Astana

Total time since start of adoption process!

Monday, January 7, 2008

Happy 1st Birthday, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I guess it has been a little while since the last post! Time sure flies when you are having fun!

We have been pretty busy around here. Matthew has been very healthy for the most part, but at the end of November, he came down with pneumonia. It came on really fast too! On the Sunday we had to wipe his runny nose just a few times, on Monday it really started to run and on Tuesday afternoon he was kind of gasping. He went on a ventilator at the hospital which seemed to help so we were sent home with the machine and some meds. That night he ran a fairly high fever for a few hours but by the next day, was already much better and raring to go. He never got sick again until after Christmas and this time it stayed just a cold, thank goodness.

December was a very busy month with Mommy's birthday, as well as Matthew's first birthday on the eleventh and his first Christmas a few weeks later! It was just the three of us on his big day. He had quite a little mound of gifts which he quite happily ripped the paper off of. He especially enjoyed his cake (both of them since mommy and grandma each made him one!) and ice-cream! We had the families over the next Sunday and Matthew had a LOT of fun with all his cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents all doting on him. Christmas day was spent at my parents and luckily Santa knew where to find Matthew! We got to do it all again with Michael's family a little later! I think Matthew's favorite gift was the CAT dump truck he got from my sister. He constantly pushes it around the house making engine sounds!

Yes, he is definitely a boy! Santa brought him some little trucks and for the past couple of weeks he has been pushing them around the floor making engine sounds for them as well! Here are just a few of the things our little monkey has leaned since the last entry:
  • How to open cupboards and pull out everything in them
  • How to help Mommy (or Daddy) empty the dishwasher
  • How to say cat (but his first words were DADA)
  • How to say Mama (and in that order!)
  • How to push veggies out of his mouth
  • How to blow kisses
  • How to "play" "If your happy and you know it clap your hands"
  • How to climb up and down our 16 stairs like a pro
  • How to pull the suitcase that was blocking off the stairs out of the way when he thinks mommy is busy so as to try climb up the stairs by himself
  • Since the cat eats cat food out of a bowl and Matty eats food out of a bowl, it must be all the same thing (except cat food doesn't taste that great - right Matthew)
  • Snowsuits suck
  • Riding in the sled is fun
  • Has eight teeth and is currently working on some molars

He isn't walking on his own yet, but sure cruises along anything he can pull himself up at. He is also getting pretty good at walking with you, holding only one hand. We aren't in a rush for him to walk though. He'll do it when he is ready. Besides, he is only just coming up on a year, corrected age! Well, here are some pics of our Matthew.




Splashing mommy in the hot tub

Wow, Santa thought I was a good boy!

Mmmmm birthday cake icing!

Driving my big CAT truck - brrrrrmmm!

Mommy and Daddy's present under the tree!

Lots of snow for sledding

Christmas day!

Matthew the artist at work!




5 comments:

Susan said...

Happy New Year! It's great to get an update on Matthew! He is gettin so big. My favorite pic of the Christmas day shot of the 3 of you with him in the truck.

Sounds like he is a typical boy, keeping you all busy!
I know you're busy, but we're glad you updated. :)

Maegan and Tony Van Sant said...

YAY! A new post! We are so happy to hear that you are all doing so well! I love the picture with the markers! It looks like you guys are having a blast! I will talk to you soon!

Maren and Peter said...

Hey you guys!
It's so good to see that you are all happy and healthy. I swear that he is even cuter than the last post that you put up. And he looks so much older already- doesn't it happen so fast? Rinat loved looking at the photos of him and I especially loved the photo of the three of you guys. Holidays are totally different now, but so much more fun I think. Keep in touch!
Love,
Maren, Peter, and Rinat

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