We, especially Timothy, enjoyed the last edible apples from our apple tree this year, and we’re appreciating the local winter squash harvest with soups, roasted seeds, and baked goods. I also had a lots of great sister time this month with our visitors. 🙂 The kids and I are mostly indoors now because of the rain and cold. We went to a nearby pumpkin patch on a wet day to learn about pumpkins, visit animals, pick a pumpkin and go on a tractor-powered hay ride. Timothy enjoyed the farm while Grace napped and observed quietly. 😉
We had Timothy convert to a toddler bed and he graduated soon after to a twin bed with a toddler rail this month. Andrew and I were suprised he adjusted so well to the new sleeping arrangements in quick succession. Perhaps he was just ready to be out of the crib and use a pillow and comfy blanket, just like Papa and Mama. We’re pleased to see him snuggle into his bed everyday and relish the new setup. Timothy’s been building pillow nests in the family room for himself and Grace to play in; it’s one of the cutest things they do together. He’s also become quite the imaginative builder with some of Andrew’s help as he creates lots of fun buildings and objects out of Duplo blocks.
Grace continues to be resilient and playful with Timothy. I think her enthusiatic laughter has convinced Timothy that he’s quite hilarious. She’s learning the layout of our house and how to navigate small obstacles as she practices crawling. Her first consistent word has been “Papa”, and it’s so precious to hear her say when spending time with Andrew in the evenings. We love hearing her sweet little voice babbling more often lately. Grace has discovered her vocal chords for expressing louder and stronger opinions now, reminding us of her presence. Gone are the days of sometimes forgetting she was in the room because she’d lay, sit, crawl and play so quietly. She is progressing along nicely with solids and may need to learn to eat her food more quickly because Brother waits eagerly to eat up her leftover fruit purees and baby cereal puff snacks.
We said goodbye to Stewie rabbit this month, which was a bit of a downer for all of us. It looked like it was time since he was already over 10 years old, a pretty good run for a Mini Rex. While sad, we are thankful for the decade Andrew had with him, the fluffy entertainment he provided to many, and how much Timothy enjoyed him. We’re bit disappointed Grace didn’t get to enjoy him since Stewie was such a good sport with little ones, but are thankful we have plenty of photos with which to remember him. Timothy seems to miss him sometimes, but he seemed to accept/understand his death well enough (for a toddler, anyway) and moved on quickly after waving goodbye.
I enjoy the rhythm of our fall weeks with Cantonese Storytime, community group, women’s study group, and BSF. I’m learning much about studying the Bible carefully and trusting the Lord to displace my fears and anxieties. This has been especially timely as we try to move forward after losing our third baby in September, and figure out where he wants us as we seek to be faithful to him with where we make our church home.
