Some more Colin time!

Our boy gets more and more aware of his world all the time. It's fun to capture it and share it with the fam. So here he is. :)

My plug for the Hummingbird Bakery cook book!

Mark got me this cook book for my birthday and I have loved everything I've made from it. From the raspberry cheesecake brownies to the Mississippi mud pie, it's been fabulous. Good thing we have to walk a lot.....

Valentine's Day at Chez Wilson

Eating out is pricey. And we have an infant. Thus, we had a lovely date at home for Valentine's day. I wore a dress, Mark donned a tie, Colin wore a diaper. :) Last year I made us PF Chang's style lettuce wraps, so this year I was much more traditional and did steak with sauteed mushrooms, baked potatoes, broccoli and a luscious key lime pie for dessert. We had it all--the candlelight, the classical music, the wine, oh and a small man in his bouncy seat who liked to stare at us and be cute.

All the little moments

So today Colin smiled at me. He did I promise. The thing is I have no photographic proof, because of course as soon as you grab the camera, he refuses to do it again. He has so many great little faces and noises, that I almost wish we could have our own version of the Truman show and have a camera on him all the time.
But all that to say, he really gave me his first real grin, unsolicited by gas or achieving a truly epic diaper. (which he has done twice in the last week, both times while I was on the phone.) Everyone tells you how fast babies change at this age and they're so right. So I have spent a lot of time when I hold him just looking at all his little features and trying to imprint them on my brain, because as my mother-in-law recently told me "you turn around to do the dishes and turn back to find that they're 18!" So I love looking at the chubby rolls that he is developing around his wrists and thighs. And I like playing with his fingers and tiny hands. And I absolutely LOVE the feel of soft baby breath in my ear as he snuggles his head on my shoulder. And I love his little (and big!) grunts for well, no reason that I can see and of course, who can resist baby toes?
He definitely knows Mark and I and he loves to stare at his daddy while Mark works on something. He also likes to lie on Mark's chest and just have some man to man time while they watch rugby. Well, Mark watches rugby, and Colin watches Mark. :)
I tried to take some video of Colin smiling, but of course he refused, but he's still cute so up it goes on the blog!

For the grandparents. :)

Today at 4:45 pm, Colin will be a month old. How time flies!! And so I thought I should give a picture chronicle of his growth, mostly for the grandparents and those not on facebook. :) We love this boy more and more every day from the small toes up to the cheeks of chub. So, heeeeeeeeeeerrreee's Colin!! (Applause)

From New Year's Eve to Epiphany: And we've had a lot of those!

After nine months, plus an extra two weeks, Colin Robert Wilson decided that he would make a dramatic entrance into our lives. All along I had been fearful that he would decide to have that entrance be Christmas Day, but he had other ideas and felt that New Year's Eve would be more spectacular. After all, it guarantees fireworks on one's birthday and the only other time you can say that is if you were born on the 4th of July. (And yes British friends, you can say that on Guy Fawkes' night. I hadn't forgotten. :)) After two days of rather intense labor I was beginning to think that he was actually going to wait to become a 2012 baby, but to my great relief, he came in right under the wire for 2011.
Mark, my parents and I had had other plans for New Year's Eve celebrations, the key part of which was spending it together with a new baby. But God had other ideas and so my folks enjoyed our treats at our flat while Mark and I stared very groggily at our new son in the recovery room. (By the way, my very first surgery experience was also not something I was expecting on New Years!!)
But what an appropriate way to begin a new year in every way. A new chapter in our lives started very neatly in a fresh, untouched year. I say neatly, but it was in every way not according to our plan. However, as my pastor is very fond of saying "God draws straight with crooked lines" and this is probably the most perfect example to date of that idea in my life. :)
And so my folks and Mark and I have truly had a week of epiphanies, leading to my parents' departure for home today and leaving Mark and I to a new life of being Wilsons three. So what are some of the epiphanies we've had?
1. The incredible love that leads you to not just say, but know in your core, that you can die for the sake of another person. How did God the Father so love us to send His only Son? My brain cannot comprehend the agony of their separation. How could I give my son to do such a thing? I could not. Thus, God is good.
2. A new level of gratitude and love on my part for my husband who was my rock during a very difficult labor in a new country. His patience and passion to fight for me was such a blessing and his laying down of self very evident. Our son is in good hands. :)
3. Massive joy to finally share with my parents what my siblings already have: a grandchild. God has given me the desires of my heart in this last year and a half with a loving husband and a sweet baby boy. I do not deserve these things and yet I have them. Good to remind myself of this at 2 am feedings. :)
4. An tremendous increase in the love for MY parents who came all this way and were such a help and comfort. After 32 years, it brings tears to my eyes to be able to present my son to the arms of my own parents and to share with them how they felt when I was born. ( my siblings too of course, but I'm the oldest you see :))
5. The amazement of studying a tiny hand that sits in mine and the two thoughts that came to my mind as I looked at it: first that my son is fearfully and wonderfully made, and second, that in 18 years, my hand will be dwarfed by his. I want to soak in every second of his tiny babyhood.
6. The joy of family. Mark and I are SO looking forward to spending a large chunk of our summer in the US with my siblings, cousins and grandmother. We just enjoy their company, but we also look forward to enjoying their company on the level of sharing parenthood with them and watching our children interact together. What a sweet thing is the fellowship of blood, both ours and Christ's.
7. For Mark's mum this is her first grandchild, and we look forward to sharing in her delight as she visits us soon.
8. The rather solemn responsibilities that Mark and I now have as parents to raise our son in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. It's very frightening, and at the same time lovely to think about. So a new level of prayer and dependence on God is found in this New Year. As you think of us, pray that we will seek Him continually as we raise a family.
Happy New Year!

Christmas Anticipation

I know, I'm terrible at updating. I blame not having a great camera as I feel the need to put up pics when I write to illustrate what I'm talking about. :) So Mark and I will work on the great camera part, particularly now that we have the best reason in the world to need one!
But we took some pics with his smart phone and that worked well, so I thought I'd show you  our flat. I may be about 9 months pregnant, but by golly, one has to have a fabulous Christmas tree and a dear friend helped us get ours last Monday. It's been fun adjusting to different traditions and trees over here. Sometimes it's quite trying but at Christmas it's been lovely. Mince pies and mulled wine are something Americans need to check out and no English home is complete without them at this time of year. But does that mean that my Christmas cookies are extinct? By no means!!! (As you'll see below) I'm all about the marriage of two cultures (obviously) I grew up getting a Grand Fir each year with our family. And I'll just toot my own horn here and say that I usually was the one to find the 'perfect' tree. I do miss those tree hunts, and the snow that went with them, but have discovered that England can give me a lovely substitute tree! It's called a Nordman fir and has the same gorgeous dark green shade as the Grand, but it's got the build and strength of branch of a Noble. So it's basically the perfect tree as I have some rather weighty ornaments. :)
So our flat is decorated, all cookie plates have been assembled and three candy cane coffee cakes are in the oven as I write. What's left? Well anticipation of course!! And not just for my favorite holiday. We'd really like a little boy to enjoy our tree on Christmas morning as well. :) We'll keep you posted!