Date night

Ariel and I brought back our date night with a fantastic dinner at Al Porto, one of our favorite restaurants. We got there early enough for sunset and photos and then had a nice dinner while the baby slept! We wrapped him all up so the mosquitos wouldn't get him and ended up spending 1.5 hours just talking and enjoying our time while he snoozed!

Cabarete dinner

My mom left and Ariel and I began our preparations for heading to the U.S. One of our priorities was spending as much time with family as possible. We had a lot of meals and going out time, trying to soak it all in!

Sea Horse Ranch

We were able to take a night to have dinner at Sea Horse Ranch. This place is special to us because Ariel took me on our first date there, we got engaged there...and then married there! It was an awesome night as we sat overlooking the ocean. Josiah slept in a chair and listened to the crickets and ocean while we ate an awesome dinner.

Baby dedication

It was special to be able to dedicate our baby while in the Domincan Republic, surrounded by our church family. We chose Alberto and Lydia to be the godparents of Josiah because of how special they have been in our lives. They are like parents to me and have been crucial in my growth, care, and guidance in the DR-especially starting out. I lived with them for about 3 months and learned so much about humility, service, prayer, and values. During the presentation, Josiah didn't take his eyes off of Alberto, it was really sweet. We know that this doesn't make Josiah a Christian, but we promise to raise him in God's way, to follow after Him, and to continue to make Him the center of our family.

Together as three

Words don't do justice to how nice it is to be together. Those first weeks that we had apart thankfully are now a gone and we continue to cherish our time together. It is so fun to be parents to little Josiah, to have the support of each other, and to learn about our baby with each other. My mom took these photos while we were at the hotel to take advantage of the great backdrops and settings.

Changes

Josiah had a lot of changes in a few short weeks, but did so well with all of them. He went from snow to sun, English to Spanish, quiet to noisy, grandma to daddy...and the list goes on. He's such a good baby though and came through it all like a champ!

Visting

My mom and I stayed at the hotel while Ariel went to work, but he was able to come and visit us on his lunchbreak, hence the shirt and tie while we're in bathing suits. It was such a nice time!

Baby

Josiah liked the beds on the beach the best.

Hotel time

Before we left, I got sent an offer for an allinclusive hotel in the DR. It was for $20/person a day for what normally is over $100/person a day. My dad booked us in and we were able to relax and enjoy the beach and sun and rest up!

Family

New Years

We celebrated New Year's Eve at church with the whole group

Daddy Ariel

I love watching Ariel be a daddy. I love being a parent with Ariel. All the things I learned in 6 weeks, Ariel had a crash course in in just a few days. He's doing so well in his new role and it's fun to be parents together. Sometimes, well, everyday, we watch Josiah sleep together. Yesterday Ariel went to put the baby to sleep for the night and it had been quiet for awhile, so I went to check on them. I walked in to find Ariel asleep and Josiah sucking Ariel's finger with wide eyes!! That being said, he has such patience and stamina that is so necessary as this little one grows and changes. Oh, how nice it is to be together. May I never take it for granted.

Words

I feel like I'm drowning in pictures and will never get them all posted. Because of that, I lack any post of actual significance. So here I am taking a break from the photos, which I love so much, but just breaking to actually write something more than a passing thought. So here are some insights into these last two months of motherhood...

-I love being a mom more than I thought
-I'm more tired than I thought
-I never knew how much I would need my mom
-I love this kid so much, it literally hurts my guts sometimes
-Sometimes I stay in my pajamas all day until just before Ariel gets home and I get cleaned up to pretend I've been like that all day
-There are days when nothing else gets done except napping, breastfeeding, and diaper changes
-Most of the time, I don't know what I'm doing
-I need more help than I thought I would
-It is the most overwhemling, amazing, incredible feeling in the world.

What I love about being Josiah's mom these days
-how he smiles when he looks at me
-when he touches my face while nursing
-that he knows me
-that I'm the go-to person when he's upset
-that he fusses when I come in the room after he's just woken up and sees me


-I have done all the things I said I wouldn't do:
+take the carseat into the store
+not go out because he is napping
+get home early cause he needs to nap
+let my life revolve around naps
+use a pacifier

-Sometimes I feel like a bad mom cause I don't follow what the books say, or even the law, like:
+I let Josiah sleep on my chest and sometimes I sleep too. I mean, really, sometimes we just need to do that
+I've taken him out of his carseat while the car is moving. On a freeway. And breastfed. But I wasn't driving.
+Sometimes I let him cry and walk away. Hey, after all our time together, I think we could both use a break.
+letting him nap his whole nap with the pacifier in because I know he'll stay asleep longer
+sometimes the only "tummy time" he gets in the day is when he is sleeping on it
+I left him with the sales clerk while I grabbed my purse from the car (he was in his carseat and that thing weighs too much and it was just right outside the door...always in sight)

I had to do lists because that's how my mind has become to function better. I am always checking the clock and trying to remember his last feeding/nap/diaper/burp/coo/etc. So I make lists a lot too, trying to remember things that my brain pushes out so it can instead remember these useless times, because in all reality, it doesn't matter if he ate an hour ago...I'm going to feed him again if I think that's what that cry means.

It's the best thing being a mom. I love the ups and downs and cries and smiles and coos and wiggles. There's just nothing else like it.

Meeting

Josiah continues to be a champ as he meets the whole world! We take walks and stop at almost every house (or so it seems sometimes) and meet as we walk! He's gotten lots of cuddles from his great grandmas which is fantastic!

Wash

Ariel asked me if he could be in charge of washing the baby's clothes. Of course! He is such a good husband and always says how much he loves to wash such little clothes. I have to admit, I kind of like it too. There's just something fun about pulling mini socks out of the water...

Visiting work

Josiah got to visit his proud daddy at work too. Ariel was smiling from ear to ear as he got to show off his little boy to everyone. We went from office to office and Josiah went from hand to hand. He doesn't know what to make of all these changes yet but is doing amazingly well. His dad is so proud of him though and it's worth it all to see how he loves this little guy!

Family time

Josiah continues to spend time with family and friends and get to know them all. It has been nice to just have relaxed time with everyone, not needing to rush out to the next thing. Ariel has had a lot of days off as well with all the holidays, so it's been great to have him so near. I have been learning lots about breastfeeding in public and have become somewhat of a pro at it. Thankfully the DR isn't as sensitive as the US about things like that so I don't feel so nervous about covering up.

Back in Montellano

Josiah continued meeting family and friends once we got back to Montellano. It was funny because we had just come from cold Oregon and it seemed fairly warm to us in the DR. Well, for the Domincans, it was cold and so everyone thought I had to have a hat on Josiah's head. Not only did I not put a hat on him, I was actually taking clothes off the poor kid cause he was sweating! It's just a different climate and customs...we're all getting used to the differences!

Puerto Plata arrival

We got off the bus in Puerto Plata to what seemed like the entire city waiting for us! It was such an emotion for everyone to be there to meet this little man. Josiah was a little overwhelmed by it, but he's starting to get used to lots of new faces and getting passed around. I loved how proud Ariel was to show off his son, bringing people over to see him and making sure we had a picture of each step of the way.

At Last!

And then it actually happened, we got to finally be with Ariel. Words can't describe the joy and relief it was to be by his side again. How amazing and special it was to be able to hand him his baby after all these weeks. He just kept staring at him and watching him and smiling. I loved watching Ariel watch Josiah.

We stayed in Santo Domingo for the night, as it's about 4 hours away from where we live in Puerto Plata, but it worked out well because we were able to go to the U.S. Consulate for Ariel's visa. He had an open appointment from the last time he was there, so we went first thing the next morning. After waiting for 3 hours, we were both called into a little booth. I was so nervous at this point as this was going to decide so much for us. We lasted about 30 seconds in there, which included maybe 5 questions, and the visa was approved. Finally. We would be together in the States after all. I was beginning to doubt it! From there we jumped on the bus to Puerto Plata with so much to be thankful for.

Ft. Lauderdale

We got into Florida at 5am Florida time...that's just 2 for us Oregonians! We spent what seemed like an eternity there, walking, sitting, eating. Because of so many other cancelled flights, the airport was packed with often no place to sit, yet alone a good enough place to sit to nurse little Josiah. We did our best though and made it to the next flight. We had seats in the first row which was awesome for getting on and off and moving around with a baby. It was such a relief to step onto that last plane, knowing that Ariel would be on the other end finally! My mom was such a huge help during all the journey, walking Josiah and giving my arms a break. She was a great pack horse and got all the equipment around for us. I couldn't have done it without her, honestly.

First stop: Long Beach

One of the great things about the re-routing was that we got to meet up with my brother Dennis and sister in law Abby in Long Beach. They drove the hour out to meet us at the airport and have dinner for a few hours. It was so nice to be with them again, I haven't seen them for 3 years! They got to have some cuddle time with Josiah as well which is always special! It's amazing how it worked out that way, I'm so glad it did! We then got on a stand by flight to Ft Lauderdale and literally ran to find our seats on the plane when they said we were on it! What a relief to know we were really and truly going to make it to Ariel!

To the Dominican Republic!!

We finally made it to the 27th of December...the day to go to Ariel!!! And wouldn't it just work out that a huge snow storm in NY cancelled our flight! My mom and I headed early to the airport and had some magic workers at Jet Blue work for nearly 2 hours to find us a way there! We got routed through Long Beach and then to Ft Lauderdale, then to Santo Domingo...but it meant we would get there. Josiah did so well on the flights, just sleeping and eating and smiling. He got his first flight wings which he is excited about too!

Christmas Day

Christmas Day we started with oatmeal pancakes and bacon..the best way! Josiah then got to read his books, which he pays attention to so much. headed over to the McCool grandparents house. The boys started early with their bows and arrows and loved running through the fields shooting everything! It is way more fun having Christmas with a kid...even if he is a baby. Josiah loved Christmas this year and can't wait until the next one!

Christmas Eve

We celebrated Christmas with the Dixon family on Christmas Eve. John and Rachel and the kids came over along with my Dixon granparents. We had a great dinner that my mom made and then to the presents! Josiah was showered with all sorts of gifts that he was, of course, thrilled about! I'm excited about his Johnny Jump Up! It says he can't be in it until 4 months, but at the rate this kid is going, I feel like I could nearly put him in it already! Ariel sent him an amazingly soft blanket that he cuddles up in, it makes him even more snuggly, if that is possible!

Vaccines

Josiah got his 2 month shots a bit early (at 6 weeks) because we'll be heading to the DR. He didn't get any extras, just the regular baby shots, but it was still a lot! He got some oral drops and then 3 injections! Poor little guy. I held my breath and was brave...and Josiah was too. He did really well and just got a bit crabby in the nighttime. He was all smiles to the pediatrician though and had a great check-up. He's now a whopping 10 lbs of a baby and going strong!

Two hands

Hey, sometimes you just need your hands free, you know?!

Growing up

This baby is growing so fast! It is so hard because I love each new thing he is learning and doing but then realize he's leaving behind his newborn days. He is so strong and holding his head up like a champ...so much so that he hates laying down or being cradled like a baby! If he's being held, it has to be upright only! He's smiling more and so attentive and interactive, following with his eyes and starting to recognize me. Hey, that only took 6 weeks!

Ready for Christmas

Josiah got some great Christmas outfits this year and looked so sweet in them! He wore them a lot as the days got closer, full of Christmas cheer! Someday I may get in trouble for putting him in these outfits, but as he's just a baby, I took advantage of it!

Salem visit

We got to visit the Dixon family in Salem and see their Christmas tree. Josiah did so well on the car ride and is starting to put up with his car seat a lot better! He has the best big cousins that love him so much and take care of him. It's fun to see them with him and how they are ready for anything!

Seattle

We made a trip to Seattle this week to get Josiah's first passport! With the new rules, they require both parents to be present or a signed form if they can't. So after mailing things back and forth to Ariel (via friends that are there) we were ready. We went first into Portland to get a copy of his birth certificate, then to get the cutest passport photos EVER! We had an appt for Tuesday at 10 am, so my dad suggested we just head up Monday night and be there so that we didn't have to drive so early on Tuesday morning. It was perfect! We didn't get into the hotel until around midnight, and after feeding and showering, got to sleep around 1:30 a.m., but it was so nice not to have to drive early morning!

We dropped off the passport papers then had to wait about 4 hours, so my mom and I walked around the mall and parts of Seattle. I had a fantastic mix of sore throat, cough, laryngitis, and pink eye, so I was a good travel companion! We made it through the day though and walked around nice and bundled up.

It was a cold and super windy day in Seattle, so we wore coats and hats and gloves. Josiah traveled in style in the Moby and under blankets. When the wind did creep in, he started squirming around!

So we are officially ready for travel to the Dominican Republic!! It is the cutest little passport and we are so thankful to have it and be one step closer to being together again with Ariel!!

Another photo?

So I'm giving Josiah the "least photographed baby" award. It's just that he's pretty stinking cute and I'm constantly wanting to photograph it and send them all to Ariel to see! I send pictures daily so he gets to see his little man. It is going to be the most joyful day when we walk off that airplane into Ariel's arms. This has been such a challenge to be so far apart, but again, we trust that this was the best plan all along, that God has chosen this for us, and try to do our best with pictures and videos. But believe me, we are desperately looking forward to the 28th of December when we will finally be the parents that we dreamed of being together!

Santa!

Josiah made his first trip to sit on Santa's lap while Julie was here. He got all dressed up for the event and after waiting in line asleep, sat so well on Santa's lap. I know he's my kid, but it's pretty much the cutest Santa pictures I've seen!

Julie visits!

My best friend Julie and her little man Drew came to visit from Arizona last weekend. It was so special to see her again, even though we did so little! I'm still working on getting my sleep adjusted and need naps almost as much as Josiah, but we had a good time together anyhow. We were sent out of the house by my parents, ordered to leave the babies, and got pedicures. The next day the babies got to go with us to the mall and walk around. It was such a nice time to see her for a few days and catch up and we're hoping that next time, maybe it'll be Ariel and I visiting her in Arizona!!

Thanksgiving

On Thanksgiving we visited both sets of grandparents (or greats for Josiah). We went to visit the Dixons first and then in the afternoon to the McCools. Josiah liked being packed around in the Moby and snuggled up and slept. It is still fantastic and fun to be in Oregon...it hasn't quite worn off yet. Having Thanksgiving in the DR with all the Americans was fun, but just is never the same as being with family!

Watching

This little baby keeps us smiling! He loves to hold his head up and does so surprisingly well. He also loves watching the Christmas tree with its lights and colors, although I'm sure it looks pretty similar to the bottom right picture to him!

Christmastime

Mr. J is ready for Christmas...

O Christmas tree

We got the Christmas tree awhile back and Josiah had fun picking it out. Acutally, he slept the whole time, but he likes sleeping so that was fun for him. It has been YEARS since I got to pick out a Christmas tree, so it was nice to get to go along and find one!

Alert!

Mr. Josiah is so alert and attentive! When he is awake, he watches so closely and takes everything in. He looks so intently it seems he is going to say something the next minute! He is starting to have little smiles when he's awake which is super sweet. My favorite smiles are still right after he's done breastfeeding when he's in what I like to call his "milk coma", fully passed out, and he has big gummy smiles. Especially at 3 a.m., those are the best!

My mom

So of all the moms in the world, I got the best! It has been so fantastic to be staying with my parents in this time. They have spoiled me and supported me and loved me through it all. My mom stayed awake with me in the hospital through every contraction, and didn't leave my side for the c-section (except to take some photos of the new one!). She makes sure I'm getting my naps and brings me snacks while I breastfeed.

I love breastfeeding, don't get me wrong, but when the kid is eating every 2-3 hours for 30-40 minutes each time, that it a lot of sitting time. It's good because it forces me to slow down and I get to sit there and stare at him and pray over him and think through a lot of things. But it can also get boring sometimes and my mom is great at sitting and talking with me and waiting for him to get done! It's also amazing to have extra hands and great advice. About 1,000 times a day I'm asking if this or that is normal and how to do something. She could be making it up for all I know, but it is also so nice to have answers! So in the list of things I'm thankful for...my mom is way up there!

Going to see Papi!

We are going to be heading to the DR again in a few short (please, be short!!) weeks. On December 27th, we'll head back for the first trip for Josiah and the first time for he and his daddy to cuddle and love on each other. I wait and pray for that day with so much anticipation and excitement. I get watery eyes and cry (okay, a little postpartum hormones going on here!) just thinking about how sweet and special those first moments and days will be.

We have been making the most of these days apart by sending photos and videos like crazy. Ariel has always been the most positive and uplifting person that ever existed, so he constantly reminds me this is best for Josiah and we have made the right decisions. Although the time has been long, we are thankful it has been filled with lots of blessings and great days. We will cherish even more deeply now the time we are together and know how special it is.

We decided to wait until after Josiah completed his 6th week of life and we can get him his first round of vaccines and he has a little more time drinking ultra-defense building breastmilk! We will, of course, take all the extra precautions with him, but the main sources of illness (food/water) won't be an issue for Josiah as he is on a strict mama milk diet! We also just have to let go of our fears of illness and trust that God has done great things in Josiah's life and will always care for him just the same. We can't live in fear of the little things when the great big things have already been taken care of.

Photo shoot

We had multiple photo shoots of Mr. Josiah and it's so fun to have the photos. Who knew how much work it is to photograph a newborn! They have to be sound asleep so you can move them and position them. But that means eating before photos and then getting rocked soundly...it's a time-consuming process.

We also had a LOT of space heaters, plus the house heater going for his little naked shots. There was no way he would have slept so well without it!