 21) I spent the day taking it easy and winding down from a busy week. In the evening Priya and I went out to do some grocery shopping and I began to have some rather painful contractions (I was almost 27 weeks at the time). After several hours of being unable to stop them I called the doctor on call and was advised to go into the hospital. Ashish was working while all of this was going on but his boss was very supportive and let him go so that he could take me. Fortunately we were able to bypass the ER and went straight up to Labor and Delivery. It took 5 hours total (not 5 hrs in the hospital) to get the contractions to stop (much longer than any episode I ever had with Priya). And they eventually released me, assuring me that the baby was healthy and that I would be fine.

I slept a lot of the day on Sunday and then went back to work on Monday but found myself having painful contractions yet again after walking across the parking lot and over to my office. They seemed to hit almost every time I stood up or moved about at all. I called my doctor and he put me on bed rest for 2 days and told me to come in on Tuesday morning. After meeting with him, his recommendation was that I go on disability for the duration of my pregnancy (I have 3 months to go). This came as quite a shock. I thought this would pass and that I'd simply be instructed to reduce some of the stress and peripheral activities in my life, get extra rest, keep my feet up more, drink even more water, etc. I was wrong about that!

This has been a hard decision for me on so many levels, but in looking at the bigger picture I know that it’s what I need to do for the health of the baby and for my health as well. It was hard to walk away from a job that I really do love and to leave my team (the day that round one of our student leaders were scheduled to arrive). But the positive side of things is that I now have the opportunity to do what my heart has been yearning for – to be home with my daughter and to have the opportunity to be a mom and wife without having my emotional and physical energy depleted by the demands and stresses of work. I love my job (most of it anyways) and find a great deal of fulfillment in what I do, but it really can take away my family and my ability to be as invested in them as I'd like to be. So I am focusing on the positive and thanking God for this *blessing* while I have it.

The past week has been difficult but good. My stress levels have definitely decreased and I've been feeling more "normal" as each day passes. I am able to move about here and there but have to be careful not to be on my feet too much or those crazy contractions come back. Fortunately by putting my feet up I've been able to stop them every time. I'm thankful that I'm not on strict bed rest and that I do have some freedom, but I definitely have to be careful.

My parents are back in Redding (they arrived the day my doctor put me on disability), so the timing couldn't be better. It's been great to have this time with them and to have some additional hands to help Priya get the exercise that I'm not able to adequately give her right now. She, of course, is thrilled that they are back as well!

Ashish has been really helpful and supportive through these transitions. He is back in school, taking some pre-requisites to an RN program. He's trying to get some of the hardest classes out of the way before the baby arrives, so he is definitely keeping busy with his studies and with his job as well.

So there you have it. Life is definitely never dull around the Christian household! There always seems to be something going on... :) We are thankful for God's provisions, that our baby boy is healthy and strong and for the support of family and friends.

She's on the mend!

2010-08-08T21:46:00.000-07:00

Priya has shown a great deal of improvement today!! She woke up saying she was hungry and actually ate more than 2 bites! She also didn't want/need to sleep most of the day, actually had energy to move around our apartment and asked to go outside! So I took her out for a while for a change of scenery. She's lost weight this week from not being able to keep anything down and basically not eating! She was already so tiny to begin with but now she feels so frail to me when I hold her. But now that she's eating again and regaining her strength I'm sure she'll be back to normal soon!

Drewey (her monkey friend) came along for the outing. This isn't a common occurance but we made an exception since she's been sick.

I was SO happy to see this mischevious smile back on her face again today!

In case you're wondering, the stuff on her right arm is adhesive residue from her IV from Tuesday! We're having a hard time getting that stuff to come off!

Thanks again for your prayers! It's so great to have our little monkey back again! :) She's even sleeping in her own bed tonight!

Priya Update

2010-08-06T13:41:00.000-07:00

Today is the 4th day that Priya has been sick. She has shown many improvements - no more throwing up and no more fever. But she continues to be quite ill. She has struggled with sleeping due to stomach pain and has been crying and fussing quite a bit over the past two days. It's heart breaking to see your child in pain! She has eaten very little these past four days (a cracker here, a spoonful of rice there, maybe a bite or two of a banana) and has such little energy, says very little and just wants to snuggle close to us when awake or asleep. She usually sleeps in her own bed but has been sleeping with us since this whole thing began. I have to say that both Ashish and I are enjoying this time of closeness with her but wish it were under different circumstances.

After missing three days of work I went back this morning, but am back home again this afternoon because she's still so sick. But she is very closely following the pattern that her doctor predicted so we are confident that she'll be back to her normal self again soon. We're praying for peace for her little body and for a speedy recovery. Thanks for your prayers and encouragement.

Priya's Trip to the ER

2010-08-04T17:38:00.000-07:00

Priya gave us a bit of a scare yesterday. She woke up around 4am and cried for me to come to her room. I thought it was your typical, "Mommy, I have to go potty" scenario. But when I got to her room she was crying more than normal. She then said, "Mommy, I spilled". I thought maybe she'd wet the bed or something (surprisingly she hasn't done this once since she's been potty trained). But I soon discovered that she'd thrown up in her bed. And the throwing up continued every 5-10 minutes for hours!

We called Priya's doctor as soon as his office was open and were told to watch closely, try to get liquids in her to keep her from getting dehydrated and to call back/go to the ER if she continued to throw up after 12 hours. It was a long day (with a lot of laundry) and Priya was unable to keep anything down. We watched her go from crying a little bit as she got sick, then bouncing back to her typical self in between episodes, to becoming increasingly lethargic and weak. We eventually called the doctor back and were encouraged to take her to the ER so off we went.

Fortunately the wait wasn't too long to get in to see a doctor - only about 30-45 minutes. Priya just snuggled in our laps while we waited. Then she was finally given a bed (and her monkey blanket Drewey came along too). I've wondered many times what she would be like in a hospital if she ever got sick. I imagined her crying and wanting to run around and not stay put. But she was very different from that. She just laid there, quietly studying her surroundings, sucking her thumb and sleeping on and off.
She was eventually given an IV so that she could be rehydrated and was given medication to stop the vomiting. They had to tape up her arm and put a brace on it to keep her from bending it. This process was quite scary for her. But once it was complete she was calm again. They proceeded to run a series of test including x-rays as well as blood and urine tests (the most painful for her).
After all the tests were done and 2 bags of IV fluids had been administered there were still concerned that she hadn't perked up or changed at all during her time there. They told us they were going to admit her and move her up to Pediatrics so that they could run more tests and continue to observe her. They were concerned about elevated white blood cell count and the possibility of appendicitis.
They did an ultrasound and after about an hour came back and told us that they'd changed their mind about admitting her. They had ruled out appendicitis and thought that she'd be more comfortable at home. They were still concerned but instructed us to return the next day for a follow-up appointment and possible further tests.

After 8 hours in the ER we were released and got home around 1am. Priya slept with us during the night and has remained either on our laps our in our arms for almost the entire day today. This morning we to take her to her pediatrician for her follow-up appt rather than take her back to the ER. She experienced a lot of poking and prodding yesterday at the ER which was tough on her and very scary. Her pediatrician was involved in her case via phone and we trust him a great deal with her care. We knew that she’d feel safer with him and that the appointment would be much shorter (ie. 30 min vs. 4 or so hours).

Priya has only thrown up 1x today which is a HUGE improvement from the 40-50 times that it happened yesterday. So that is a very good thing. She is very achy today, very weak, tired and has a fever. She wants to be held while awake and sleeping so we are taking turns snuggling with her and trying to comfort her. Her doctor thinks it’s probably just a really bad case of the flu/gastroenteritis and that the elevated white blood cell count was a result of the trauma/stress of throwing up so much yesterday. She is on a liquid diet and is expected to be back to her normal, cheerful, energetic self in about a week.

It's heart-wrenching to see your child in pain and so fragile. She is normally so full of life and enthusiasm. But we are thankful that her situaiton isn't more serious. She gave us a scare but God has been watching over her and we are so thankful for His protection.

A Day of Fun!

2010-07-22T20:17:00.000-07:00

Priya had a pretty fantastic day today. She has been asking me for a while now to take her to gymnatics so we headed out for open gym this morning. We hadn't been for a few months and I was amazed at the new things she attempted and how much more daring she was. She didn't stop running, jumping or moving the entire time we were there - and loved every single minute of it!

Priya's friend Elliot from church/Mom's Group came to spend the evening with us. The two had a blast together and had me cracking up too.

They are wrapping up the evening by watching Toy Story 2 and enjoying some popcorn. Fun times!

Elliot will be coming over again tomorrow evening. Should be another fun-filled night!! :)

Is it a BOY or a GIRL? We finally have the answer!

2010-07-20T17:46:00.000-07:00

The verdict is in...

We visited the doctor this afternoon and brought Priya with us to give her an opportunity to see her brother or sister for the first time (Ashish's mom also joined us - she'd never seen an ultrasound before so it was extra special for her). I talked Priya through what the doctor was going to do and showed her the equipment (without touching it of course). I'm not sure that she fully understood what she was seeing on the screen, but it was neat to have her there to take part in that special moment. It didn't take long for the doctor to announce that we are having a BOY (and it looked pretty clear to us too)! Yep, Priya is going to have a little brother and her cousin Jake is gonna have a little buddy to play with only one year apart in age (now if we just lived closer to Uncle Joel & Aunt Emily...or the rest of our family for that matter)!

A funny note to end the day... When we got back to the waiting room Priya came up to me and tried to pull my shirt up asking if she could see the baby in my tummy again. There were quite a few people in the waiting room and that gave them all quite a giggle. Kids really do say the darndest things... :)

Random Cuteness

2010-07-16T20:56:00.000-07:00

I've seen and heard some pretty cute things from our little monkey lately and thought I'd take this time to record some of them.

*Tonight when putting Priya down for bed she came running at me from across the room, jumped into my arms, gave me a big bear hug and said "I so proud of you". With all of her potty training success, she's heard that statement a lot lately. I thought it was really cute to hear it back. ;) (By the way, she is fully potty trained now! She's even had the pooping down for the past 2 weeks and hasn't had a single accident!) Yes Priya, we are so proud of you! :)

*A few weeks ago we were at the grocery store and I accidentally bumped Priya's head when taking her out of the shopping cart (there was a metal bar above her). She cried for about 2 seconds and then broke into song singing, "Glory hallelujah, I shall not be moved..." How timely!

*We've been trying to get Priya used to the idea of having a new brother or sister soon. Last night while we were getting ready for bed, she asked if she could pray and ask God for a sister. We are totally open to either and will actually find out on Tuesday afternoon if Priya's prayer will be answered the way she hopes. We'll be sure to update the blog once we know more.

*Below is a video of what a typical day with Priya looks like. She absolutely LOVES to dance and twirls her little heart out every chance she gets. She was given this bathing suit/grass skirt when she was a baby and wants to wear it almost every day!

The weather in Redding has brought us back to our usual summer sweat fest. So after going to multiple stores to find a little blow-up pool for Priya to splash around in and finding nothing (seems everyone else in Redding had the same idea we did), we came home with this crabby monstrosity. Priya loves it and it provides a little shade for her as well so we're thankful. It's just challenging to store when not in use...
Apparently it's really fun to play in with no water indoors as well! And it does a number on Priya's hair which had us cracking up quite a bit. We are currently keeping it in Priya's room (she's sleeping in the baby's room for now and uses her room as a play room so it's all working out right now).

Thanks for looking! :)

Playdate

2010-07-10T12:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we enjoyed having Bella and Lucy Slavens over for a couple of hours to play. These are two of Priya's favorite little buddies and she loves every opportunity they get to play together.

I love to observe the create games that kids come up with in their play times. In the pics below they were pretending to be cowgirls. They also took turns being mommies and babies and putting each other (including me) down for naps. They read stories to each other, sang songs and tucked each other in. So sweet!
Emily (SIL) gave me the idea of getting some pipe cleaners and beads and letting Priya make necklaces and bracelets out of it. She has loved the craft and it's been amazing to see her dexterity sharpen with this task. We used heart beads and amazingly enough she arranged them by alternating color (never repeating the same color before using a new one) and managed to get all the hearts facing the same direction! Impressive! Bella and Lucy enjoyed making their jewelry as well and did a fantastic job!

They are showing off their finished products below...

Family Vacation

2010-07-02T20:33:00.000-07:00

Ashish, Priya and I are currently enjoying a small vacation in the Sacramento area. How wonderful to get away and to enjoy some quality time as a family! We drove down yesterday and tomorrow we'll be heading home again. It's been quick but we've managed to cram quite a bit of fun in. Here's a "highlight" of our adventures (warning, lots of pics ahead!)...

We visited Fairytale Town this morning. What a neat place!
The Old Woman in the Shoe...

Owl's House (Pooh's friend)...
The Tin Man and Dorothy :)
Petting the "cow who jumped over the moon"
Cinderella's carriage (this was definitely Priya's favorite)

Jack's Beanstalk

Pirate Ship
Watering Rabbit's Garden
Mother Goose slide
Priya's first exposure to Shakespeare. It was a condensed version of Macbeth. Sadly she didn't last very long and was ready for a nap.
Swimming at the hotel after nap time. "I love swimming!"

Dinner at Chevy's
Priya's 1st Carousel ride after dinner. She LOVED it!

Back at the hotel for some snuggling before bedtime.

Morning Sickness...a BLESSING?!?!

2010-06-25T09:44:00.000-07:00

I seem to have "ideal juror" written all over me. I've been summoned more times than I can remember in the 10 years that I've lived in Redding and have served in 2 trials. I was *overjoyed* when I received yet another summons a few weeks ago to appear during my vacation time. I did truly enjoy my previous two experiences, but this time I was hoping and praying that they'd somehow pass me by. We've been moving and there's still a lot of work to do plus this is my vacation and my time to really focus on Priya without work being a distraction. Not to mention the fact that it's not the way I pictured spending the majority of my vacation time...

I'm 18 weeks along in my pregnancy and the morning sickness sadly has not subsided. With Priya I was sick all the way through - to the very day that she made her appearance in this world! I've been hoping and praying that this pregnancy would be different. But so far it hasn't been. So you can imagine my happiness when the morning sickness finally worked in my favor!

I appeared for jury duty yesterday morning still hoping and praying that they wouldn't select me. I was selected in the first random cut (before going up to the court room) and was then dismissed for a long lunch and instructed to return at 2pm. I had a queezy morning but the afternoon was much worse. And after getting sick two times in the afternoon I spoke with one of the employees in the room, she called the court clerk and eventually got me excused with credit for time served! What would I do if I found myself getting sick in a court room with no opportunity to make a run for the nearest bathroom? Needless to say it wouldn't be pretty. I've never been more happy to be sick in my life! Who knew that morning sickness was actually a blessing in disguise?!

We're Moving!

2010-06-19T20:35:00.000-07:00

This weekend is our big moving weekend. No, we aren't moving far...just to another (bigger) apartment on campus that will better accommodate our growing family. I have been in the same place for the last 10 years so packing everything up has been...interesting... How in the world were we ever able to cram so many things into such a small space?!

We started slowly taking small items over yesterday and today and have managed to get almost everything unpacked and into their new places. Our closets are nicely organized and ready to go, our kitchen cabinets are almost completely transferred and most of Priya's toys are in her new room. But there's still a long way to go. The majority of our move will take place on Monday (all the furniture and big items) and then we'll try to finish everything up throughout the rest of the week.

On a side note, I did something really stupid the other day. My cell phone has been missing for the past 2 days and for the life of me I couldn't find it. Today I finally realized that it had gone through the wash and was waiting for me at the bottom of our washing machine. It was completely dead (but at least it was clean). So if you've been trying to reach me and I haven't gotten back to you, now you know why. :) What a crazy mistake. Can I blame it on "Mommy Brain"? :)

Day 4

2010-06-16T22:20:00.000-07:00

Every day seems to improve on the next. Can I expect this to continue? Am I really lucky? Or are there potential pitfalls along the way? Priya successfully used the potty 6 times today! And the final time was the elusive poop experience! She woke up at about 9pm from sleep crying - and sadly continued to cry through the whole experience but she did it! We'll have to celebrate in the morning...

I can't believe I've spent this much time talking about using the bathroom! Who knew what parenting would do to a person? ;) I'm sure Priya will be mortified by these posts one day... Sorry in advance baby girl! I'm just so proud of you! :)

Need Your Ideas!

2010-06-15T21:51:00.001-07:00

The time is quickly approaching when we'll need to change the url of our blog to fairly represent the fact that we'll have more than one child (priyagrace.blogspot.com just won't cut it anymore). We certainly don't want to make baby #2 feel left out. :) So it's time for a little contest. Who can come up with the most creative and winning blogger address? Ready, set go!

Day 3

2010-06-15T21:47:00.000-07:00

Day 3 of potty training was our best yet! Priya earned 4 stickers on her reward chart for successfully using the potty 4 times! She even woke up this morning completely dry! This has never happened before! Now we just need to figure out how to get her to use the potty for the poo too! We haven't had success there yet. But I'm still celebrating! She's come a very long way in just 3 short days! Way to go Priya!

Day 2 Success

2010-06-14T21:05:00.000-07:00

Day 2 of Priya's Potty Training Party was a bit of a roller coaster but ended with success. The morning was challenging as she really didn't want to cooperate and had very little interest in trying to even sit on the potty. She even asked me a couple of times to put diapers on - even to the point of pulling one out and lying down on the ground to wait for me to comply with her wishes. I know that it's hard to give up something that she's always known but I didn't want to derail her progress so we plugged along in her cotton panties. She refused to go before naptime (and hadn't gone since she'd woken up in the morning) and I debated for a while whether or not I should put her in pull-ups but I decided to be a "mean mommy" and let her experience the consequences of holding it in. About an hour into what's usually a 2 hour nap Ashish and I heard her crying and went into her room to find her standing in a puddle in her bed. It was the end of her nap but the beginning of greater success.

We ventured out in the afternoon to run some errands. I opted for pull-ups this time just in case. At one point she asked to go but then refused to enter the bathroom at the grocery store. By the time we got home she was ready and begged me to take her home to use the potty. Amazingly she stayed dry and made it to the potty! Her excitement over her victory was priceless! She even asked to go one more time before bed and was again successful!

I'm so happy to see the progress she is making! I know that there's still a long road ahead, but it's such an encouragement to finally see the progress. :)

Everyone Poops...

2010-06-13T13:13:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer! Ramblings of a proud mommy ahead...

Now that I'm off work for the months of June and July we are going full speed ahead with potty training efforts (today marked the first day of our serious attempt to leave diapers behind). Priya has shown almost all of the signs of readiness and has had some success, but it's been difficult for us to be consistent with her in the midst of our varying schedules.

We've been trying pull-ups but they haven't been effective thus far because she can't feel that she's wet, just like in a diaper. We've tried padded cloth panties that absorb the wetness but they haven't seemed to phase her either. So today was "Operation Cold Turkey" day. I put her in cotton panties (with Elmo on them which was a huge hit) with absolutely no absorbency. We tried the potty a few times in the morning but no real success. We had fun though! Every time she sat on the potty we read a book called Everyone Poops. Priya's pediatrician recommended it just before I left for my Washington DC/Pennsylvania trip and it's been a huge hit with her. It helps to take the pressure off by focusing on the fact that everyone poops - animals, birds, fish, big people and little people - and doesn't just focus on the steps to using a potty. She has been asking for it again and again and has been reading it to her stuffed animals as well.

Around 10:30am I asked her if she wanted to try again and she said no. I stepped into the laundry room for a minute to transfer a load of laundry and heard Priya crying, "Mommy, I peed!" She was so upset and was crying pretty hard. Ironically, this was what I had been waiting for! She is so picky about her shirt having even drops of water on it that I knew if she'd just feel what it was like to really be wet she would hate it! I reassured her that it was ok and all part of the process of learning to use the potty like a big girl. I gave her a quick bath and she was back to her happy, playful self again.

We tried 2 more times before nap time and didn't have any success. I eventually put her in a pair of pull-ups (calling them panties) and asked her to call for me if she needed to use the potty and that I'd come right away to help her. About 5 minutes later I heard her crying (and assumed that she'd gone in her pull-ups already). But when I opened the door she said "I want to try again. I have to go potty." I praised her for telling me and immediately took her to the potty. About 2 minutes later she peed in the potty! We had a huge celebration and she just kept smiling and talking about how she was a big girl and that she did it! I'm so proud of her! I know that we still have a long way to go, but this was a big accomplishment that I had to record! :)

Way to go big girl!

End Of The Day Update:
I'm back as a proud mommy once again. Please forgive the bragging...I love recording milestones to look back on one day and I can't help but be proud of my little girl's accomplishments. :)

We ended the day with another victory. Priya remained dry from 1-7:30pm (I on the other hand had to go at least 8 times in the midst of that time - oh the joys of pregnancy). Finally at 7:30 she was ready for round 2 of successfully using the potty. This resulted in another celebration. Now on to Day 2 of "Operation Cold Turkey"...

Turtle Bay

2010-06-12T18:55:00.001-07:00

Warning - Big Post Ahead! :)

This morning I took Priya to Turtle Bay Exploration Park. It was our first time visiting this amazing place. Priya had such a wonderful time we went back for another round after her nap!

We spent the morning in Paul Bunyan's Forest Camp playing in an awesome playground area that looked like a really awesome tree fort.

We then ventured over to the water feature where Priya enjoyed moving various pieces around to create a dam and change the water flow. It was about 90 degrees out today so splashing in the water was a welcome activity.

After her nap we came back and spent the rest of the afternoon in the museum. There is nothing like watching a child explore and experience things for the first time. Priya was wide-eyed and absolutely enthralled with the various exhibits.

Below Priya takes in the aquarium.

This was a really neat exhibit. It shows what a tree's root system looks like below the ground. Priya was delighted with it!
They had small caves to walk through...
And a teepee to explore...
We ended our afternoon building different types of structures - another big hit!

I'm Coming Home!

2010-06-10T11:13:00.001-07:00

I am happy to report that I am currently sitting in the San Francisco airport, about 45 minutes from departing for Redding. I'll be in Redding in about 2 hours! It's been a great trip - loved the sightseeing and the conference was really good - but I am ready to be home! I am missing Priya like crazy and am very eager to see Ashish as well! :)

I've been up since 3am EST (midnight back home) and only slept about 3 hours last night, so I'm pretty wiped out. It'll be great to be home! :)

Gettysburg, PA

2010-06-07T13:12:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed being tourists this morning in Gettysburg. We stayed at this hotel below - at General Lee's Headquarters on July 3, 1863. Inside is a small museum that you can visit for free if you're a guest of the hotel.
After touring the museum, we did an audio tour through the battlefield - an 18 mile journey that takes you through the ins and outs of this violent battle. It was interesting to imagine what had taken place here almost 150 years ago. It definitely left me with a greater sense of appreciation for those who have fought to give us the freedom and the united country we now experience today.

The 2 pics below are taken from the top (1st pic) and then the bottom (2nd pic) of Little Round Top.

"Little Round Top is the smaller of two rocky hills south of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It was the site of an unsuccessful assault by Confederate troops against the Union left flank on July 2, 1863, the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg.

Considered by some historians to be the key point in the Union Army's defensive line that day, Little Round Top was defended successfully by the brigade of Col. Strong Vincent. The 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment, commanded by Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, fought the most famous engagement there, culminating in a dramatic downhill bayonet charge that is one of the most well-known actions at Gettysburg and in the American Civil War" (taken from Wikipedia).

At the completion of the audio tour we made our way over to the Visitor's Center and the *main* museum in Gettysburg. This was definitely the highlight as we took in a great video that really brought the Civil War Era and the Battle of Gettysburg to life. We also had the privilege of seeing a Cyclorama, a painting by the French artist Paul Philoppoteaux depicting "Pickett's Charge", the climactic Confederate attack on the Union forces during the Battle of Gettysburg on July 3, 1863.

Now we're in Grantham, PA at Messiah College for the annual ACSD conference. Becky Weber, a good friend from Simpson, just arrived and is my roommate for the next several days. This is gonna be fun. I am definitely missing home though. Priya melts my heart every time I hear her sweet voice on the other end of the phone line.

Last morning in DC and on to Gettysburg, PA...

2010-06-06T20:41:00.000-07:00

We left Washington DC this morning and made one last stop before heading out of the city. I wanted to see the Pentagon and the site of the 9/11 crash. It was surreal to be in that place where 184 people lost their lives, a place that changed the face of history and our country in so many ways. Aaron and Kari had been in New York just prior to meeting up with me and had just see the memorial where the Twin Towers once stood.

After leaving DC we headed over to Gettysburg, PA to get in a little bit more touring before going to Grantham, PA for the ACSD (Association of Christians in Student Development) conference that is the "real" purpose for this trip (the conference begins tomorrow). Gettysburg is quite the city! It's amazing to think about the horrific bloodshed that occurred in a location that seems so peaceful and calm now... We went on an evening walking tour and plan to do a driving audio tour tomorrow. I wasn't able to get any good pics of this historic location but will be sure to get some tomorrow. Until then...

Touring Washington DC, Day 1

2010-06-04T19:17:00.001-07:00

Aaron, Kari and I had a great day touring our country's capital. We signed up for a Hop-On-Hop-Off Open-Top Double-Decker Bus Tour that gives us 2 days of unlimited use.

We started out at Arlington Cemetery where my morning sickness got the better of me. Great way to start the day, eh? But fortunately I was fine from there. Our first stop was the Lincoln Memorial.

From there we walked the length of the reflection pond, taking in the war memorials along the way.
We ended up at the Washington Monument.
It was about 90 degrees and quite humid today so we ventured into an indoor space and found ourselves touring the Holocaust Museum. From there we grabbed some lunch and then hopped back on the bus to take in as many sights as possible and making note of places we want to go back and visit in greater depth tomorrow. Below is the Capitol Building.
And The White House... Did you know that if you want a tour of the White House you have to book it at least 6 months in advance?
The Washington Cathedral...
The bus tour lasts a total of 2 1/2 hours and we enjoyed most of that time on the upper portion of the bus - dodging treacherous tree branches and attempting to avoid sunburns along the way. We walked almost 5 miles, drank a ton of water, saw some amazing sites and had a fabulous time doing it. Aaron and Kari have been so much fun to travel with. Tomorrow we'd like to visit the Ford Theater where Lincoln was shot, see the White House from a closer vantage point, tour the Smithsonian as well as several other important landmarks. Should be another fun filled and blister causing day. :)

I'm Here!

2010-06-03T20:52:00.001-07:00

It's been a very long day, but I'm finally here in Washington DC! :) Actually, I'm in Alexandria, Virginia right now, but who's counting? Most of the day was smooth sailing. I got up at 3:45am PST, left for the airport an hour later, flew from Redding to San Francisco and then to Chicago. From there things got a little crazy on my connecting flight to Baltimore with flight delays, engine issues, and weather delays. I got into Baltimore, Maryland about 2 hours late and then we had a luggage delay and finally a hiccup with the car rental company whose network had gone out from the weather problems. But in the end it all worked out just fine!

I drove about 30 minutes to pick up friends Aaron and Kari Beadner (we all work together at Simpson) who had just come in on a bus after touring New York and Atlantic City for several days. We arrived about 5 minutes apart which was perfect. Now we're all settling in about an hour away from our meeting place at a fabulous Hilton hotel (which we got for quite a steal) and are gonna get some much needed rest before hitting the town and doing some sightseeing in the morning. I can't wait! It's gonna be great! So much history to see and learn more about! I love this stuff!

But for now I need to get some sleep. I'm operating on 3 hours of sleep! Yikes! Until tomorrow...

DC Here I Come!

2010-06-02T21:42:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow I'll be heading out on an exciting adventure. I leave at 4:45am and will be flying to Baltimore, Maryland where I'll meet up with two friends and spend a few days exploring Washington DC before heading to a conference in Pennsylvania. :) I'm sure I'll have lots of exciting things to share along the way... :)

Sadly, Ashish and Priya have to stay home so I'll be missing them (this will be the longest I've been away from Priya and that's going to be especially hard). But I'm trying to focus on the positive and how much fun it'll be and how nice it'll be to have a break from the realities and stresses of life.

Fun at the Festival

2010-05-29T15:09:00.000-07:00

This morning Priya and I joined the Peterson family at a Global Arts Festival put on by one of the churches in town. We had a wonderful time making crafts, getting faces painted, watching theatrical and dance performances and looking at arts and crafts from around the world. Our times with the Peterson family are always special and this was no exception!The girls were making fingerprint bookmarks...
Priya was immediately drawn to the purple stamp pad - her favorite color...
Some fun ethnic pics and poses...

I love Priya's little hands poking out with her face. Too cute...

Face painting time!

All of the girls ended up getting butterflies painted on their faces. Beautiful, aren't they? :)

A Glee Fan? Or A Child of the 80's?

2010-05-26T13:54:00.000-07:00

Priya loves music and she loves to dance! A few days ago I turned on the TV to watch the end of a Glee episode. Priya immediately took to the song that was playing (could she be a fan of the 80's?!) and kept asking me to play it over and over and over again. She continues to ask me regularly to play the video so that she can sing and dance to it again. So for all you Glee fans out there and/or fans of the 80's, we hope you enjoy Priya's performance!

Swimming Pool

2010-05-16T13:50:00.000-07:00

The weather has really been warming up around here and Priya finally had the chance to use her little pool and Grammy and Papa's house. She squealed with delight and was overjoyed to be able to go swimming again!

Priya got a little silly with her watering can and Papa took the brunt of it. But I'm sure you'll laugh along just as we did... :)

First Ultrasound Pics! :)

2010-05-10T17:11:00.001-07:00

Ashish and I had the pleasure of seeing little Baby Christian for the first time on Friday (May 7). It was amazing to see tiny legs and arms moving about and to see the heart beating. It's definitely becoming more real and our excitement and anticipation are growing. Tomorrow I'll be at 12 weeks. Only 27 weeks to go... ;)

Baby's due date is November 23, but since I'll be having a c-section it looks like he or she will enter the world about a week earlier (unless I go into labor early of course like I did with Priya). November 16 would be special as that is my mom's birthday, Ashish's parents' anniversary and Arpit and Binal's (Ashish's brother and SIL) anniversary as well . November 18 would be another great day too, right Greg? ;)

The ultrasound pics are a bit blurry, but Baby Christian is hanging out upside-down and his/her arms and legs are pointing to the right. Our doctor had a big screen in the ultrasound room so we got to see the baby much bigger. Ahhh...what a gift to be able to have a small window inside to catch a glimpse of what is going on in there... :)

Reason to Celebrate!

2010-05-04T13:45:00.001-07:00

Today the letter that we've anxiously been awaiting arrived! Ashish passed the NCLEX exam!!!! He is now officially an LVN (Licensed Vocational Nurse) and can begin looking for a job! Congratulations Ashish!! We are so very proud of you! All of your hard work and perseverance paid off! We thank God for answering our prayers and for showing Himself to be so faithful to our growing family!

Fun At The Park

2010-04-17T21:37:00.000-07:00

On my days off I love to take Priya to fun places and do something special. And with Mom and Dad heading back to Canada tomorrow we wanted to soak up some extra time with them and enjoy the pleasure of their company. So we headed off to the park to enjoy the beautiful weather and Priya's enthusiastic responses to everything that the park offers a young child. (Ashish was working so he wasn't able to join us.)Priya continues to be enamored with cats, so the opportunity to play with a "kitty" was a welcome surprise for our young cat lover...

I wasn't able to capture Priya's enthusiasm when swinging today, so you'll have to take my word that she loved (almost) every minute of it. "Higher! Higher!" is something that we regularly hear as soon as Priya gets settled into a swing...

Priya has recently latched on to the word, "hallellujah" and loves to exclaim it any chance she gets. Below is a glimpse of Priya expressing her hallellujah's as we were wrapping up our time at the park. She made some new friends at the park as well but I try not to film other kids - especially if they are strangers and we don't know the parents/have permission from them.

Yep, It's True!

2010-04-12T17:21:00.000-07:00

Priya really is going to be a big sister! :) Baby Christian is due November 23 and we couldn't be happier! Any guesses as to what it'll be? My guess is that it's a boy but we'll be happy with whatever God chooses to give us. Every day Priya changes her mind about what she wants. One day she wants a sister and the next a brother. We will definitely be eager to find out as soon as it's possible! :)

2010-04-09T17:14:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T19:51:00.000-07:00

Sadly I didn't get very many good pictures today. So this really doesn't adequately portray the wonderful day that we had. After church we went over to my parents' home and enjoyed food and fellowship with family from Redding. The weather left something to be desired (mid 40's and raining with strong winds) so we kept the festivities indoors. These pics are of our hang-out time after a wonderful Easter dinner.

Thanks Mom and Dad for being such wonderful hosts! We love you and appreciate you more than we could ever adequately express!

Easter Eggs

2010-04-03T13:35:00.000-07:00

Priya and I had a fun time decorating Easter eggs this morning. It's fun that she's at an age where she can begin to enjoy fun traditions like this. We only had one fatality throughout the process (the orange egg broke) but Priya got to eat it for lunch and enjoyed it all the more since she had a hand in making it.

Phil

2010-04-03T13:34:00.002-07:00

Our future brother-in-law, Phil McCutcheon, and his mom arrived in Redding this week. Ashish's sister, Ami, has been living in Argentina for the past couple of years and met Phil was he was there with a YWAM team. They recently got engaged and Phil is now moving to Redding! We're excited to have him here and also about what this means for the future - that Ami will soon be following. :)

A special service was held at my parents' home just prior to the departure of Phil's mom. Ami was on Skype and was able to be a part of this special time despite the many miles that separated us. Both Phil and Ami had a chance to share about their relationship and to tell the story of how God brought them together. And then Ami's parents and Phil's mom had a chance to share about their kids, their upbringing and gave their blessing for their coming marriage. It was a beautiful service filled with a lot of tears and laughter.

Reno Trip

2010-04-03T13:34:00.001-07:00

Earlier this week we enjoyed a trip to Reno, Nevada with both sets of parents. We stayed at a timeshare and did our best to stay warm despite the snow that was falling outside (quite a change from the 70's and 80's weather we'd been enjoying back home).

Circus Circus was just a few blocks away so Priya got to have some new experiences...

We visited Reno's mall one afternoon and Priya had her first Build A Bear experience. Well, more like Build A Chipmunk (which she's obsessed with these days)...

Playing Dress-Up

2010-03-24T21:15:00.000-07:00

Priya has been getting into dressing up lately. The other night she put all of this together. Oh how she melts my heart. She is so much fun and such a joy to have in our lives! Priya, you are an unbelievable gift from God!

He finished!!

2010-03-23T14:50:00.000-07:00

My phone rang today at 2:10pm. I saw Ashish's name as the caller and eagerly answered. He was finished with his NCLEX exam! He finished at around question 95 (out of a possible 205) and felt really good about it. The test will continue to give options if you aren't answering correctly so the fact that he ended as early as he did was a good sign. Now we have to wait about 6 weeks to find out for sure whether or not he passed. But for now we're ready to celebrate. Congratulations Ashish! I'm so proud of you!

Thanks so much for all of the prayers! We are so grateful! I'll be sure to post as soon as we get the official word.

Big Prayer Request!

2010-03-19T16:15:00.000-07:00

I am happy to say that we are rapidly approaching the conclusion of Ashish's efforts to become a nurse (LVN)! He graduated in December and has been studying madly to prepare for the state board exam (NCLEX) that will take place on Tuesday, March 23 at 11am PST. He has come such a long way and has overcome some huge obstacles. I am so proud of all that he has accomplished.

Please pray for him as he spends these last few days studying and for peace, clarity of mind, for test questions that don't throw in words that may confuse him and that he will ultimately pass. Thank you so much! We'll be sure to keep you posted!

Our Little Organizer

2010-03-03T09:14:00.000-08:00

I got some really cute videos recently that I just had to share! The first is of Priya Skyping with her cousins O & L. I'm so thankful for the ways we are able to stay in touch with family who is far away!

Next up is a funny scene that I discovered last night. Priya and I came home and she went to take her shoes off and put them back with her other shoes (a usual routine around here). I went into another room for a minute or two and when I came back out I discovered my little girl taking her shoes out one by one and lining them up in a neat row. She ended up pulling out old shoes as well (sizes that no longer fit her) and went about organizing them all. She proudly exclaimed, "I cleaning Mommy!" Do I possibly have an arranger on my hands? How wonderful would that be since I am definitely lacking in that area. ;)

Spring has sprung!

2010-02-21T21:12:00.001-08:00

We've been enjoying some absolutely fabulous weather lately. The rain has given us a break and we've been enjoying the outdoors quite a bit more! Sorry to those who are still dealing with snow... I'm not trying to rub it in. ;)

Priya's Big Girl Bed!

2010-02-12T22:07:00.001-08:00

The day has finally come for Priya's crib to be converted into a big girl bed! She is almost 2 1/2 years old and has shown signs that she is ready for the transition. She has been escaping from her crib and also climbing back in quite frequently. Both activities have been cause for alarm and concern (she usually lands on her head when she crawls/falls into her crib and I've been terrified that she'd end up breaking her neck or something), so now that we have a long weekend in sight (President's Day is on Monday and I have the day off) I figured we would have a consistent stretch to help Priya make the adjustment to a bed that allows for greater freedom and independence.

Quite honestly I expected a battle tonight, but I'm happy to say that she only made one escape! She isn't keen on sleeping under blankets or using pillows. We have tried multiple times but she throws a fit when any blanket touches her body and usually throws pillows out of her bed. We started with her under the covers and her head on the pillow, but it was very clear that she wasn't going to stay that way. So I decided to keep with one transition for now. At least she kept the pillow in her bed...

Here's another fun picture that I've been wanting to share for a while. I came home from work a couple of weeks ago to a cute site - Priya living it up in her baby swing (she barely used it as a baby but LOVES it as a toddler - go figure!). She was snuggling with "Drewey", her beloved monkey blanket, was sipping on milk and snacking on some almonds and Cheerios. She was also doing something that she rarely does during the day - sucking her thumb. It's common practice to find her with her thumb in her mouth while she's sleeping. But it's really not something that she does much during the day...

Update

2010-02-12T12:37:00.000-08:00

Ashish's dad was released from the hospital yesterday afternoon. His reaction to the morphine had subsided and his breathing was under control again. The doctors have told him that he'll be wearing a sling for about 6 weeks (they weren't able to put it in a cast because of the location of the break).

His employer has been very understanding and has told him that they would gladly hold his job for him and that they'd love to welcome him back to work in about 2 months time. So that is wonderful news! It's a big relief for all of us!

He is in good spirits and is resting comfortably back in his room. He needs to be elevated when sleeping so we're working on getting a reclining chair in his room. We currently have a bunch of pillows stacked up under his mattress and a few more above it to keep him comfortable. But a chair would definitely be easier for him to get in and out of.

Thanks for your prayers! We all appreciate them tremendously!

Prayer Request

2010-02-10T23:02:00.000-08:00

I just got back from visiting my father-in-law at the hospital. Yes, you read that right...

This morning he was on his way over to our place to babysit Priya and he slipped and fell, hitting his head and then the right side of his body on a stone pillar. Our campus nurse went to check on him and encouraged Ashish to take him to the hospital. She thought his shoulder/arm was probably broken.

A couple of hours later he was seen by a doctor. He was given a couple of stitches on his forehead and an x-ray revealed a broken humerus (upper arm bone). They did 2 CT scans to rule out any head/brain trauma and also rule out the possible need for surgery on his shoulder/arm. Fortunately both tests were encouraging and made it clear that there would not be need for surgery and that there was no additional damage to his head/brain.

They gave him morphine and he had a pretty bad reaction that resulted in complications with his breathing. It was scary to see him fading in and out of consciousness (he would snore and be unconscious with one eye open or both eyes partially open). They have him on oxygen and Ashish and his mom were working hard to try to keep him awake (anytime he'd fall asleep his breathing would decrease further). They also have him on oxygen to assist him in his breathing.

His doctor has admitted him and will be keeping him overnight because they are still concerned about his breathing. Ashish will be coming home soon for food and a shower and then plans to go back for several more hours. His mom is planning to stay overnight.

We would really appreciate your prayers for Ashish's dad and mom. This experience has been scary for them. My father-in-law recently (2 weeks ago) got a job but is now concerned that he will be unable to work for a couple of months and may end up losing the job altogether. We just celebrated his first pay check last night! Ironic, isn't it?

I'll be sure to update as I have more information. We are grateful for your prayers!

Jenetta would be proud!

2010-02-07T21:44:00.000-08:00

My sister-in-law is the queen of freebies. If you haven't already, check out Frugal Freebies and Deals. She always finds such fantastic bargains, not to mention the free stuff...

Today was a special day (my...gulp...34th birthday) and I mustered up all the wisdom I have gleaned from Jenetta over the past many years and set out on a freebie-finding birthday bonanza! I'm proud to say that I scored about $30 in freebies as a result!! I walked away with a number of free coffees (Starbucks, Dutch Brothers, YAKS - some are still stored in my fridge for Ashish and I to enjoy tomorrow), a free meal from Red Robin (take-out which I brought home and shared with the fam) and a free burrito from Chipotle (not something they typically do so this was an extra special bonus). I know there were many other deals to be had, but I called it a day after gathering these goodies. I just might have to see if I can top it next year...

Pure Cuteness!

2010-01-19T20:25:00.000-08:00

Priya is doing so many cute things these days! And I haven't been as good about capturing them on video lately. So tonight I decided to try and capture some of the cuteness again. :)

She has mastered doing sommersaults now. I wish I had gotten videos during the weeks that she was trying so hard but couldn't quite get it. It was hilarious! ;) The first video caught a perfect sommersault at the end. She was also pretending to have her special monkey "Drewey" color on our door! She did this recently and thought it would be fun to role play the scenario. Silly girl! The 2nd video is of her singing one of her favorite songs - The ABC's. Such cuteness! :)

Earthquake!

2010-01-09T21:19:00.000-08:00

We had an earthquake here today at about 4:30pm! It took a while to realize what was going on as I've never felt an actual earthquake before. I heard what sounded like a garbage truck moving dumpsters outside our apartment (but no garbage truck) but was surprised by the swaying and rattling that we felt/heard inside as well. Priya and I were over in the space next to her room in our apartment when it happened. We felt the swaying for about 5 seconds and then it seemed to stop and start up again for another 5 seconds or so. It scared Priya and the result was a pretty clingy and fussy girl for the rest of the day! Ashish was visiting his parents in their place here on campus and they felt it strongly as well. It brought back a moment of fear as they recalled a horrific earthquake that they had experienced a number of years back in India.

Apparently today's quake was a 6.5 and originated on the coast of Northern California near Eureka. Crazy! It's just not something we're used to experiencing here.

Here's a link with more info: http://www.redding.com/news/2010/jan/09/earthquake-felt-redding/

Christmas Lights!

2009-12-27T11:55:00.000-08:00

Last night we ventured out to look at Christmas lights - this was our 3rd or 4th trip! I think we've found another family tradition that we all really enjoy.

Mom and Dad Penner told us about an impressive light display that they had recently discovered so we went to check it out. Surprisingly enough we ran into the Brown clan who had also gone to look at the same light display.

Mom and Dad, these videos are for you... :)

Christmas Day

2009-12-27T10:22:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed Christmas morning with both sets of parents...

*WARNING, ADVERTISEMENT AHEAD* ...By the way, the bib that Priya is wearing in the pic above has become our all time favorite! If you are on the hunt for a bib that not only protects the front of your child but also his/her sleeves then check out Ikea for the best bibs ever!

Ok, advertisement over. Let's get back to CHRISTMAS!

Sharing Christmas with a 2-year-old was a whole new ballgame this year! We were inspired by Joel and Emily's discovery of a unique way of sharing the true meaning of Christmas with little ones and picked up What God Wants for Christmas. The story was a bit advanced for Priya but she definitely enjoyed playing with the figures from the nativity set and we saw the beginnings of the laying of a foundation in her little heart.

She definitely had a whole new perspective on gifts as well, thinking that she needed to have a part in opening every single gift and that somehow they were all for her too. She is only two, right? ;)

I think Dad enjoyed his gifts even more than Priya this year - and that's saying a lot!

We moseyed on over to the Meredith home in the afternoon for some quality time with the extended family...

In the evening we enjoyed some Indian-style entertainment. We listened to Gujarati Christmas songs online, called family and friends in India and had a little dance party of our own...

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T21:29:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! We'll be back with updates soon!

Congratulations Ashish!

2009-12-11T22:18:00.000-08:00

Ashish reached a huge milestone today! He graduated from nursing school and participated in his pinning ceremony today! It's been a grueling year for him but he has persevered and pushed through some huge obstacles. Priya loved seeing her daddy up on stage and was especially enthusiastic when he walked across the stage. She kept calling out "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! Sheesh! Sheesh!" It was adorable.

We are so proud of you Ashish! Way to go!

Happy Thanksgiving...

2009-12-07T18:48:00.000-08:00

Better late than never, right? :) I've been meaning to get this posted for a while but we didn't get them loaded onto our computer until last night.

On Thanksgiving morning Dad, Jon, O and I participated in Redding's Turkey Trot. O ran the 1/4 mile race for her age group and did a fantastic job! I wish I could show the video but it shows her face too clearly. So you'll just have to take my word for it. We then went over to see Jon begin his 6 mile race and cheer him on before heading over to the 2-mile course that Dad, O & I walked together.

Here are Dad and O cheering Jon on as he ran by. Unfortunately we missed him in the picture.
O made friends with some Storm Troupers who were a part of the event for some reason. Random yes, but fun. :)
Then later that afternoon we enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends. There were quite a few kids there so the girls of course had a wonderful time.

Time for an update!

2009-12-05T10:53:00.000-08:00

It's time for a long-overdue update! I have more pics that have yet to be uploaded onto our computer but i thought I'd start with this for now...

For Thanksgiving this year we were visited by my brother Jon and SIL Jenetta. They brought their daughters O & L for the week and we had a wonderful time together.

We took L and Priya to a park one evening to take some professional pics. These are no where near the quality of the pics that Jenetta took but here's a little sample.

We took the girls to play in the snow up at Mt. Lassen. We still can't show face shots of O & L until the adoption is finalized so I'm not able to show some really cute pics of L enjoying the snow. My cousin Holli joined us for the adventure.

All Sorts of Fun!

2009-11-01T23:54:00.000-08:00

We had quite the fun-filled Halloween this year! We started out by visiting a nearby farm/pumpkin patch and got to enjoy seeing Priya experience all sorts of firsts! Some good friends, the Petersons, joined us for the morning.Ashish's dad had goats as a boy so he especially enjoyed the petting zoo! :)
Priya was a little reluctant at first but ended up making all sorts of new animal friends.

They had a small kids play area (it was free too!) so Priya, of course, had a blast! This was her first attempt ever at riding a bike (well, tricycle)!

Then we took a train ride around the farm. Priya loved the bumps and rattles of the car!
Priya's first lollipop!

What a face!!! This is one of my new favorite pictures!
Cheese!!!!!
Priya's very good friend, Beth.
Ah, family photo time. What do you think? Should this be our Christmas card photo? ;)
Seriously...precious!!

Then in the evening, Priya and I took Ashish's parents to a Harvest Carnival put on by one of the churches in town.

After a long day, Priya took a little breather in the bouncy castle. :)

Happy Halloween

2009-10-30T15:18:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a really fun Mom's Group yesterday! The kids got to dress up in their costumes, make fun crafts, and have fun playing together while the mom's had a chance to catch up. It was a blast!

They're here!

2009-10-17T16:55:00.000-07:00

Ashish's parents arrived from India this week! It's been so much fun to see them experience and get to know their granddaughter all over again! Priya was 6 months old when they last saw her and was a very different little girl! She was a bit shy at first but by the end of the 1st day she was hugging and kissing them and thoroughly enjoying having them here!

Day 1:

Day 2: They spent some quality time alone with Priya and babysat her while Ashish and I were in class/working.
Day 3: We went to a Family Festival here on campus this morning/afternoon. Priya got to jump in 2 different bounce houses, slide on bouncy slides, and even got her face painted for the 1st time. We enjoyed watching it all unfold. :)

Family Fun!

2009-10-10T22:47:00.001-07:00

Ashish had a more less-rigorous schedule this week so he had some free time this weekend. The result: a fun-filled family morning at one of Redding's gymnastics locations. It was great to be able to have some good, quality time together! :)

Who does this remind you of?

2009-10-10T22:00:00.001-07:00

I haven't seen Monsters Inc. in a long time. But I stumbled upon this pic tonight and it reminded me so much of Priya! What do you think? All she needs is a chipped front tooth and it'd be perfect! :) The funny thing is that Priya is REALLY into Monsters right now too (not in a scary way). I think I need to find this movie for her! :)

Way to go, Priya!

2009-10-09T13:43:00.000-07:00

Priya began a new journey today - potty training! We've been getting ready for this for a while. She's been role playing with her dolls and stuffed animals - going back and forth between changing their diapers and having them use their little potty. Priya has become increasingly interested in the subject and sitting on her potty has been a game for her. But she's had never actually gone potty in it - until today!

I have a long weekend (Columbus Day) so I have Friday and Monday off. I've been waiting for a solid stretch of time where I could be consistent with her and this was it. So our adventure began this morning. And finally, just before putting her down for her nap, she took the plunge! And boy oh boy was she ever proud of herself! Her mommy was pretty proud of her too!

Way to go, Priya!

Happy October!

2009-10-08T22:00:00.000-07:00

The weather has finally changed and the heat has become a thing of the past. WHOOHOO!!! Yes, I am VERY happy to say goodbye to the 100+ degree weather. It's been simply gorgeous here the past 2 weeks or so - varying from being in the 70's to 80's. How perfect is that?!

Life has settled into a more predictable routine as well. That is also something that I look forward to. The months of August and September are so crazy so October is a welcome blessing.

Next week, however, will bring about some new changes for our family. Ashish's parents will be moving here from India!!! :) For now they plan to stay in one of the dorms on campus. This will make life much easier for them as they adjust to a new culture and won't have to worry as much about transportation. They will be helping to watch Priya while Ashish and I are working so it will be a wonderful blessing to have them so close. How lucky is Priya to have the opportunity to have both sets of grandparents nearby (at least part of the time). I'm so excited about what it will mean to Ashish's parents and to Priya to have this time together. It'll also be an amazing opportunity for her to learn more about her heritage - learning to speak Gujarati, eating more Indian dishes, learning songs and games from India, etc. We are so thankful that everything has worked out to make it possible for them. Of course it will hold its share of challenges but overall I think it'll be a blessing.

We are thinking a lot about the big transition that it will be for them - moving to a new culture, learning a new language, looking for work, and not having the support system & comfort of being known that they are used to having back home. It will be all "wine and roses" for a while but eventually the challenges of culture shock will kick in for them and they will deeply miss their life back in India. I know that they would really appreciate your prayers as they prepare for this huge transition. I can't imagine doing what they are doing at the age of retirement! It takes a lot of courage in my opinion!

On a totally different note and as a little bonus, I've included 2 cute videos of our very social and expressive little girl. To give you some background, one of our students came out of her room. Priya kept calling "I love you!" to her again and again and again (I caught just the tail end of this in the 1st vide0). The student eventually left the dorm and Priya ran after her continuing to call out to her trying to get her attention. It melted my heart and had me cracking up all at the same time. I just love the sound of her voice as she calls out in the 2nd video. Could she be any cuter?! :) (yes, I'm a proud mommy, I can't help it!)

Jacob Greg Penner Has Arrived

2009-10-01T17:49:00.000-07:00

Priya has a new cousin! Jacob Greg Penner was born this afternoon to Joel and Emily. He was 7 lbs, 9 oz and 20 in. long. Congratulations to Joel, Emily & Ella! We're so excited for you!! Priya has been oohing and aahing over his photos on Facebook and keeps saying, "Jake? Jake?" She is happy for you too! :)

New Nephew Almost Here!

2009-10-01T13:44:00.000-07:00

Exciting news! Emily went into the hospital this morning in labor! Our little nephew is finally on his way!!! I'll be sure to update as I hear more! We are praying for you, Emily & Joel, and for your son's safe arrival!

Happy 2nd Birthday Priya!

2009-09-19T15:01:00.000-07:00

Today was a special day for little Priya - she turned 2! We celebrated with a small birthday party at a great park in our area. Priya had a blast and we loved watching her enjoy herself.

Happy Birthday sweet girl! We love you!

In the afternoon after Priya's nap we enjoyed a bit more time with Grammy & Pappa at their house. They will be heading back up to Canada tomorrow so we wanted to get in some extra time before their departure. Below Priya performs her new favorite song as she tears through Grammy's book collection.

Priya has also been enjoying the table set that Grammy and Pappa got her for her birthday. She also showed off her growing knowledge of colors. Well, it's hit and miss but she's getting there... :)

A Long Overdue Update

2009-09-12T13:23:00.001-07:00

Yes, yes, I know. I am usually so good about keeping this blog updated quite regularly. Well, I have a good excuse. I've been working like a mad woman! Today is the first day I've had off in 3 solid weeks and I am rejoicing! We survived 2 weeks of intensive training with our student leaders and are now one week into the fall semester.

The overall tone of this new year is extremely positive and I'm excited to see what the Lord has in store for Simpson this year! I personally have gotten a running start with my new position (Residence Life Coordinator/Student Conduct Administrator) and have found myself neck deep in a rather intense and serious disciplinary situation with one of our students. But the pressure to resolve the situation has resulted in an acceleration of the development of our new discipline program. I am feeling much more prepared to work with the situations that will continue to arise throughout the school year. So despite the craziness I'm thankful.

My parents have been in town and have been our personal heroes during this busy time. They have given so much of their time and energy to watch Priya and have given me great peace of mind knowing that she was safe in their care. Thank you SOOO much Grammy & Papa for being such a tremendous help to us these past few weeks!!

Priya is just a week away from her 2nd birthday. She continues to amaze us with her rapid growth and development. Our baby is gone and in her place is a lively, fun-loving, intelligent, & loving little girl. Her favorite things these days are going outside anytime she can, singing songs (ABC's and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star are two of her favorites), counting to 13, swimming, snuggling, reading, climbing stairs, swinging and sliding at the park and playing with friends. She hugs everyone and everything she meets and is thrilled to have our campus full of students again. There is never a dull moment with little Priya around. Here are a few pictures that capture her ever-emerging personality.

By the way, the first two pics are of Priya in an outfit that she received as an anonymous gift in the mail this week. We have no idea who sent it (and the other adorable items that came with it), but if the giver is reading this, THANK YOU!!

This last photo was taken on Tuesday evening at Simpson's Annual Toga Party. I used one of Priya's baby blankets to make a toga. She had a blast, as always.

Never a dull moment in Student Development

2009-08-13T11:10:00.000-07:00

One of the things that I appreciate about working in Student Development is the fun that we have together. We had our staff retreat on Tuesday and Wednesday this week and on one of the days were asked to give a brief presentation for the rest of the team. We decided to spruce it up a bit by dressing up in crazy costumes with no real purpose. It was hilarious and we created a special memory. And in case you're wondering, yes, that is a penguin beak on my face!
We had to take a staff photo for Univeristy purposes and are a little afraid that this is going to come back to haunt us - or end up in one of our publications or something.

"Snug!"

2009-08-11T21:58:00.001-07:00

Ahhh...there's nothing like some "snug" time with Daddy! Priya has become quite the snuggler these days (she cutely calls it "snug") and has LOVED the special time with Daddy now that we are home again.

Home At Last

2009-08-03T19:44:00.000-07:00

We finally made it home! The day went well for the most part. We left Steinbach at 5am and arrived at the airport by 6am. I had no problems getting through customs in Winnipeg and sat at the gate for about 45 minutes before boarding. When I checked in they told me that there was almost no chance of there being an open seat on the 1st flight to use Priya's car seat. But it definitely worked out in our favor and we ended up with an extra seat! Priya slept for a whopping total of 30 minutes! But hey, it was better than nothing. :) She was an angel on the flight so I didn't mind.

We had about 2 1/2 hours in Denver to kick around (we had a minor delay there) and then hopped on our 2nd flight for nearly 3 hours to San Francisco. The flight was totally full so we didn't have an extra seat. But we survived. :)

In San Francisco we encountered a delay that kept us there for 3 1/2 - 4 hours. That was pretty brutal but again we made it through. We lucked out on the last flight at the last minute and ended up getting 2 seats as well! I think a stinky diaper may have helped but that's another story... :)

Ashish greeted us at the airport and Priya's reaction to him brought tears to my eyes. He enthusiastically called out her name, she turned around, squealed very loudly, and then ran to him with her arms outstretched. It was a beautiful sight to see father and daughter reunited. We were pretty happy to see each other too. :)

So after 16 hours of traveling we are safely back at home. Ahhhh...I had a wonderful time in Manitoba but there really is no place like home!

Oma's Big Day!

2009-08-01T20:20:00.000-07:00

Today was another terrific day! Both Tanya's, Emily, Judy & I got together in the afternoon for coffee at an adorable little place here in Steinbach. We had an amazing time sharing stories and getting to know each other better. Before the end of our time together every one of us had teared up (in a good way). Ahhhh...female bonding at its best! :)We then got together with everyone for Oma's 85th birthday party celebration. There was no end to the fun we all had together today!

Oma received a digital photo frame as her birthday gift today. Everyone gathered around to see the photos that everyone sent to be included on the frame.
We also celebrated my parents' 40th anniversary today too.

Flying Hot Dogs and Tacos, Oh My!

2009-08-01T20:18:00.000-07:00

On Friday morning we attended the Pioneer Days Parade in Steinbach (boy did that ever bring back memories from when we attended the parade as kids!). The weather was pretty bad (it rained through most of it), but we enjoyed it nonetheless. I remember candy being thrown at these parades as a child but this far surpassed anything I had ever seen! They threw candy, freezie pops, water bottles, sodas, hot dogs, dog food packets and much, much more! Well, some of it was handed out, but still... They even gave out soccer balls! It was quite the party!

In the evening, Greg and Tanya had us over for a fabulous Mexican Fiesta Night! This had to be one of the funnest nights I've had in years! We played Wii (my first time), Rock Band, Telephone Pictionary (and wow did we ever laugh!), had a fabulous meal (thanks Tanya) and had an all-around wonderful time together!

We Pulled It Off!

2009-07-30T19:40:00.000-07:00

Oma's great surprise was priceless! Oma never saw it coming. :)

And here are the promised pictures of the fun-filled night:

The Lap of Luxury

2009-07-30T11:58:00.001-07:00

Last night Tanya and I enjoyed a relaxing time hot tubbing with the kids. Talk about luxury! The kids fed us grapes as we soaked our cares away!

Steinbach!

2009-07-29T10:24:00.000-07:00

It's so awesome to be here in Steinbach! I just wish that Ashish could be here with us to enjoy it all!

This morning we ventured over to my uncle's business - Harv's Air Service - and got to see almost everyone! Aunt Bettie was outside when we arrived and then Uncle Harv and Greg came out to meet us. Wow, was it ever good to see them! I have such wonderful childhood memories of my time here and the thought of being able to have almost everyone together again has me giddy with happiness!

Priya was a bit off this morning due to less sleep than normal last night but she sure took to Uncle Harv right away! I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that he looks so much like Grandpa? :)Luke arrived while we were there as well so we were able to see him too! I can't believe it's been 8 years since I'd seen him!
Adam & Tanya:
Greg and Priya:

I didn't get a photo of Aunt Bettie but that will be coming soon. We haven't seen Greg's Tanya yet but are hoping to see her very soon too. It's only 12:30pm here so there's still so much of the day to go! Judy, my parents, and Joel, Emily & Ella will be arriving today as well! What a great day, eh? :)

Meghan & Dylan's cousin Jasmine is also staying at their home for a few days. They all piled in the backseat of the car with Priya this morning. We had a mosquito infestation in the car and Tanya was trying to kill one that just wouldn't die. She kept saying "Die!" and Priya picked up on it. We thought it was pretty funny...

Operation Surprise Oma - Part 1

2009-07-28T21:57:00.001-07:00

Round one was effectively executed today! After a wonderful stay in Winnipeg with Cynthia we trekked out to Steinbach to surprise Oma. Cynthia held Priya and had Caleb and Carson with her as she knocked on Oma's door, while I hid around the corner. Oma's reaction was priceless and I was happy to be able to get it on video. We didn't let the cat out of the bag on the additional visitors that will be showing up tomorrow, so the surprises will continue to come!

Priya has talked about Oma a lot since our Montana trip and she was excited to get to see her again!

After spending some time with Oma we met up with Tanya and Dylan at McDonald's for dinner. The kids enjoyed their dinner and then had a blast playing together.

We ended the day by heading back to Tanya's home, where I will be staying for the duration of my time in Manitoba. We all took the kids to a nearby park before Cynthia and the boys headed back to Winnipeg. Tanya and I enjoyed some girl talk after the kids went to bed and waited for Adam to return from an air show.

What a great day! I was giddy driving into Steinbach today and so excited about all the family time that is yet to come. Our time here has been wonderful already and there's so much more fun to come! It's been far too long since we've all had some good, solid quality time together and this is a tremendous gift!

Friendly Manitoba

2009-07-26T22:28:00.001-07:00

Priya and I are currently in Winnipeg, Manitoba. We are here visiting family and to celebrate my grandma's 85th birthday. Shhhh...don't tell her! She doesn't know we are here yet! :)

Ashish wasn't able to join us on this trip b/c of his school commitments so unfortunately he is back home studying like mad and gearing up for another big test tomorrow. Good luck honey! I'm praying for you and know that you'll do great on this one! We miss and love you lots!

We arrived yesterday at about 11pm and I'm happy to report that Priya did amazingly well! We only had a few minor snags (including a delayed flight that almost caused us to miss our connection from Denver to Winnipeg) but we made it in the end. We must have been quite a sight in that airport. I wish I had a picture! I had a small rolling suitcase that held Priya's diaper bag and our laptop (easier to transport in the airport than carrying separately) and we also had Priya's car seat with us since 2 of the 3 flights allowed us to have an extra seat for Priya. I attached the car seat to the suitcase and dragged it behind and then perched Priya on top of the suitcase, her back leaning up against the handle of the suitcase that I was pulling as we power walked through the airport. It was quite a show (and we had comments galore about it) but it got us where we needed to go and Priya thought it was fun having a "ride" in the process!

My cousin Cynthia met us at the airport. It was wonderful to see her after 2 years (it's been 8 since we've been here in Manitoba!). We are staying in her beautiful home with her husband, Chris, and their adorable boys, Carson (5) & Caleb (2).

We enjoyed the day watching the kids have a blast with each other in the morning (man, did they ever hit it off!!) and then went over to Aunt Marge's for the afternoon. Today was my cousin Stacey's 20th birthday so she and her boyfriend Dan were also there and we were able to celebrate her special day with them.

There is so much I could say about today, but it's late and I'm fighting to keep my eyes open. It was a great day and it ended with a wonderful chance for Cynthia and I to have a long chat while everyone else was asleep. There is much fun yet to be had during the next week and a lot more family to see! It's so great to be here!

Stacey and Dan:Stacey, Aunt Marge & Cynthia:

Carson spent much of the day hugging Priya. It was funny to watch how much they quickly bonded with each other!The kids spent some time playing outside at Aunt Marge's home in the evening. The sidewalk chalk was a hit!

Then it was time to get cleaned up so off to the bath they went.

Amen!

2009-07-19T22:13:00.000-07:00

Priya is at an interesting stage right now. We are having a difficult time getting her to keep her clothes and her diaper on during nap time and bed time and have subsequently been cleaning up some not-so-fun messes these days. I think we are getting closer and closer to potty training! I've been trying all sorts of things to make it more difficult for her to get her clothes off (ie. putting her button-up pj's on backwards, layering onesies under pj's, etc). Today I put her down for a nap in a shirt and tighter-fitting shorts, forgetting to add a layer to make it more challenging. Needless to say the result wasn't a good one... I won't be making that mistake again!

Her language is also just exploding these days! She loves to name everything she sees and is SO proud of herself when she names something new. She has recently done two things that we especially thought were incredibly cute and just had to share!

1) She likes to pray! She'll ask to pray before her meals and before she goes to bed. It started with her saying, "Dear Jesus, Amen!" and now she's adding words in the middle (unintelligible to us for the most part, but I'm sure they are something special to her). We were able to catch one version at dinner tonight. I think she's thanking Jesus for food. What a cutie!

2) Our little 22-month-old can count to 10!!! I wasn't able to capture it perfectly tonight, but I still thought the video was cute. She can count all the way to 10 on her own and then if we fill in 11 and 12 she'll say thirteen! She just added that yesterday. She is SOOO proud of herself! In this video she skips a few numbers but that doesn't keep her (or us) from being proud of her accomplishment. :)

2009-07-16T21:03:00.000-07:00

Priya's friend Madilynn spent the afternoon at our place today and the girls had a blast playing together. I pulled out our little bubble maker toy and the girls had a ball with that! They also enjoyed "taking turns" and "sharing" as they fed a stuffed bear and gave each other rides in Priya's duck tub. Fun times!

Montana Day 3

2009-07-03T02:33:00.000-07:00

Several of us had a low-key day back at the cabin today. So Emily and I seized the opportunity to dress the girls up and try to get some cute pics of them. Ella and Priya are having so much fun together! The first thing out of Priya's mouth when she wakes up in the morning or from a nap is "Ella! Ella! Ella!" She can hardly wait to see her! And we are, of course, thoroughly enjoying watching them interact with each other.

Below - this was an attempt at a hug that turned into more of a tackle.
Priya has developed quite a love for cats (and surprisingly enough I had nothing to do with it!) so she was pretty thrilled to discover a cat on the property where we are staying.

Grandma and Aunt Judy taught the girls "Ring Around the Rosie" just before dinner and they very quickly caught on. Could they be any cuter?! :)