A Brand New Shaw

Finally, a tooth!

2011-10-23T15:59:00.001-07:00

Fun and stories

2011-08-29T12:47:00.000-07:00

Here we are, making silly faces. Graham made Jon take about 20 of these, with a variety of expressions. But, this one was particularly flattering. :)

Eliot, eating corn on the cob (sucking on it, actually, since he still has not teeth) post pasta. Graham kept saying "Ew, Eliot is so gross!" And he did have a point.

Graham has been so funny and full of great stories lately and yet somehow I forget them all! He's so sweet with Eliot and they've really started to be "friends" now, although Eliot can't do many of the things that he's dying to do just like his brother. He's close to walking, but still doesn't seem to think it's necessary, so really doesn't want to put the effort in. He's taken many steps on his own multiple times, but whenever we try to stand him up and get him going he just plops down and crawls like there's no tomorrow.

The other day G had a rare potty accident because he didn't want to stop playing outside in the sandbox. When Jon asked him what happened, (perhaps he thought this might help him avoid our wrath!) he replied "I don't know, my kidneys just made me go pee". In a similar vein, yesterday he came down from using the toilet and proudly proclaimed "Mommy I just went pee and it ALL went in the toilet!". Hope that doesn't scare you away from coming to visit us, since we only have one bathroom...

He loves to give people nick names, so he currently calls his brother either El-y or El, and he has a very cute habit of calling me "Mother" or the shortened form "Mothe" (as in Muhth).

He continues to be captivated by anything Lego, Playmobile, or with either policeman or rocket/space themes, and he stills plays garbage collector on a regular basis. Sibling rivalry has begun to seep into our midst, particularly if Eliot tries to touch any of the aforementioned favored toys. Ever thinking, Graham is always quick to explain "NO EL YOU CAN'T TOUCH IT! [receives a stern look from one of us] It's not safe for babies, you might choke".

In sad news, our very dear friends the Wootens moved away last week, so Graham said goodbye to his best buddy Dash. When we tried to explain the move to him he kept insisting that Dash would be moving back soon, like we did after our trip to Africa. They were such great friends, we'll definitely miss sharing the ins and outs of life with them, but know that they will be going on to great things at Dartmouth.

In happy news, another very dear friend Debbie was here to visit this past weekend and we had so much fun together! The boys think she's awesome and Graham gets to be the ring-bearer at her wedding in just a few months! Hopefully he'll be old enough to make it all the way down the aisle this time...

Well, as I said I'm not forgetting all my good stories so I'll try to pop on and add some more when I think of them, or when they occur, in the next few days. Take care all!

time for some pictures!

2011-08-21T11:52:00.000-07:00

Well, after a wonderful summer of travel around East Africa we are settling back in to life in Ann Arbor, and I figured it was well past time to get some pictures on here. We had such a great time in Congo since my last post on Eliot's birthday, but we had very little access to internet or communication of any type, so my already poor updating became seriously delinquent. Thanks to those of you who haven't given up on us!

During our time in Beni, Congo we got to meet lots of new friends, enjoyed getting to know students and staff at UCBC, and also had a great time getting to know the town better and imagining a future life here as a family!

Some of the challenging parts included not having indoor plumbing or electricity, but we coped with those things much better than anticipated.

Each morning the boys and I had lots of fun doing the washing together (I will be happy if we go back after diapers are no longer an issue!) and the hot sun had everything dried by early afternoon. Funny enough we got so used to having generator power about 2 hrs a day that when we got back to all day power it felt kind of unnecessary and excessive! Funny how quickly perspective can change.

Graham loved playing with the pet monkey "Kiki" at our guest house, and feeding him fruits!

As some of you know our time in Congo was delayed and shortened by a long process trying to get our visas to allow entry. Thanks to tireless work from our friends in Beni we were able to squeak through with our documents (we actually had to print them out in the Kampala airport before catching our connecting charted flight; when Jon finally found a place where he could access his email the document had been sent to him 2 minutes earlier!) Here is a picture of us on our very own missionary (MAF) flight into Beni; in this shot you see the whole airplane, that's Jon's shoulder and the pilot's seat in the foreground. Graham loved having our own little plane and peppered the kind pilot with questions.

I also wanted to post a few more pictures of our idyllic time spent with Jon's family in Nairobi-- we had so much fun! Here is Eliot chillin with our neighbor friend Nicholas. Graham made friends with the entire neighborhood and had such a fun time with "Shosh" and "Babu".

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Here the guys are sitting on the car hood, for some reason one of their favorite things...

Now that we're back in Ann Arbor things are already gearing up for a busy semester. Both boys have spent as much time as possible in the sandbox, to make up for lost time, and Graham has been thrilled to reunite with his old buddies. We feel blessed to be back in this great community, and it's strange how much it feels like the time in Africa was just a dream in some ways! We're praying that God will keep the people and places we visited on our hearts in spite of the busyness of life here in the US. Thanks to all of you who prayed for us during our travels; I'll try to post some more details before too long, but you know how that goes...

Love to all!

Eliot's 1st Birthday!

2011-06-29T23:44:00.001-07:00

Feeding the giraffe

Crocodile Tooth!

Eliot is one year old! I can't believe it. His presence in our lives has brought so much joy in so many ways, he is a true blessing to our family. It's amazing to see how happy he makes others, and how affectionately his bright eyes shine as he makes new friends no matter what continent he's on.

For his birthday party we went to Nairobi Mamba Village which boasts a crocodile park with over 70 crocodiles (Graham and Eliot were entranced although their mother was sure to have nightmares--what horrible creatures!) as well as ostriches and a giraffe. After the party we came home and had cupcakes.-- Eliot kept saying "mmm---mmm--mmm" the whole time.

We will finally be heading to Congo on Friday, with the visas cleared and flights mostly figured out. Our time here has been so blessed, but we're excited to finally make it to Beni.

Love you all!

Happy Birthday Eliot!

2011-06-29T11:26:00.000-07:00

Feeding the giraffe

Crocodile Tooth!

For his birthday party we went to Nairobi Mamba Village which boasts a crocodile park with over 70 crocodiles (Graham and Eliot were entranced although their mother was sure to have nightmares--what horrible creatures!) as well as ostriches and a giraffe. After the party we came home and had cupcakes. I'll upload a video of Eliot enjoying his, although we didn't catch the "mmms" he made the whole time.

We will finally be heading to Congo on Friday, with the visas cleared and flights mostly figured out. Our time here has been so blessed, but we're excited to finally make it to Beni.

Love you all!

More adventures

2011-06-18T10:23:00.000-07:00

Graham on a jungle hike in Uganda

Two happy guys

Hello again to everyone!

We were supposed to be in Congo today (actually, yesterday) but due to a sudden complete change in visa policies were unable to leave as scheduled. Our friends in Beni are working on it from another angle, but in the meantime we're enjoying a bit more time in Kenya with Shosho and Babu!

Since we've been here Eliot has started standing on his own for a few seconds and is determined to do everything that Graham and his big boy friends do. He particularly loves digging into the huge trunk of Legos that Shosho bought from another missionary family and which Graham spends endless hours playing with. Graham, of course, loves to tell him cannot play with them. But, Eliot really holds his own, swatting Graham's hands away if he tries to hold him back. It gives me a tiny glimpse into the future combination of sibling friendship and rivalry.

Graham has become friends with the entire compound, and regularly goes "visiting" to various apartments on his own. There are three dogs here that he's also become quite close to, particularly one ugly mutt whom he has named "Police Dog Sparky". The dog's love for Graham is mutual, particularly since he doesn't seem to get much attention from anyone else!

Both of the boys seem so comfortable and happy here in Africa, they love meeting people and make friends so easily. They have both come to love Flora, who helps around the house here, and she has taken such good care of them, too! She even babysat one evening so the four of us grownups could go out together- what a treat! They were all happy as clams when we got home, Eliot had even fallen asleep in her arms.

In short, we're loving it here and are so excited to (hopefully) be getting to Congo soon. We're feeling so blessed and happy to be here together. Love to all!

Africa!!

2011-05-05T02:47:00.000-07:00

Finally, fast enough internet to post some pics and an update! The Shaw family has now spent over a month in Uganda and we are loving being a family here! The boys are so happy; they love all of the freedom they have to play and explore, the dirt that gets into every crevice each day, and the many friends who have come into our lives since we got here.

We've gotten to have so many fun adventures. Jon's research is going very well and I've enjoyed a few shifts at the local hospital, mostly helping out with their vaccination clinic. We feel so blessed by the opportunity to be here and love our "home" in Fort Portal. We are staying at a friendly little guest house and have made good friends with the staff, who especially dote on the boys. Overall, the transition has been remarkably comfortable and easy; the boys have been such troopers, even through moves and changes. Without further ado, a few pictures.

At the Amabere caves with our friends Doreen and her son Nino

Family photo at our guest house in Kampala, just after we arrived (you can still see the jetlag in Eliot's eyes!)

Graham climbing trees with his friend Ian

In the bathtub soon after we arrived at our dear friend Phil and Emily's house in Kampala. They gave us such a warm welcome!

2011-04-20T09:19:00.000-07:00

A few pictures

2011-04-15T14:44:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to put up a couple of recent pictures. The first two of Eliot are taken by Graham. He loves using the camera, and I think they show artistic promise, don't you?? Sorry, I don't know how to flip the second one in blogger.

Eliot has been crawling for the last couple of weeks, and getting into Graham's toys more which has caused a few conflicts. Even so, Graham is a very patient brother and LOVES to play with Eliot. I'm amazed at how much they already interact and play together. And they love each other so much! Sometimes they start giggling at each other and just can't stop. I love seeing them together!

Loving brothers: they are so sweet together.

April is here!

2011-03-06T06:35:00.000-08:00

(Ok, so I've been editing this post for so long that I just had to change my title from "March is here" to "April is here". I think that means it's time to post it no matter what!)

Graham and Eliot are enjoying their time together more and more as Eliot gets older and more interactive. He is scooting around at a slow crawl now, and is thrilled to be taking part in things. His favorite thing is "wrestling" with Graham, and he already holds his own, grabbing Graham around the neck and shoulders and, of course, pulling his hair, both of them squealing with glee all the while. I am wondering how many million times I will say "be gentle guys!" in the next few years. More than I can count, of that I'm sure.

Graham is at that wonderful age where he is full of questions and observations about absolutely everything, but of course has no sense of propriety yet. He is very used to seeing me breastfeeding Eliot and is quite enamored with the process. A few days ago though we were with a friend who began breastfeeding her baby. He looked over and said in a very polite, conversational tone, "Oh, (insert name here) I didn't know you had boobs!"

The other morning our washing machine's load got out of balance and it started making a loud banging noise while we ate breakfast. Jon was surprised and asked "What was that?" to which Graham responded "Don't worry Daddy, I think it's just me crunching my cereal."

Eliot had his 9mo appointment a few days ago and he seems to be doing great. His most recent stats: 28 1/2in tall, and 21lb5oz which means he's still been gaining over a pound a month! He has finally begun to accept solid foods in the last couple of weeks, which makes me happy and seems to be helping him rest a bit better. He continues to have the most laid back personality, and laughs at pretty much anything, especially anything that Graham does.

We only have a couple of weeks left before we leave for Africa- it's coming quickly! We're all excited about the adventure and can't wait to get back to the continent that holds such a huge place in our hearts. We appreciate your thoughts and prays as we prepare ourselves and the boys for this journey!

Much love to all, and I promise to put some pictures up soon, once I get them downloaded...

Fun times

2011-01-20T11:42:00.000-08:00

A recent trip to Detroit's Renaissance Center (GM's headquarter's)

Sweetness

I love these guys!

First day of school

We're having so much fun with boys now that we're all healthy again and back to our routines. Eliot continues to grow and fill out- I didn't know it was possible to have shoulder blade rolls, but he has somehow managed to grow them! His favorite activities include watching Graham do anything, having his hands or feet kissed, and pretty much any kind of direct interaction with other humans. He is so outgoing, I can't believe it. He recently weighed in at 20lbs6ozs and 27 1/2 inches, so he's very big and heavy for his age. (My arms and back are well aware of this!) A few days ago he did his first independent movement when he scooted backwards while lounging on the floor with Graham and I. The goal was to go forwards but he didn't seem to upset with the opposite result! He now frequently moves in circles, or backwards/forwards a few inches at a time. He thinks Graham is the funniest thing in the world, and I'll post a video at the end of him giggling at G's antics. Sorry, it is shaky and blurry at times, but it's hard to hold a baby while also trying to get him in the picture!

Graham has recently started preschool at the University's Child Development Center, and his class of 18 has 14 different first languages within it. He was very excited to try this new experience, and loves painting, playing with cars and tool boxes, doing crafts, playing outside and helping with clean up time. Most of the time we're all still home together, and we love to do everything from grocery shopping to trips to the science museum to sledding and winter hikes. Graham is a real natural with the sled, and can't seem to get enough.

He continues to crack us up with his wise sayings and wonderings. Last week's sermon at our church was a great one about the redeeming power of God's love. Our pastor used an illustration of a conversation he had had with his young son. He had asked him whether he thought his parents loved him as much when he was bad as when he was good. Jon decided to pose the same question to Graham on our way home from church. He paused for at least 30 seconds, obviously contemplating how he should answer, then said, brows furrowed, "Daddy--that's a bad question I think".

He is still so sweet and sensitive, it is (most days) a joy to be his parents. I am learning all over again to be very careful about what I say, as I now hear "Mommy, how many times have a told you..." He also repeats the nicer things, like last week when he came downstairs in the morning, gave me a hug, looked into my eyes and said, with great seriousness "Hey Sweety. Did you have a good sleep?"

He loves his brother Eliot, although already enjoys NOT sharing with him, and showers him with lots of hugs, kisses, and toys (those that aren't interesting or enviable in any way). They are quite a pair and they keep me busy and happy.

In other big news, Graham is officially potty trained, which has been a long time coming! We are so proud of him and happy to have only one in diapers.

Even bigger news, is that Jon got a Fellowship to study abroad this summer, so we will be in Africa (Uganda) for 3 months! His research there will be focused on Congo and we'll be near the border. We're so excited to get back and find out first-hand how our family will fit in on our "home" continent. Pray for us as we prepare for this big trip. The boys get their passport photos taken tomorrow!

I'm sorry our posts have been so sporadic... I really wish I was better at taking pictures and documenting like I was in Graham's first year of life. I guess that's second child syndrome, right? I hope Eliot knows we love him just as much, even if we have a few hundred less photos of his cute little face. Much love to all!

Funny Sayings and Winter Fun

2010-12-18T12:39:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago now Jon and Graham sat down in the coffee house chairs at PCC to "have a chat". Jonathan asked what he wanted to talk about. He pondered a moment, then said "There's so many problems- in the newspaper and stuff. And when we're driving we have to be careful not to hit anyone" all with a very serious look on face. A while later we asked how we should solve all of those problems in the newspaper, and he concluded "Everyone should have more cars, more race cars". So, there it is world leaders!

Here are some winter shots:

Here's a picture Graham took of Kate and Eliot, all by himself!

Another fall post, before fall is gone...

2010-11-15T17:42:00.001-08:00

Hello everyone!

The warm days are disappearing fast, and there has been lots of fun action at the Shaws to catch up on! Here is a picture of Graham in part of his Halloween costume. Along with his buds Dash and Emmanuel he was a Michigan marching band member. I spent a lot of time making the hat which he unfortunately refused to wear for the most part. Oh well!

Quick updates on growth and development: Last week Eliot had his 4 month check up and shots, which went much better than his last set! No hospital stay for us this time, although he did still seem kind of miserable for the day. He has continued to grow very quickly. He's now 24 1/2 inches long, and weighs 16lbs11ozs, right around 80th percentile in both fields. He started rolling over two weeks ago, much to our surprise; he is so laid back we didn't think he'd have such a strong desire to get moving already. It might have something to do with the fact that he loves to watch everything Graham does, and Graham very rarely stays in the same place for more than a minute.

Graham still loves his little brother very much, and showers him with hugs, kisses, and all kinds of toys and affection. Today I walked in from the kitchen and found this scene (btw Graham is laughing, not crying):

I started to scold Graham, but Eliot had a huge smile on his face. As it turns out, they were both having a jolly time.

Our dear friends the Rippys were here to visit last weekend, and we had an amazing time. Graham was so excited to have them both around, and continually asked "John Wippy" and "Charwotte" to "set the race" (his favorite car game). The guys got to see an amazing football game, and we all had a great time around Ann Arbor.

Graham's current passions are the movie Cars, any related paraphernalia, other cars and trucks, painting with water colors, snuggling his babies, and reading books to name a few. Tonight I asked him what story he wanted to read before bed and it took me a while to figure out that he wanted to read about "Jesus' Last Lunch". He continues to be enthralled with Bible stories, and really loves the Easter story, beginning with the Lord's Supper. What fun to watch him soak it all in!

I'll leave you with a quick video of Eliot laughing. He is so full of sunshine, he's just a joy.

Love you all!

Fall Fun!

2010-10-13T14:21:00.000-07:00

We're getting into all kinds of fun things here in Ann Arbor now that the leaves are starting to change color and a hint of crispness has entered the air. Actually, we've had beautiful weather so far, so it's been easy to get outside and enjoy some fun stuff. Sorry, I think I did something wrong with the photos, they look kind of compressed (although Eliot's cheeks really are that chubby!)

First off, the boys and I went to a nearby petting zoo one afternoon while Jon studied. Graham loved feeding the little goats carrots, although his favorite thing was watching the chickens and ducks march around. The hayride was also a big hit, where he enjoyed stuffing hay into every nook he could find. Sorry, no pics of that!

Next we partook of the delicious fall treat of fresh cider and homemade donuts at the Dexter Cider mill--embarrassing how quickly that 1/2 dozen was gone! Eliot has become a champion smiler and is starting to giggle quite a bit. I'm thinking I got two very extroverted boys somehow-such fun to see them interacting with others!

I hope you're all enjoying some nice fall days to. Come visit if you get a chance! We miss you!

A few more

2010-09-25T09:58:00.000-07:00

I've gotten better about taking pictures lately so I have a few more I wanted to share. We're starting into the fall season here in Michigan, and so far it's been beautiful, and thankfully not too cold! Jon has been working very hard at school, reading lots of books and articles and studying French alongside his history classes. We've been feeling very welcome in our community still, and are very impressed with all of the opportunities that the University has to offer, both for Jon and for our fam- it's been great! If any of you want to come for a visit, please do! This time of year there's lots of fun to be had picking apples, drinking cider, and enjoying the town. And Graham is already looking forward to this Halloween! On to the pictures. The first one is to show off the great onesie from Aunt Emily's New York trip (a hand-me-down from Maya). It's actually fairly accurate as Eliot tends to wake up to eat right about 2-3 am most nights; however, from my side of things it doesn't really feel like a "party". He's actually doing better all the time with sleeping, and is such a sweetie when he's awake that it's hard to complain. In #2 Graham is showing off his bike gear- he loves to wear his goggles and ride around the house pretending to be Diego or Emily Elizabeth (Clifford the Big Red Dog's owner). Too funny! #3 is just a cute brother pic in their Sunday clothes. What a pair!

Finally, some more pictures!

2010-09-21T17:27:00.000-07:00

I had to get some new pictures up of my darling boys--even looking at these I'm overwhelmed at how much I love them! Graham loves Eliot and is so sweet to him. Eliot already thinks Graham is hilarious and wants to watch his every move. He loves to sit and chatter back and forth while giving many gummy smiles, and is up for pretty much anything while we're all hanging out during the day. Here they are playing on the couch.

And here with scared faces!

Graham cheesing it up.

Here is Graham with his best bud Dash- don't they look like they could be related? Dash's mom Nelleke has been amazing friend to me as we've gotten settled here; we've spent many hours chatting while the boys play cars and our younger ones sit with us. Dash's dad Mike has also been a great friend for Jon; we're feeling very blessed to have found such an awesome family of friends!

2 month appointment

2010-09-08T10:53:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! We just got back from Eliot's 2 month appt at our new Pediatrician- great experience all around (although Eliot would disagree about the shots). Eliot now weighs 13lbs8oz (getting close to doubling his birth weight!) and is 24 3/4 inches long. That's the 79th and 92nd percentile, respectively. He is a champion smiler and cooer, so mellow and Dr. Yousef our new Pediatrician said he looks great. And this time, I didn't even cry at the first shots! We're still loving our new home and are enjoying some time with Shosho and Babu this week. What fun!

A few more

2010-09-01T12:56:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd make up for our recent dearth of postings by adding a few more pictures. Jon took the two boys out on the bus to buy a book, so I'm enjoying some time to myself! The boys and I had a great morning at the pool with our new friends Nelleke and her kids Dash and Scout. We had a blast! You'll notice in these pictures that Graham has learned to cheesy camera smile! I tell you what, he never slows down these days... Sorry the one of Eliot is blurry, but I wanted to show off his chubs. Too cute!

Pics!

2010-08-29T11:43:00.000-07:00

Well, Eliot's napping, Graham's out with Jonathan and I have a MILLION things to do, but first I must finally post some pictures! Eliot was 2 months old yesterday (already??? No way!) and continues to be such a sweet quiet soul- He loves to just hang out and watch the world (and his tornado of a brother) go by when he's awake, and spends many a peaceful hour sleeping in between. He has gotten significantly bigger, as you can see, and the chubbiness seems to be increasing by the minute. Graham loves that his brother now smiles at him and makes noises. One of our favorite things to do is sit and talk to Eliot together, and he exclaims "He said 'Goo'!...He said 'na-ga'!... Eliot's trying to talk!" as we listen. He seems very impressed with the fact that he is able to do so many more things that babies can't do, and eager for Eliot to learn how to do them. It's very fun to see. Well, enjoy the pictures! These are some of us hanging out around the house, on the bus, and in downtown Ann Arbor. (Courtesy of Manna's camera- we had a great visit with Manna and Granddaddy this weekend and miss them already)

Much love to all!!

7 weeks later...

2010-08-09T06:34:00.000-07:00

I can't believe so much time has passed since our last post! Since that time we have visited all of our extended families, traveled through 9 states and Canada and Jonathan completed a trip to Africa and back, and now we're finally settled into our new home in Ann Arbor, MI. Pretty exciting first two months of life! Needless to say, it's been tough to find time to get online. All of our pictures have been taken by others, so I will try to track some down to post.

In the meantime, I will just let everyone know that both boys are doing great (and we parents are surviving, too!) Graham has had some moments of jealousy, but is so sweet and helpful, and seems to recognize now that this family addition is permanent. Yesterday he carried all of our clean clothes upstairs (never mind they were all unfolded by the time he reached the top- it was too cute to stop him!)

Quick story to report: as I type this, Graham finished his juice and let out a burp, then said "I make burps. Eliot makes burps, too". What a kid he is. He's so full of fun and imagination. He had a great time hanging out with his Shosho and Babu, and still asks about them all the time, but seems to love living in Ann Arbor.

I think we all are really loving it so far. We've settled in a wonderful community of student housing, all of whom have families. In fact, just about all the kids are near Graham's and Eliot's ages, so friends are plentiful.

Graham has been having so much fun with these new friends, in fact, he is having trouble falling to sleep at naptime. He's required to spend some time in his room each day, "resting" but generally a lot more running around happens than sleeping, but at least he's in his room for forty minutes. When Kate went to get him last rest time, he was anticipating her comment about his being loud. He tried to preempt this by saying, before she could get a word in, "Mommy, I wasn't being loud. (pause) I was just sleeping (pause) with my eyes open." Wittier and wittier.

Kate will have lots of other moms to hang out with while I am in class, and although it will still be an adjustment with two kids, we're feeling very hopeful and excited about the upcoming year.

Sorry we don't have any pictures this go round, but we'll be back updating with vigor in a short bit.

Eliot is almost 5 days old.

2010-07-03T16:20:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of the mother of the year herself (I'm slightly biased) giving her sweet boy a kiss:

We hate to jinx it, but man, so far, Eliot is SO laid back. When he's awake he just looks around and squeaks, and mostly, as in almost constantly, he sleeps. Kate has to wake him up to eat most of the time. Boy, we feel so lucky and honestly, it's been a lot of fun.

Anyway, Kate's still recovering, of course, and Graham is still adjusting, but overall I just couldn't be more thankful.

It's been so helpful to have Mana and Grandaddy here. It's helped immeasurably. Here's mom and the boy after his first minutes of life:

Here's three generations of Forman-Brandon-Shaw-ness.

Here's Grandaddy with Eliot. What a smile on the older one!

A few more Eliot!

2010-06-29T09:58:00.000-07:00

Here's proof that Jonathan was there:

He's been sleeping like nobody's business...

Graham came to visit and used his special "baby voice" to talk to Eliot:

Finally, Kate wanted me to put up a picture "with his hair in it." Do you think he looks like Daddy?

The Brand Newest Shaw: Eliot Philip Shaw

2010-06-28T17:18:00.000-07:00

We are so excited to announce the arrival of Eliot Philip Shaw: born June 28, 2010 at 3:45 pm.

He is 7 pounds, 5 ounces, 19 7/8 inches. He's healthy and a sweet little thing.

Mom did an amazing job. 13 hours of labor paid off: even those last yells and my (Jonathan's) deeply squeezed hands before Eliot made his appearance.

The new Shaw family:

Mom and Eliot's first moment together.

Graham giving new brother a kiss.

Buckroe Beach and the Capital

2010-06-11T16:16:00.000-07:00

We have taken some very fun family trips together these last couple of weeks. We went to Washington D.C. a couple weekends ago as a last hurrah as just the three Shaws.

It was a total blast, and Graham really loved seeing the museums, especially the Natural History and Air and Space ones.

He also really loved running around on the mall and making new friends.

We had a wonderful time, and by the end of the day everyone felt as tired as Graham looks in this picture:

But, he recovered quickly!

We also went to the local beach, Buckroe Beach, and had an amazingly fun time. Graham was in heaven and I think we're in the process of making a beach bum.

2010-05-26T04:00:00.001-07:00

Tonight I had an extended conversation with Graham about the arrival of his new brother soon. It started out as he sat up on my platform of a belly (it's a nice spot for him to ride!) while we walked to the playground. The conversation went like this:

-"Mommy, you're tummy's getting very big!"
-"Yes, it is isn't it? That's because the baby is getting big, he's going to be born soon. After the baby is born my tummy will get small again. What do you think about that?"
-"Oh." Contemplates this information quietly.
-"Are you excited for the baby to be born?"
-"Um, no."
-"Why not?"
-"Because the baby will cry."
-"Yes, the baby will cry sometimes, because he won't know how to talk. But we will love him and help him to feel better when he cries."
-"Like Baby Maya?"
-"That's right, just like baby Maya."

It's incredible to me how he can put things together. We haven't seen baby Maya since she was just over a week old, but seeing her parents lovingly attend to her when she cried obviously made an impression. He is a very sensitive soul, so I know the crying among other adjustments will be difficult for him. We're all in for a big change when the baby comes! Pray for us, especially Graham, in that transition.

We had to put this up because he was so proud that he achieved his first somersault! Yay!

In a couple days we'll put up a post about our trip to DC last weekend. We had a great time.

Funny Story

2010-05-07T15:56:00.000-07:00

I had to share this funny story from Graham this afternoon. He picked up one of Jon's and my wedding photos and this commentary followed:
Graham: "Ah! Your Wedding Mommy!"
Me: "Yes, that's when Daddy and I got married".
Graham (seriously): "You're very beautiful"
Me: "Thank you Graham, that's very sweet of you to say!"
Graham (smiling): "Did you dance like a girl?"

I can only guess that he remembers what fun we had dancing at Brandon and Elizabeth's wedding. I'm not sure what it means to dance "like a girl", but I assume that's better than me dancing like a boy!

He's getting so excited about having a little brother. Yesterday he came up to my belly to give it his usual generous hugs and kisses, and lovingly, in a quiet voice said "Bebo [the name he's given the baby] you're getting so big! You're growing!". I can't wait to see how these brothers get to know each other!

I'll add a cute picture from Mother's Day last year just for fun. Happy Mother's Day to all of you Moms!

Hope you are all well. We're enjoying Jon being done with classes although he still has several papers and his thesis to finish up. It's great to have a few more hours together as a family.

Love you all!

Getting closer to being a big brother...

2010-04-26T18:33:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

I've been meaning to do another post for a while so I might as well just do it! My belly continues to grow and Graham is loving it, looking forward very much to being a big brother. He has named his baby brother "Bebo" and calls him that all the time. Each day he must have several opportunities to "Snuggle Bebo" which consists of a lot of hugging, kissing, and generally loving my belly. Although the other day my baby bump got in the way while we were trying to play a game and he politely asked "Mommy can you take belly off, please?" Not yet! A little less than 2 months (give or take a bit) to go!

Graham and I have both enjoyed the beautiful spring weather, spending lots of time at the sandbox and nearby playground where we have met lots of new friends. He is generally quite wonderful with other kids and loves to see them; if he sees anyone over at the playground he's yelling "Hey kids! What're you doing? I'm happy to see you!" While we walk over. His other favorite new game is hide-and-seek, which he thinks is just hilarious, and he loves to try to count to 10 while I hide.

We're both looking forward to spending a bit more time with Jonathan/Daddy once his classes are over next week, although he will still need to be doing lots of writing and other work. Hopefully we'll even get to the beach a few times as a family before our new addition arrives.

Hope all is well with you all- Much love!

Graham's Birthday Blowout

2010-03-05T18:19:00.000-08:00

I know it's been a month but

here's a little video from Graham 2nd birthday

Much love.

Belated Birthday Pics

2010-02-15T16:12:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! I promise that our delay in blogging about Graham's birthday and the surrounding time with Granddaddy has not been from a lack of desire to do so; we've been even busier than usual lately with Jon completely overloaded with projects at school, church, and work, plus working on a paper for a conference presentation in March. I'm continuing to work full time and trying to find time to keep our house together and cook at least an occasional healthy meal!

Graham has continued to go with the flow well and I think is enjoying being 2 yrs old. He (and we) had such fun while Granddaddy was here for a visit. We had lots of time playing outside, a meal at Chick-fil-a (a favorite of Graham's) and for Jon's birthday on the 28th we ate at a wonderful French Bistro in Williamsburg. Unfortunately Graham was starving and not in the mood to be wowed by the ambiance or menu choices. When the waitress came up to our table he immediately looked up at her and said, in a commanding tone, "I want FOOD". She kindly obliged very soon by bringing him some incredible soup and the best mac and cheese I've ever had. We had a party for Graham and Jon on Sunday night Jan 31 and I made him a special truck cake. He thought it was pretty awesome, and I'll get Jon to post a video of his response soon! We had a few friends over and had a very nice time. To both of the boys' delight the menu was sausages, fries, and a huge fruit salad as well as some hummus, salsa, and guacamole with chips/veggies. Fortunately they have a lot of overlap in foods that they like! We had a great time, and thanks to all of you for the books, cards, and gifts that you sent to both of the boys! Graham LOVED opening the gifts, and loves reading the books, playing with the trucks, "cooking" with the utensils and pots and pans, and adding appendages to his "'Tato Head".

We will also try to get a picture of my belly soon. We had our ultrasound last week and we have another boy on the way! We're excited, but now we have to decide on another boy's name...
I've also posted a picture of Graham the first night Dad was here; together they came up with the idea of trying on some of Granddaddy's tube sox, and the result is pretty funny. What fun we had!

Much love to all of you!

Funny Conversation

2010-02-05T07:30:00.000-08:00

Graham and I just had fun conversation while changing his diaper.

As I was drying off his bum before putting on the daiper Graham grabbed his bum. He said, "bum." Then he said, "Daddy has bum." I said yes. He said, "Mommy has bum." I said "Yes, everyone has a bum."

He thought for a minute.

"Auntie Claude has a bum."

Yes.

"Auntie Courtney has bum."

Yes.

"Auntie Anne has a bum."

Yes.

"Mommy, daddy."

And that was the end of his thoughts on the matter.

So much happening!

2010-01-16T05:22:00.000-08:00

Well I don't know if I can upload a bunch of pictures right now because Jon has to format them, but at least I need to get a more recent newsy type post up! Since our last post so many fun things have happened-- The holidays, of course, which Graham loved, during which we traveled home to Kentucky. We Brandons were all together for Christmas for the first time in 7 years- amazing! What great times we had together, with Keely and Jovan back in Kentucky with their little girl due to arrive Feb 18, and Emily working hard at her job but taking time to come down and be a fun auntie/sister/daughter as usual. We also enjoyed the chance to see some extended family and both great-grandparents. It is wonderful to see Graham enjoying his family! I promise Dad/Granddaddy is in the family picture; he's hiding behind Graham who unfortunately wasn't in the mood to sit still for a photo shoot.

Then, last weekend, we went back to our other home in Vancouver, WA and had an amazing time with our church family there! What a gift and a blessing it was to be there with such dear friends, and to feel so loved and supported. We came to visit and also to share our vision to begin work in Beni, Congo later this year. It was wonderful to feel that community of faith surround us and ask to be a part of this ministry we are undertaking. We also got to share our news that another brand new Shaw will be joining us in June! We are so excited about our expanding family, and know Graham is going to be a fantastic big brother.

So, enough news, let me see if I can think of some good Graham stories. We've had one significant snow which was SUCH fun for him. We bundled up and spent as much time outside as Mommy and Daddy could stand- he would have stayed all day. He loved all of the Christmas glitter, especially the tree and looking at the ornaments; he would stand on the couch by the tree, hands folded, studying each one and describing a story about it. He got some really fun trucks, some tools and books which he has enjoyed to no end, and of course opening the gifts was the funnest of all. Don't you like the morning hair in this picture of him with Granna/Manna?

Graham's imagination has really blossomed in the last few weeks. He loves to make up stories and talk about imaginary things. One of his favorite games is "cooking" which consists of pouring/mixing various substances, from water to sand to the favored basil, in a variety of bowls and cups. He will tell you what he is cooking, that generally being "fries", "fruit salad" or "food". He continues his fascination with the Bible and stories about Jesus and other Bible characters. Yesterday, while we were playing in the sandbox he had me hold a big cup while he scooped it full of sand with a smaller one. As he scooped he informed me "It's water." Once my big cup was completely full, he took it from me and said "Now it's wine." What?? He's only heard that story once or twice, but evidently his game reminded him of Jesus' first miracle. He definitely keeps us laughing. He also loves to draw and will talk elaborately about what his scribbles represent. He loves dinosaurs, sharks, and anything that can go "Roar!". He still likes to eat, especially fruits, veggies, fruit snacks, rice pudding, and yoghurt raisins. In fact a few night ago as he was talking himself to sleep he started to call down "Mommy--Like some yoghurt raisins. Mooooommy- some yoghurt raisins please!" It was all I could do to not bring him up a handfull!

This is just a sampling from our recent life, but I hope it's enough to give you a glimpse of what a joy and blessing we have in Graham. He loves people and hugs and kisses, so if you haven't gotten one from him recently I hope you'll get a chance soon! Thanks for checking in with us!

Thanksmas!

2009-12-02T06:50:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful week last week celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas with the Shaw side of the family. Not only do we have ShoSho and Babu around, but Aunt Anne, Uncle Michael, and cousin Conner were also here for the festivities. What fun! We ate lots of good food (of course) and on Saturday celebrated together by opening presents around our "Snissmas tree" (Graham's version). Graham is already quite excited about all of the glitz surrounding the holiday, and loves to sit and look at the tree. He was also VERY excited about the presents; I think he already got enough trucks and cars to last him a lifetime, and we haven't even hit the real holiday! We had such a wonderful time all together as a family, and even took some time to do a family photo shoot. What a great time!

Reaching for the bribe, More Skittles!!

VROOM!

The magic of a new book.
Cruisin' in the big truck with Cousin Conner

little moment

2009-11-12T09:38:00.000-08:00

I had to share a little moment with Graham with you all. We have so many of these funny little interactions and I know I'm going to forget nearly all of them so here's one, at least:

I was making Graham's lunch today which primarily was turkey dogs. Graham loves turkey dogs.

He was rubbing his hands running around saying "hotdogs, hotdogs, hotdogs" as they were cooking. He then went to the spice rack and pulled off some basil and said, "Basil on them". I was amazed he could pick out basil, and pretended to put some on the turkey dog. He was very happy with this.

I gave him back the spice and he put in on the rack. He pulled off some cinnamon and said "Cimin on them." I mimed it and he returned it.

He then got some seasoned salt and said "Season on them". I mimed it again and he returned the spice.

The then rummaged around in the pantry and pulled out some barbeque sauce and said "Soy sauce on them!" While pretending to do that he got the ketchup and said "Ketchup on them!"

So Graham had turkey dogs for lunch today with imaginary basil, cinnamon, seasoned salt, soy sauce and ketchup (except that last one was real).

Yummy!

Also, Graham continually amazes us with what he can figure out.

Last night when I got home from school he grabbed a copy of the Message, which to me looks like any other book on the outside. He opened it up and said "Words, words" which he always says about a book without pictures. However, he kept reading it and telling me about letters which he recognized, like "A" and "G". After a while he said "God in there", and then "Book about God. Words about God".

I have no idea how he knew that was a Bible, but I appreciated his insights.

Finally, an update

2009-11-07T16:13:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! We're embarrassed that we've become such poor updaters of our blog, and I know we'll look back and wish we had posted more stories from this wonderful period in Graham's life. He brings us so much joy every day, it's amazing how much fun he is! I will post some pictures from the last few weeks, and tell a few stories, too. We have a few from Halloween-unfortunately the camera died so we don't have many of him dressed up. He was very excited about his "Punkin hat" and outfit, and was a huge fan of the Skittles that accompanied trick-or-treating. We went to our friends the Rippy's and enjoyed their very decorated and spooky neighborhood!

A favorite past-time continues to be running through puddles, as well as hunting mushrooms and then "Stompin'" them. I got him some galoshes to make both of these activities more fun and less messy. The first day he wore them he found a puddle big enough to beat the galoshes! He was soaked almost up to his waist...

Graham continues to relish books and reading time. One of his favorites continues to be his story Bible. Some of his favorite characters include David and Goliath, Jonah, and King Saul (particularly when he throws the spear at David). The other day we were looking through it, and he was naming some of the characters. We came to the Nativity story and he exclaimed "Baby God!" as he pointed to Jesus in the manger. He evidently pieced this description together from what we've told him about Jesus being God's son and being born as a baby. So funny!

One day last week I was working on my Bible study and Graham went into the other room to play. A while later I realized he had gotten awfully quiet... I went into the living room to find the entire area liberally sprinkled with basil that he had somehow gotten from the pantry and opened. At least it made the vacuum cleaner smell nice!

Graham has a new baby cousin Carter (Jon's cousin's son) and he loves to give him kisses and gentle hugs. It has been a little hard for him to share the attention that he usually gets so much of, but he's adjusting well. He's just a little more grown-up every day.

Well I could probably think of stories to tell all night, but I will stop for now. We love each of you, thanks for continuing to check in, and for loving us and Graham so well! Kate

Graham Reading

2009-10-04T10:18:00.000-07:00

Here's some footage Kate shot of Graham and I reading. We wanted to give you a sense of his real vocabulary, not just his extemporaneous blatherings.

Graham's Monologue

2009-09-25T17:46:00.000-07:00

Graham has been making amazing strides in learning all kinds of words and phrases.

The following video demonstrates none of that. He was really enjoying just stretching his lungs out and speaking Grahamish, and we really enjoyed it, so hopefully you will too:

INEXCUSABLE!

2009-08-22T17:00:00.001-07:00

So sorry for how long it's been since our last post, we've got lots of excuses, but none interesting enough to articulate here.

So with no further ado ON TO THE PICTURES!!

I'm starting school up at William and Mary this coming week, and we've come to like gallivanting about campus from time to time. Graham's favorite part is the cannon which sits outside the Wren Building.

We also recently got a bike seat which he loves to ride around in. At first he was a bit tentative, but now he grabs his helmet and yells, "Hat! Bike!" when he wants to go on a ride. Today we went on a long bike ride to the grocery store and back, and as soon as he got down he grabbed his helmet again and yelled, "Hat! Bike!" with a huge smile on his face.

His vocabulary is expanding at an amazing rate, and everyday he picks up a couple more words which he'll throw into conversation every once in a while.

If you'd like to commune deeply with Graham's innermost spirit, please watch the following video on youtube and try to relish it as much as he does:

Fire Trucks!

We'll do our best to keep up more regularly on here.

Thanks for checking in.

Manni, Daddaddy and Emlaerley

2009-07-21T19:45:00.000-07:00

Graham saw some of his favorite people this weekend and had an amazing time with them. One of the memories captured in photos is Graham being awoken from a nap by Granna, who he now calls "Manni" or "Manna":

And I nearly forgot a wonderful one: Graham "sharing" a corn on the cob with Aunti Em:

Thank you so much Brandons for spending the weekend with all of us.

I was just watching this video clip I'd recorded of Graham earlier in the day, one in which he is throwing a wet pair of his shorts (from an impromptu swimming adventure) at Kate and I and laughing and laughing when it hits us, and part way through his gales of joy I had to stop watching it.

The intensity of emotion that stuck me while thinking about what a wonder and magical delight this boy is, the sweetness of him, that toe to head tension of his little body when he is hugging me with all his might, overwhelmed me, and the thought of him feeling any pain, or not feeling loved, or feeling lonely--all these human things--was so painful. Too painful.

It's hard to be a parent, even this early, because of the fact that you can't always be quick with a band-aid, and realizing that someday when you snuggle him tight as his eyes brim with tears that love just won't fix it, whatever "it" will be.

It's hard to realize that from the second Graham was born, eyes open to the world, he was ebbing ever so slowly, but relentlessly, away from me. Into his own family, into his own life, out of the fullness of my arms someday, into this world so full of the chaos and confusion of being human...

To think that I will someday lose these days, this particular moment of Graham's life, is heart breaking.

But the amazing thing is that I find I somehow enjoy him even more the next day, and that delight is not a finite thing when it comes to loving my son; that I can somehow love this small man with even more of a full heart tomorrow, and the next day...

and the next.

Is this too high?

2009-07-16T09:22:00.001-07:00

So Graham and I love to play a game where I throw him in the air and catch him. Often when I do it Kate gets very nervous, but I've never really understood why until I saw this picture that Debbie (more about her in a moment) took of us at the beach:

Yikes! That does seem a bit too high!

Just kidding, that was photoshopped, but the real one is a bit alarming to me anyway:

I'm reconsidering whether that height is necessary to provoke baby giggles. More experimentation seems in order...

Anyway, we've had a wonderful few days with one of Kate's very best friends, Debbie Head:

Graham really loved Debbie a lot, and one highlight was a trip to the beach, were Debbie took some pictures so I can prove I am actually Graham's dad and do spend a bit of time with him as well:

Anyway it was an awesome time with her and we miss her already, but we're so excited about seeing Grandaddy, Granna and Aunt Emily this weekend. Yipeee!!

a special message from Graham

2009-07-11T07:36:00.000-07:00

1r555rtrtrt4544444ztxstttttttttcttttttttttt10141362t
j vjj aaaaaaaaaazzv v v vz hnbyggg[-03

love,

Graham

Phrases!

2009-07-08T18:13:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!

Just wanted to do another update with some fun new details: Graham said his first 3-word phrase today! He has been putting two words together occasionally (his favorite "lights out" started maybe 2 weeks ago) but today he repeated "that's the ball" many times. Very funny! He's actually pretty good at the "th" sound, it sounds somewhere between a "d" and a "z". It is SO much fun to hear his vocabulary expanding, and to watch him realize that he can communicate.
This has, of course, brought its own challenges as well. Graham is now aware that he has an opinion, and that if talking about it doesn't work crying might be worth a try. He is already pretty responsive to reasoning, unless he's tired or hungry. In fact, today he made his first really obvious positive decision to behave; when asked whether he wanted to put on shoes and go outside, or else stay inside (this was after throwing a brief fit about having to put on shoes), he went over and chose the shoes! What a smart boy...
The above pictures are from a few days ago, we were filling up water balloons for our Ridley Soccer Team's cookout (we coached 7-9 yr olds, which Graham LOVED). We looked up from our balloons to find that Graham had taken the opportunity to make leaf soup, and then pour it over his head. He loves to be dirty!

Some writing at least!

2009-06-25T18:07:00.000-07:00

Hello All!

Amazingly, time seems to be going by even faster lately, and somehow it's been forever since we've posted some new details about Graham's life. He continues to grow and change so rapidly, it's hard to know where to start. Sometimes I wish we could freeze these moments in time, because it is such fun, and he is still so innocent and sweet, I can't believe some day he won't want to hug me and kiss me in front of his friends. I guess that's all part of growing up!

We've had our dear friend Mike here with us again for the last little while which has been great. Graham really loves him and thinks he's so much fun to climb on and play with. He is so much more aware now of what's going on in conversations and situations, he loves to watch the guys work on their computers, and of course tries to push all of the buttons (Jon is learning the hard way to SAVE OFTEN).

Graham's vocabulary also continues to expand--I couldn't count how many words he says now, and can locate an almost endless number of things on the pages of his books when asked. He still loves to read, and will sit for many minutes to do so; this is pretty much the only time he will sit for many minutes. He has recently learned how to run, so will zigzag back and forth across the room, arm swinging, head down for the thrill of it. He also likes to "hide" behind his hands now and then peek out at us--I think the concept still eludes him that just because he can't see us doesn't mean we can't see him.

Graham continues to relish long hugs and wet kisses, and we are fortunate to get lots of those each day. Every time he falls down now or drops something, he says a rather matter of fact "Uh-Oh", if warranted adds an equally stoic "Ow", picks himself up, and runs along his merry way, sometimes leaving us gasping behind him. Although today he did have a short cry; he is learning to throw things, so decided while we were outside to throw a rock as straight into the air as he could. You guessed it, it came right back down onto his nose, Poor Graham! We gave him lots of comfort, but it was a little hard not to laugh, too!

There are many favorite foods now, although in general he eats just about anything. Watermelon, tomatoes, and grilled sausages have been some summer faves so far. He has a sweet tooth like his mother, but also eats veggies like a pro.

It's getting harder to catch him on camera because he is so interested in the apparatus he stops what he is doing. He absolutely loves to dance and will turn on music himself and try to get us to join in, so hopefully Jon will get enough on video soon to share some.

We miss our dear family, and have also really been pining for our home in Washington lately. It feels so far away and we wish we could get back for a visit. Know that we are thinking of you and miss you!

Quick One

2009-06-22T13:43:00.000-07:00

So, sorry for the lack of updates, but we're working on a music video starring Graham and he's been reticent to put his dancing shoes on when Dad pulls the camera out.

We'll get it one of these days, but here's one from a couple days ago while you wait:

Puddles

2009-05-28T20:44:00.000-07:00

Here's just a brief one from a few weeks ago when Graham found a puddle in our yard after a heavy rain. I went around the corner of the house to grab something and when I came back I found this scene:

Graham Puddles from Jonathan Shaw on Vimeo.

If you cant see a video above, click the word below:

PUDDLES

Luckily I had my camera with me....

Wedding!

2009-05-25T09:35:00.000-07:00

It's been ages since we updated this blog, and we're sorry. So to make up for it we have a photo extravaganza! We've been taking pictures this whole time, so we'll try to keep you updated more frequently in the next few weeks.

The big news is that Graham went on a long car trip with Mom and Dad up to Kate's cousin's wedding in Connecticut last weekend.

He loved seeing his family again, especially his Granna...

and Grandad...

and Aunt Emily:

As you can see in a couple of those pictures, he was wearing his first ever tux, courtesy of the Moore family!

It took a little doing to get it on on the way to the wedding:

and he gave us his best James Bond look when we put on his bowtie...

Half on now...

There we go! What a cutie! But what's this weird thing on my jacket??

Now I'm looking good:

Graham's big job was to carry the ring down the aisle. He was PERFECT in practice:

and there you go!

But he got a little overwhelmed when it came to the big show, and threw the pillow across the room and lost a shoe before he made it to Mom. It was still very cute though, and he loved the attention.

Afterward, he was a little overwhelmed and needed a good snuggle and nosepick:

He loved seeing his Mom with her cousins and sister:

And when things got boring, Grandad was always good for a ride around:

At the reception he learned a new word, "Dance" or as he says it, "Dahntzzz". His favorite dance partner was a college friend, Kwadwo:

He also loved playing peek-a-boo with his great-Grandmother (thanks for the great pictures, Emily):

He is very eager to share his boo-boos with all who will listen. Listen, and then, of course, kiss it better. Here he gets solace from his Auntie Johanna:

When we had to leave everyone was sad, but it made us all feel better to stop and smell the roses.

Thanks for everything, family!

Stacking Blocks Video

2009-05-03T15:51:00.000-07:00

Now that Graham is officially 15 months old, he has a new absolute most favorite activity in the whole world:

STACKING BLOCKS

(click the words to watch a video)

Sometimes it takes multiple tries to see the video; sorry, we're not sure what the problem is, so we'll keep working on it from this end! Jon suggests if you click the link and nothing happens, try refreshing your browser a couple of times.

Shosho and the Whites!

2009-05-01T15:51:00.001-07:00

Graham got to see his cousin Conner, and was initially a little dubious...

But as is usually the case with our sweet boy the uncertainty quickly turned into affection:

And some more affection:

And one last piece of affection (on the ear no less):

He also got to see his wonderful Shosho and loved being with her again. He had all his new books to show her:

And made sure there was plenty of time for snuggles too...

They just left a few hours ago and we miss them already!

Haircut

2009-04-24T14:42:00.000-07:00

Graham got a haircut.

He still loved his mommy after it was all over.

He woke up very sleepy from his nap and gave me this withering look when I took his picture:

He is so much fun to be with. He says juice, ball, up, open, out, bath, hot, mom, dad, bike, light, hat, eyes and book.

Plus lots of other words, sort of.

He has a mild obsession with the vacuum cleaner. If we say "vacuum", no matter where we are in the house or what we are doing he takes us to the closet, makes us open it and has to examine the vacuum for a few moments before he is able to undertake any other task.

He's also gotten very into his book about machines. His favorite machines are: race car, hovercraft, motorcycle, tractor and fire truck.

Other than bike he can't say any of the machine names, so he has invented his own blanket term for any mechanical device: "Lllllllloooorpah". He loves saying this and will say it whenever he sees any construction equipment on a drive.

Such a sweetie!

2009-04-16T18:40:00.000-07:00

How's this for a cute picture?? We are so blessed to have such a wonderful little boy! Graham is so happy and is enjoying life to the fullest. He's learning new words and activities everyday, and never stops investigating things. What a joy he is.

More fun with Graham!

2009-04-05T16:54:00.001-07:00

We thought it was about time we wrote a little more informative email as Graham is at the stage where every day brings new joys! While we were in Georgia he started really trying to say some new words, most notably and cleary "hot", and as soon as we got home he added "Out" "Up" and "light". We'll attach an audio clip of one of the words, see if you can guess which one!

Click here to listen!

If you asked what else Graham was into these days, a pretty accurate answer would be everything. He LOVES the outdoors, animals, exploring new places, playing in water (or other people's beverages!), reading books and pointing to all of his favorite pictures, pushing his dump truck, kicking his soccer balls, and riding on our backs to name a few. He is fully of energy and life, and is so serious about learning about his world and how to communicate and interact with it.

Here are a couple more pictures from our time in Georgia- don't you like the snotty nose in the bottom picture? The Georgia pollen really got to him...

Conner White: New Cousin!

2009-03-31T18:11:00.001-07:00

We were in Georgia last week visiting the Whites (see their blog) and visiting Graham's new cousin, Conner.

He is amazing.

Graham loved him. Or at least gently poking him.

It was wonderful to see them. Graham and Uncle Michael bonded as well.

We miss them already!

Graham does, art, has a cold, and dances!

2009-03-16T11:12:00.000-07:00

Graham has a cold, but still is so happy! (You can see his fluid leakage on his shirt)

Plus we've been dancing, big time:

Watch the DANCE video!

He also made a piece of art last week at playgroup.

The quiz is: what is this piece of art supposed to be? Leave a comment with your guess.

GG!

2009-03-05T09:33:00.000-08:00

We're so happy Geegee is here!

Snow Day

2009-03-03T10:38:00.000-08:00

It was really cold so we were only out for a couple minutes but Graham seemed to love it.

Kate was feeling sick yesterday and so Graham snuggled with her on the couch for a while.

Video of Graham Walking

2009-02-26T18:21:00.001-08:00

Graham and I enjoyed the beautiful weather today by walking outside. I figured many of you haven't seen Graham walk yet, so this ones for you!

This one is a bit bigger and higher quality, so here's a link:

- Jon

P.S. A few of you have mentioned that commenting is difficult on this blog. I checked it out and we had a restrictive commenting setting on. I've removed it so it should be much easier to comment now. Thanks for letting us know.

Almost March!

2009-02-24T12:46:00.000-08:00

Hey all,

Just a couple shots of Graham this week:

The guitar man:

A little post nap snuggle session:

The man of mystery bids you good day...

One Year Stats

2009-02-12T17:51:00.000-08:00

Hello all! Today Graham went for his 12mo check up and shots- he charmed everyone at the office and only cried for about 30seconds after the shots, immediately deciding that investigating the doctor's stethoscope was much more interesting than crying. He now weighs 21.5lbs, and is 30inches tall-it's amazing to think of him being 7lbs9ozs and 19inches long as he was one year ago.

We also enjoyed a wonderful visit from Granddad, Granna, and Aunt Emily last weekend as a late celebration of Graham's birthday. We had SUCH a great time together. We had beautiful weather, and spent an afternoon at the beach in Yorktown- here are a few favorites from the day.

We love each of you, thanks for continuing to check in and keep track of us!

Cake: A Video

2009-02-10T16:26:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to Graham!

2009-02-03T13:45:00.001-08:00

Many of you remembered that this past Sunday was Graham's First Birthday! Wow!!! Thank you for your cards, gifts, and calls. Graham may not remember this birthday, but I'm sure he felt the love around him as he tore into the cards and tissue paper.

What a fun little party we had; Graham enjoyed the cake VERY much, but was willing to share anyway, as these pictures with Mike show. It is incredible to realize that he is a year old, and he's really a toddler now instead of a baby. He is so full of sweetness and fun.

Love to you all!

Not feeling well.

2009-01-27T18:05:00.000-08:00

Graham's a bit under the weather today, so please be thinking of him in the next couple days. He had a 103.5 degree temp this morning at the doctors and has been super snuggly and sad all day. =(

Here are some photos from happier times:

Graham bonding with Camden, the Harbaugh's dog:

More words this time

2009-01-19T18:27:00.000-08:00

Jonathan has been taking so many beautiful pictures with his new camera that there was no room for words in the last post! Graham is growing up so fast-- his bottom two teeth are now mostly grown in, and he is walking all the way across rooms now without touching anything. He is very proud of his many discoveries around the house, (ie a piece of garbage that missed the trash, a sock, etc) and will excitedly bring them us, or even better bring them to the dog that we are watching for Uncle John and Aunt Claudia. The dog, named Camden, has been a source of constant interest and joy for Graham (the feeling is not always mutual) and he is incredibly tolerant of the "pats" and kisses that Graham likes to give him. Of course the food and water dishes are also an ongoing temptation. Graham is so fascinated we are tempted to get a dog of our own- we'll have to wait until we're a little more settled to make that decision, though! Most of the pictures are on Jon's new computer, but I will put a couple of older ones up just for fun. As evidenced by these, his love for books and snuggling hasn't changed.

In less than two weeks, Graham will be one. Can you believe it?? I can't.

Much love,
Kate

2009-01-17T17:02:00.000-08:00

First tooth

2009-01-06T17:21:00.000-08:00

This picture was taken a few days ago when you could just start to see his tooth popping through- you'll have to look closely! Graham continues to be such a delight. After he goes to bed at night we enjoy grown-up time, but we miss him, too!

More milestones

2009-01-01T17:51:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! Hope you had a wonderful celebration, and have made some good resolutions. Graham has evidently resolved to walk as soon as possible in 2009- today he took his first "real" steps, between Jon and I three different times, which was amazing to see! He's still a little concerned about striking out on his own, but more and more he tries to walk instead of dropping down to crawl everywhere he goes. I think before Shosho leaves next week he'll really be going. In other news, his first tooth finally popped through two days ago as well! It the is bottom right incisor, and he loves to run his tongue and fingers over the little ridge all day long. It must be a strange new sensation!
And here are some sandbox pictures as I promised.

As you can see he was very serious about his work. He can focus so intensely sometimes, it's funny and fascinating to watch. I wonder what is going on in that little head.
Jonathan and I have been talking about how we kind of wish Graham would stop growing up because he is at such a fun and cute stage. I am going to miss his little backside as he crawls down the hall, and his unintelligible jabbering that is obviously deeply meaningful to him once he starts talking and walking. But this isn't the first time we've thought it was an amazing life stage. I guess that is part of the magic of children, each new discovery is as good or better than the last.

Much love,
Kate

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-28T18:09:00.000-08:00

It's about time I got another blog up here! December has simply flown by, and suddenly it's pretty much over. Before we get any closer to January I have to put up some pictures of Graham's first Christmas, which was a very fun affair indeed.

We celebrated with Shosho and Babu on the 22nd before they headed down to Georgia, and then Granna and Granddad came to visit for the day itself. Wow, he had a great time! We all got some great presents, and Graham had a ball with all of his, as well as with the various sparkly and shiny Christmas paraphenalia, and most of all with the extra people around to hug and kiss on. He is such a loving and cuddly boy, and that just seems to increase as he grows and becomes more aware of what it means to relate and to love. I've said it before, but we are so blessed!

In addition to hugging, kissing, clapping, dancing, singing into his tin can, and jabbering all the time Graham is determined to walk any day now- he cruises around and takes mini-steps between objects or people, but doesn't quite have the confidence to strike out on his own yet. Sometimes he forgets that he's not holding on to anything and he will stand for many seconds at a time. It's amazing that he's already so big...

For Christmas Jonathan got a new camera, which will hopefully jump start his new videography business, so some of the pictures I'll add will be extra beautiful as a result. Today it was almost 80 degrees here in Virginia so we got to try out one of Graham's new gifts, the sandbox! I haven't downloaded those pictures yet (of sand everywhere, including in the mouth- thankfully it only took once to learn that lesson!) so you'll have to wait until next time for those.

Much love to everyone, and I hope you had a very Merry Christmas!

2008-12-04T19:09:00.000-08:00

I just found this great picture I had to post- what a ham!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I can't believe it's already December... Blessings to all. Kate

Quick update

2008-11-23T11:48:00.001-08:00

We just wanted to let you know about some of Graham's latest tricks, such as:
Driving
Surfin' the web
Eating (he's really good at that one!)
Pointing
and of course, just looking cute

What a guy! He's so much fun, and has the best attitude, even with all of the changes going on with his life as we all juggle new jobs, places, and schedules. We're excited for our first road-trip to Kentucky this week as well (well, we're excited about getting there, anyway!)

Love you all! Kate

Ps- sorry it's all underlined, I don't know why, or how to fix it. Oops.

More pictures

2008-11-11T17:19:00.000-08:00

I can't believe we're already halfway through November! Graham is continuing to grow into a wonderful little boy-- here are a few pictures of him with me and his dad. We're having so much fun lately; we had Grandma Douglas here to visit a couple weeks ago, so now Graham has officially met all of his great-grandparents. Also, on top of lots of great time with Shosho and Babu, he got to see Granna and Granddad last weekend when they drove our car down to Kentucky.

We really think he's finally working on his first tooth as well. It looks like at least one and possibly two bottom incisors are about to break through. What with the fussy moods, returning sleep issues, and drool everywhere, we're about ready for those puppies to pop into place!

I start training at my new job (at Patient First Urgent care and clinic) on Thursday, and Jon is going to start working part-time at Starbucks until he gets his video business going. So, things are getting busy around here. We are looking forward to whatever God has in store for us, and hope that Graham will settle in to our new schedule well.

Blessings to all of you from us!

Favorite games

2008-11-04T15:16:00.000-08:00

Fun times:

We just got some videos of Graham's favorite new games, affectionately known as "Gallopy" and of course good old Peek-a-boo:

He's also just darn cute:

Here's him "putting up with picture time", less than enthused:

And one last one, when he's sick of the paparazzi:

Happy Voting Day!

2008-11-04T07:31:00.000-08:00

Hope you are all getting out to vote today! We have already voted by mail-in ballot in Washington, so now we're just sitting back and waiting for the results.

I have been meaning to post some pictures of Graham's room, because he loves it so much and it is so cute, so I will do that now. These aren't the best, but you get the idea anyway!

Love you all,
Kate

Happy Halloween! (soon)

2008-10-27T18:36:00.001-07:00

For those of you who aren't nearby to stuff this pumpkin full of candy and treats, we wanted to post some pictures of his costume. Have you ever seen a cuter jack-o-lantern?? Graham has settled in to his new home and is the sweetest, funnest boy we could ask for. He has been sleeping through the night (huge answer to prayer!) which has made us all feel better, and is jabbering almost non-stop with his adorable "Dadas" "Babas" and occasional "Mamas". Sometimes he even whispers, which is really endearing. He has also learned to scrunch up his nose and mouth to make a "funny face" with us, which is delightful. Other recent accomplishments include rolling a ball back and forth, and using his thumb and forefinger grip quite dextrously. He's also having lots of fun his Shosho and Babu, reading books, playing, and laughing together. It's going to be hard to go back to work. I have my first job interview Wednesday, so that might happen soon. We'll see!
Much love and I hope you have a cute pumpkin to give you a kiss this Halloween,
Kate

Fall leaves

2008-10-22T07:47:00.000-07:00

Hello all! It's been too long since we've updated the blog... we had a wonderful 2+ weeks of transition time in Kentucky visiting with family, but somehow didn't manage to post much during that time. We've now arrived in Virginia and are just settling into the cozy house and beginning to investigate our surroundings. Graham's new room is just wonderful, lovingly set up by his Shosho and Babu prior to our arrival (with some last minute furniture help by Daddy after his arrival here) so I will take a picture and post it soon for all to see. Graham seems VERY happy to have such a great space to play in, and is sleeping well back in his familiar crib again (that's a relief for all of us!)
The pictures I'm posting are from KY, where we took a fun hike down to the river, and also played in the first fall leaves. We had such a great time together, and Graham grew so much- he is determined to learn to walk and did a lot of pulling up and cruising. He also learned to feed himself, and the last day in Kentucky he started saying "Mama" and "Dada"! What a surprise, and joy, to hear! He is really focusing on his vocalizations now, and I can't wait to hear his speech evolve.
As for Jonathan and I, we're getting back into the groove of "real life", applying for jobs and tweaking resumes. We are excited to see how God provides for us in this important next step, He has already paved the way in so many areas.
Love to all, Kate

Kentucky time

2008-10-08T05:43:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! It's been a while since we've posted pictures because we just got the camera working. It's been a busy week, too. Graham had his first ear infection and was out of commission for a few days, but is back to his usual happy busy self now. He has made a new best friend (Marquis, the dog) who is just fascinating. This week he's also perfected pulling up on anything and everything, trying to take steps holding on to whatever he's pulled up on, feeding himself finger foods for the first time, and climbing steps with supervision. Whew! What a week! I'm afraid he's going to be walking before long, but frankly I'm hoping he'll slow down a little before he starts that! Enough talk, here are some pictures. Sorry, the camera is kind of old so that quality isn't great on the indoor shots. Enjoy!

Grandma Brandon's Here! Yippeee!

2008-09-22T10:57:00.001-07:00

So we now have a visitor/moving helper: Grandma Brandon. Hooray!!

It's been wonderful to have her here. She came in yesterday afternoon and already had Graham enough that I've just about finished the deck and filling in our little pond with river rock.

This is how seeing her makes Graham feel:

And Kate and I feel very similarly.

Love,

Jon

Soccer Star

2008-09-15T08:46:00.000-07:00

In spite of all the craziness around here, we're still trying to find time for some fun, relaxation, and enjoyment of all the beauty around us. There's nothing quite like early fall in the Pacific Northwest; we hope those of you who haven't gotten a chance to visit us out here will get to if we ever move back long-term. Graham just can't get enough of the outdoors, so we try our best to indulge his senses in as much grass, trees, water, and nature as possible. We'll look forward to seeing those of you on the eastern side of the country soon, but we'll miss the clear Northwest air as we stroll the quiet streets of our neighborhood... I'll also add a video of his soccer skills- a little work yet before he's ready for the Premier League...

Leaving soon?

2008-09-10T20:12:00.000-07:00

Well, big news today-- it looks like we might have some renters for our house! It really feels like God's hand in things; a wonderful young family from our church is in need of a new place to rent and it looks like things will work out perfectly. They need to move out of their old place (a bad situation through no fault of theirs) by the end of the month, so that means we're going to have to get going, too! Crazy! Just thinking about leaving this little house is so sad for us, but we're also excited for what God has in store next.

Graham has gone from crawling a shaky few feet to whizzing around anywhere he pleases. It's making life much more exciting to say the least! He now requires a full pair of eyes at all times, and quite often a quick hand to keep him out of trouble. But we just can't get enough of our sweet boy- he's simply amazing. He is so happy and bright, and most nights now he even sleeps well! We are spending lots of time at our favorite local parks swinging, and at the beach of the river discovering sand and other fun galore. We are so blessed.

Blessings to each of you,

Kate

Picture commentary:

-Go Huskies!

-Graham with our friend Julie Weisner

-Graham's Rockstar 'do (key ingredient: pureed carrots)

-Zerbets from Daddy

-Mischievous looks in the bathtub

Crawling!

2008-09-03T17:03:00.000-07:00

We finally managed to get Graham to perform his crawling feats for the camera! Isn't he impressive?? I think this is actually the longest he's ever stayed just on his hands and knees without "cheating" and doing a few commando crawls in between. However as I type this he is continuing to crawl circles around me all in the new style--what a big boy. He is the best, sweetest, cutest baby in the world! I guess as his mom I'm allowed to say that, right?? But, his Granddadthought so, too. Here are a few pictures from before we left for the airport, and playing in the yard last night. Sorry there are several from the same "photo shoot" but I couldn't choose! We're having a beautiful end to the summer so far. I hope the same is true for each of you!

Fun with Granddad

2008-08-31T14:24:00.000-07:00

Hello again!
We decided to finally get around to taking a few pictures while Granddad is here-- he is working so hard that we don't find much time to stop and snap some shots! We also have forgotten our camera for all of the fun we've had; Graham went on his second hike in the Gorge, a 3 hr jaunt up to the top of a cliff to our favorite spot "Angel's Rest". He LOVED every minute of it, couldn't seem to get enough of the trees, birds, and breeze, and of course had radiant smiles for each of us and any fellow hikers we encountered. In spite of blowing right through his usual nap time he was a bundle of joy all day. We also took Granddad to the International Rose Test Garden, another favorite for all of us, and Graham especially liked grabbing the old shriveled blooms to crush in his little hands. But, as I said, we forgot our camera for all of the fun, so a few cute shots from around the house will have to do! I will also post a video of one of Graham's favorite new past-times, clapping hands with us.

In other exciting news, we recently invested in some beautiful new appliances to improve our kitchen. Here is a picture of me with the inaugural apple pie! I'm so excited because not only do I have a wonderful new oven (that actually cooks at the set temperature!) and refrigerator that doesn't freezer burn everything, but I get a dishwasher that will be installed in just a couple of days! YEAH! Life will be just a little bit easier. Enough writing, let me post the pictures and get to eating some of that pie... Love you each and every one!
Kate, Jonathan, and Graham

Enjoying the summer

2008-08-28T16:12:00.000-07:00

Hello all! It's been way too long since we've posted; things have been busy lately with Jonathan tying up work at the church, and then our trip to Virginia for Grammy Shaw's 80th, and a chance to see the extended fam. What a great time we had! I'll post some pictures of his six month right now, because unfortunately we weren't good about getting the camera out during our trip, so we'll have to rely on pictures we get from everyone else. Graham LOVED meeting all of his new family members, and playing with his second cousins. While in Virginia he also got to enjoy the ocean, the swimming pool, and a few thousand hugs and kisses. Not only that but he's now "creeping" around all over the place, and really enjoying the activity. Oh, I'll also put up a picture of Graham enjoying some food (he's really getting into eating these days!) One of his favorite things is when I make him a smoothie with lots of his favorite berries and bananas. Yum! Love to all, Kate

6 months old!

2008-08-06T10:52:00.000-07:00

Hello all! We're a little late publishing this, but life has been BUSY as usual lately. We've also had some increased work with getting Graham to sleep. He just does NOT want to take a nap longer than 15 minutes in the morning, in spite of the fact that he's absolutely exhausted. So, the amount of "free" time we have is dramatically reduced when he doesn't want to give up part of the morning. But anyway, we have to let everyone know the 6 month stats; our appointment on Aug.1 found Graham to be very healthy, just under 18 lbs, 28 inches, and doing very well developmentally! Our doctor also remarked that he seemed particularly engaged in the world around him, which we had thought, but it was nice to have it confirmed as not just something that all doting parents assume. So, he's healthy and strong, but we do wish he'd sleep!!! I guess that's the trade-off to being remarkably engaged with the world around him. :)
I'll add a few pictures of Graham with me and with his dad, and then whatever else cute I can find. We're looking forward to seeing some of you soon, Graham can't wait to finally meet Babu, Aunt Rapunzel and Uncle Michael as well as the rest of the extended Shaw clan! Oh, and to make all of you extra excited, I will post a video of the "kisses" that Graham now likes to give! Hint for those of you who might want one- be sure you've got your hankie!
Love to all,
Kate

Glad to be home

2008-07-23T20:14:00.000-07:00

Well we're back in Washington, and life did indeed get back to normal quickly! We've had a whirlwind reunion, and a week filled with work for us and readjustment for Graham, and now Jonathan is off once again for his trip to Creation Festival with the youth. Graham and I have survived our first day alone together, and quite happily for that matter, he is such a sweet boy. Tonight I even managed to cook dinner--sweet potato (which I happily shared with Graham) fresh salmon, and salad which I cooked and ate in courses with a few fussier moments in between.
I wanted to post this video of Graham's most recent musical accomplishment, playing the guitar. He is fascinated by the process and seems determined to get sounds out of that thing just like Daddy does. This is his second instrument after starting out on piano in Kentucky. We're signing him up for oboe lessons next week so he'll have woodwinds covered as well. And don't forget his beautiful singing voice as we've already heard!

In other exciting news, during bath time tonight Graham reached over to the edge of his tub and pulled himself up onto his feet! He didn't look half as surprised as I did! His face said something more like "Now, why didn't I think of this before?" And you should see the mischievous grins he's concocting these days... He'll be intensely involved with his latest undertaking, and then turn to me and flash the biggest two-dimpled gummy grin-- I just melt.

I will also post a picture of him in his boating shirt yesterday- doesn't he look like he's ready for the yacht club? Unfortunately I think he'll have to wait until he makes his own first million for that.

Well I should get to bed since there is no Daddy around to help in case of excessive night-time wakings (which are getting much rarer now that we're settled back in, thankfully!)

Much love,
kate

Last blog from KY

2008-07-14T09:14:00.000-07:00

Well Graham and I head home to see Daddy/Jonathan tomorrow, so I thought I should get one more blog in before real life starts again. I realized I haven't posted a video yet of his first major milestone of rolling over, so I will do it now. The best is his look of utter pride and joy at the accomplishment! Rolling back to front like this took him longer to get comfortable with, but he's now so good at both that he just rolls wherever he wants. In fact, if you leave him unattended on the floor for even a minute you never know where he'll be when you come back. Fortunately, with all of the loving family members around Graham hasn't spent a minute alone in quite some time (other than at nap time). I think he'll have a little withdrawal when we get home.
I'll also add a picture of Graham in his favorite place- outside under the trees, this time while the rest of us are picnicking. Emily's boyfriend Maarten is his latest friend!
Love to all! Kate

Generations picture

2008-07-12T06:27:00.000-07:00

I forgot to post our "Generations" picture with Pawpaw yesterday, so I will do it now! I think I'll also add some more cute ones from our visit with V, she got so many great ones. Much love to all!

More fun in the sun

2008-07-11T12:52:00.000-07:00

Well, things are winding down here in Glendale as we prepare for our last few days with family. As sad as it will be to leave, I can't wait to see Jonathan! I'm also hoping that getting Graham back home will help him reestablish some better sleeping habits-- he really seems to be struggling with all of the changes, and I think he's teething on top of it (he's chewed a few bruises onto my chin! And you've seen the teething carrots and cucumbers...) Fortunately, we both get waited on hand and foot by Grandma and Granddad, so we are feeling pretty good.
I couldn't let you miss a few pictures of Graham in his backyard pool. He LOVES it! Everyday he seems a little stronger, can sit a little better, and splashes a little harder. I fear he will be crawling well before I am ready at the pace he's currently going. Where has my little baby gone???
I'll also post a couple from our stay up in Georgetown/Versailles this past weekend. We had a fun time chillin' with Aunt Emily at her place, and then with Mamaw as well. He enjoyed getting his bath in a washtub and then the sink; new experiences are so much fun! We also got to see his great Uncle Gary and Aunt Janie, and have a nice lunch with them.
And finally, can you guess what garden vegetable we tried this morning? That's right, beets! This looks like a picture from Halloween, doesn't it? So far, Graham is definitely a fan of Granddad's fresh produce.

More Friends!

2008-07-06T10:45:00.000-07:00

Hello all!
We will be heading to Georgetown for the next couple of days so this will be the last post for a while, but I had to post a few more precious pictures first. Yesterday Graham got to meet our good friend Andrea Vivona (also known as V) and he thought she was great! We had a great day sitting out on the porch breaking beans and talking. Here are some choice snippets from that time. Enjoy!
We really miss Daddy these days and although we're having a great time here, it will be wonderful to see him. I sounds like things are going well in Thailand, though, so it's good that he's there. It feels like Graham might be walking and talking by the time we're back to Washington the way things are going! He just can't try enough new things!

Fun Family

2008-07-04T11:49:00.000-07:00

Happy Fourth of July everyone! We've had a wet one here in Glendale, and Graham had a fun walk out in the summer showers this morning, (for the record, he's not quite walking yet, much to his dismay, so he must still be carried). I am going to upload a video of his pan game and then our three generations picture. Graham also got to spend a little time with his great uncle and aunt John and Kathy, as well as cousin/Auntie Johanna yesterday. He thought that was pretty cool! Having perfected his rolling skills both ways now, he's also learning that by rolling over and over and over he can actually get somewhere... Look out world! Oh, I can't forget a picture of Graham with his "teething carrot," a little trick we learned from Grandma. The best part is that an unknowing Aunt Emily grated up his carrot (which had been rinsed and left in a bag in the fridge) into our salad last night! A little baby slobber makes a fabulous low-cal dressing!
Blessings, Kate

Graham reads a book

2008-07-03T06:01:00.000-07:00

Now that I've gotten this video thing to work I'm going to have to post more! Not only is Graham working on his gross motor skills, he's also working on his intellectual fitness. He loves to sit and look at books, and tries very hard to pull his favorite images off of the page (or better yet, to eat them). His hands are starting to work so well, it's really amazing how much his skills have advanced in just one week. Maybe later I will post a video of his new game with Grandma, which consists of throwing a pie pan onto the floor, then reaching to retrieve it. Amazing! His favorite time of day might be in the evening when we take our walks with Granddad and the dog all around Glendale. He just sits and soaks it all in as we stroll the streets. Here's a picture of him looking like a dapper gentleman in his sun hat from Grandma. Can you believe those cheeks?? I'll also add one of him sleeping in his "Cadillac carseat"; He's going to miss it when we get back home to his old one! Love to all, Kate

More crawling

2008-07-01T07:59:00.000-07:00

I'm going to try again to upload a video of Graham's efforts to crawl. He is now even better just a couple of days later- he does push-ups that raise his tummy off the ground, and pulls his knees up under his body one at a time. I can't believe it!

First Swim!

2008-06-29T18:29:00.001-07:00

Hello again to all! I'm going to be updating a lot more often the next couple of weeks since Daddy is waiting for pictures and videos. I really wanted to add one more video of Graham crawling (he is really catching on- he knows what he wants to do and tries SO hard!) but I can't seem to get it to upload. Instead I'll add some pictures of his first time swimming. After an inital few minutes of uncertainty, he absolutely loved the pool. He splashed water all over both of us, and after a while had a pretty good doggy-paddle going. Hopefuly he didn't swallow too much chlorine... His appetite is also expanding. Tonight, after I had already fed him as much milk as he would eat he sat in his high-chair and gobbled down some cereal, applesauce, and then smashed bananas; every time I finished one bowl full, he would starting yelling (literally) for more. I can't imagine how it will be when he's a teenager.

Love to all! Kate (and Graham)

Trying to crawl!

2008-06-27T09:04:00.000-07:00

I am going to try to upload a video of Graham trying to get mobile! I can't believe how he's growing, and wanting so badly to get around now. It happened so fast! Last night after dinner we put a blanket on the floor and let him practice his skills, and he was just determined to move. All it took was a little arm to push off from, and he repeatedly moved all the way across the blanket. Boy, was he proud! I was just a little bit, too... I love my boy so much! He's going to have all kinds of new skills to show his dad.

Love to all! Kate

It's spoilin' time!

2008-06-25T14:02:00.000-07:00

Well here we are in Glendale after our long travels from the West! I couldn't have asked for Graham to be better on our long journey- he took it like a trooper and did very little fussing, as well as lots of flirting with fellow passengers (he especially liked the stewardesses). Since arriving in Glendale he's been amazed by the animals, entranced by the plants, but most of all thrilled to see Grandma and Granddad! He's also been sleeping a lot in our cozy little room to make up for our crazy day yesterday. Works for me! Other big news in Graham's life: he started rolling over last week, and now has tummy-to-back thoroughly down pat. He still needs the tiniest push (or the side rail of his crib) to go from back-to-tummy, but he will be there in no time. We miss Jonathan/Daddy terribly already, but it's fun to visit his blog and see how things are unfolding in Thailand. Graham was checking out all of the men on the plane to see if he could find that one special one that he's missing. He even kept tapping the shoulder of the guy next to us--I'm pretty sure he was hoping that when he turned around he would be transformed into Daddy, as he was a young man with a similar haircut. Fortunately the next three weeks will be filled with lots of fun and laughter to help us get by!

His First Babysitter!

2008-06-13T20:27:00.001-07:00

Wheeeee! Graham likes this new trick.

Another first, Graham had his first baby sitter, a totally awesome former-youth now friend, Lindsey Lewis. They seemed to have a great night together while Kate and I got some one-on-one time, and Graham was full of smiles when we got home. Success!

After barely any nap time and two hours together they are still both smiling. A miracle.

Much love,

jon and kate

First Solid Foods

2008-06-07T19:45:00.000-07:00

Here are some snapshots of Graham's first meal of solid food. Delicious rice cereal!

Here we go!

He seems interested in the possibility:

1/4 in mouth, 3/4 around mouth:

After some time (3-4 spoonfulls) we are getting full

Mmmm, delicious.

He is such a sweet guy! Every day we realize more and more what a great and pleasant spirit he has. He loves to flirt with the ladies and is sleeping so much better recently.

We feel very lucky and blessed.

Love,

Jon and Kate

Check-up Stats

2008-06-02T10:54:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! We just got home from our appointment, and Graham is already sleeping; two months ago when I made the appointment I didn't know yet that I was making it during prime nap time. Hopefully it helped that he was so tired, though--he cried for about 15 seconds during his shots and that was that. He settled right down to sleep immediately after, so I think this round went just fine. He nows weighs in at 15lbs (so he's pretty much doubled his birth weight) which lands him at 50th percentile, and he is a whopping 27inches long, which is off the charts! Maybe he'll have his granddad's long lean figure? The doctor also told us we can start feeding him some rice cereal since he is big and strong, and hopefully that will help him start sleeping through the night again. I think all of the trips, guests, and changes with me going back to work are still going to take some adjusting, though.

In other news, I (Kate) managed to contract pink-eye to go along with my cold. I must have had a contagious patient at work that I wasn't aware of. Our pediatrician (who is also a church friend) was kind enough to check me out and give me a prescription at Graham's appointment, so it saved me a trip to the office! Now I'm just praying that the guys won't get it from me. Yesterday before my eyes really started showing it I gave Graham an awful lot of kisses...

I'll also try and post a little video, just so you can see him in action. Unfortunately he is quite captivated by the camera, so we have spent many minutes trying to get him to interact with us as if it isn't there, all to no avail. So, these aren't any of his best smiles or giggles, but still pretty cute.

Well Graham's been up for a while sitting beside me and is getting bored, so I should stop for now.
Love! Kate

4 months old!

2008-06-01T16:21:00.000-07:00

While Graham is finishing up his long afternoon nap I thought I'd add a couple more pictures. We'll try to blog again tomorrow after Graham's 4 month appointment to let you know the new height and weight and other vital statistics! But, in the meantime, I thought we should do a simple leg chubbiness comparison to illustrate what a big boy he's becoming. Check out the difference between week 2 and 4 months!

Graham continues to be such a joy in our lives. He is more fun all the time, and such a sweet snuggly boy. This picture with his dad also shows off his new favorite pose with his hands thoughtfully clasped together. He is so purposeful and serious with the way he uses his hands, I love it! There's no thrashing about with them for him. He prefers gentle touches and then a firm grip if it's something really cool.

Going back to work has been good, but I miss my boys so much during the day! My biggest consolation is the size of the smiles I get when I get home. It makes me feel so loved to see those huge dimples and the excited body-wiggling that accompanies them! I'm so blessed.

Continue to pray for us as we try to make decisions about the coming year(s). There is so much to think about these days, but we're also just trying to enjoy each day and all of the fun it brings. Watching Graham discover his world helps us do that. Love to all!

More Guests, Graham is so cute!

2008-05-27T20:54:00.000-07:00

Our great friend Tim came to visit from Arkansas. It was wonderful to see him. Here we are holding our babies:

Graham is so fun. He went on a big weekend youth event with us last weekend and was tuckered out. Today he hung out with Jon all day again. Here's some pictures after Kate came home:

He's so fun. Hope you are all very well.

Love,

Jon and Kate

Back to Work, Wonderful Guests...

2008-05-20T20:33:00.000-07:00

Hello all, phew it's been busy recently.

First of all, the trip Jon is helping to lead to China this summer is up in the air, because the location of their work site was Chengdu, which you all no doubt know was afflicted by a devastating earthquake last week.

Next, Kate went back to work today, leaving Jonathan and Graham together for 13 hours! The longest Kate and Graham had been apart previously was 2 hours, so Jon was a bit nervous about it. But they had an absolutely wonderful day together, and got a lot of great bonding in. Here's the end of the day picture, you can't fake those smiles:

Graham is really beginning to reveal his personality, and based on what he's like so far, he's going to be a really sweet guy. He loves to smile and giggle in a breathy way, and he loves to hold hands. He's into watching us be weird and now does a little squeely shriek all the time just to join in the conversation. Here he is with his hair styled by mom to look like a 40 year old businessman:

The other big news is that we had our cousins Megan and Daniel visit us. It was wonderful to see them and to meet Daniel for the first time, and to have them meet Graham:

Well, we miss you all and hope to see you soon. Thanks for the thoughts and prayers.

Blessings,

Jon and Kate

Mom Brandon is here!

2008-05-08T17:43:00.000-07:00

We just got back from the airport with Mom Brandon. It's great to have her here and Graham and Mom are already bonding big time:

Also, he's trying to take a big step:

3 months old!

2008-05-04T18:15:00.001-07:00

Well, we just got back from a walk around the neighborhood, and thought we should get some pictures of Graham now that he is officially over three months old! Unfortunately we couldn't get the biggest smiles out of Graham as he just woke up from a nap, and the camera just kept missing them. We'll try to get a video of his giggles soon! Until then, he's a few of his first bowling outing with our 20-somethings church group (that was a couple of weeks ago) and then from the walk today. Enjoy!

A Brand New Shaw

Finally, a tooth!

Fun and stories

time for some pictures!

Eliot's 1st Birthday!

Happy Birthday Eliot!

More adventures

Africa!!

A few pictures

April is here!

Fun times

Funny Sayings and Winter Fun

Another fall post, before fall is gone...

Fall Fun!

A few more

Finally, some more pictures!

2 month appointment

A few more

Pics!

7 weeks later...

Eliot is almost 5 days old.

A few more Eliot!

The Brand Newest Shaw: Eliot Philip Shaw

Buckroe Beach and the Capital

Funny Story

Getting closer to being a big brother...

More Graham stories!

Graham's Birthday Blowout

Belated Birthday Pics

Funny Conversation

So much happening!

Thanksmas!

little moment

Finally, an update

Graham Reading

Graham's Monologue

INEXCUSABLE!

Manni, Daddaddy and Emlaerley

Is this too high?

a special message from Graham

Phrases!

Some writing at least!

Quick One

Puddles

Wedding!

Stacking Blocks Video

Shosho and the Whites!

Haircut

Such a sweetie!

More fun with Graham!

Conner White: New Cousin!

Graham does, art, has a cold, and dances!

GG!

Snow Day

Video of Graham Walking

Almost March!

One Year Stats

Cake: A Video

Happy Birthday to Graham!

Not feeling well.

More words this time

First tooth

More milestones

Happy Holidays!

Quick update

More pictures

Favorite games

Happy Voting Day!

Happy Halloween! (soon)

Fall leaves

Kentucky time

Grandma Brandon's Here! Yippeee!

Soccer Star

Leaving soon?

Crawling!

Fun with Granddad

Enjoying the summer

6 months old!

Glad to be home

Last blog from KY