At the Ferres' home in Tucson.
Okay! So after many requests for a blog update, it is finally here. No pictures of our apartment yet because it is still in process...although, I think it will always be in process. :) But, pictures of the apartment will be coming!
Natalie and I have now been in Cary, NC, for about a month, minus a week for a wonderful trip to the Outer Banks with the Shipmans. It is beautiful here; it's a wonderful mix of city and country. Our apartment is great; our only difficulty has been trying to find a way to shove all of our stuff in to it!
We believe we will be going to Christ the King Presbyterian Church, which meets in downtown Raleigh. It's a church plant that is pastored by a man who married friends of ours in Tucson, and so far, we've really enjoyed being part of that body. We didn't visit many churches, mainly because we wanted to get plugged in some where if we are only going to be here for 10 months, which is possible.
Thank you all for praying for us during our crazy transition. Looking back on it, it was just wild. I thank God for my mental health, because I seriously think I was losing it at various points in the process. Anxiety, fear, stress, and exhaustion can do powerful things to one's health, and I praise God that He sustained us. We clung constantly to His provision, which is always a beneficial experience, however difficult.
And now, what you've all been waiting for...Natalie! I can't say enough good things about how wonderful she is. Many of you know that at least for awhile, I'll be staying home with her full time. This is such a welcome change after being away from her full time. She is so smart, sweet, and vivacious. She is curious, LOVES books, and constantly looks to us to guide her next steps. She loves her daddy and her mommy, and she loves meeting new people.
She is starting to go to just one nap per day, I think. Still trying to figure that out. She's a foodie - I give her all kinds of interesting foods, and it's starting to come back to haunt me. :) For instance, her dinner tonight was supposed to lentils mixed with sweet potatoes, and then apricots for dessert. However, when she saw that I was making a mango/black bean/jicama salad for dinner for Taylor and I, that's all she wanted - and boy, did she love those foods! She refused her dinner, which she rarely does, in favor of the interesting new foods that I let her try. She loves trying new things and does so readily. I still make almost all of her food, unless we're out, and I've loved doing that for her, even in amidst the stress of the spring.
Natalie is one of those babies who is just delightful to be around. She rarely whines or cries, and she's pretty responsive to correction. At this age, we've just been telling her "no" when it is merited, and she looks at me quizzically, and then typically changes course. She is such an open book - so happy, so uncomplicated, and so loving. Today my prayer for her is that she would maintain this spirit throughout her life, that despite the trials of life that may come, Natalie will always have the exuberant joy that she has now.
Reading with Aunt Sarah in Tucson
One of the nice things about moving was that we got to set up our apartment with baby in mind. Believe it or not, I intentionally put the magazines on the lowest shelf so that she could pull them down and paw through them without hurting herself.
2 comments:
LOVE this, and love you and Natalie too.
I'm so glad you guys are settling in well. Thanks for posting the update!
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