Hmmm, like father like son?

I Can Spell...

This video is especially for my Uncle Allen.
(and no, I'm not naked...I have on elmo underwear!)

Uploaded by emersonstogo

(FYI: I am really smart, but I can't spell that long word by myself. My Mommy let me borrow her shirt with all the letters on it. I think maybe I need my own shirt...how about it Uncle Al?)

Yeah!

Life is back at full speed here in the Emerson home. That's right, everyone is well and doing great. Thank you to all of you who prayed for us and sent us emails! After starting Caden on malaria medicine, he was feeling better within 24 hours. Corban stayed healthy through the whole adventure and has continued to smile and laugh...sometimes when he was the only one.

Check out those dimples!

Never again...

I am writing this post as a reminder to myself that never again will I feel bad about what I do all day. I know I'm not the only Mom/Wife that sometimes feels guilty about getting "nothing" done all day at home. The last few days, God has opened my eyes to a realization: I'm pretty good at what I do! As the previous posts have shared, we have been through a round of the sickies here at Chez Emerson (the Emerson home). It started with Caden, then I got sick, and now it seems Brett is taking his turn. Lord willing, Corban will be spared.

So as I spent lots of time by myself in bed yesterday, I had lots of time to think. This turned into lots of time for Jesus and Satan to battle control of my heart and mind. I had moments of "I don't want to be in Togo anymore" to moments of "I know this is Satan attacking my family". Several times throughout all these trials (beginning with Caden's middle of the night illness), I have heard the Lord say to me, "I will fight for you; you need only to be still."Through the walls of our bedroom, I heard my sweet husband trying to be mommy and wife for a day. I don't think he wants to do it again. ;) I asked him this morning if I could tell him something that I didn't want him to take the wrong way. I said, "after yesterday, I realized I'm pretty good at what I do." He replied with, "I think you are great at what you do."

I am so thankful that Brett and I have each other as helpmates in our family. I am thankful for a husband who respects who I am and appreciates the job I do as a mommy. I am thankful for God showing me these truths amidst a time of difficulty. This may have been the yuckiest Valentine's Day for us...but it has turned out to be one of the most memorable.

Oh No!

First my big brother got malaria, and now my mommy has a stomach bug! Caden is getting better now that he has medicine, but please pray for my mommy now as well! Good thing God gave me a daddy too; he is holding down the fort until the team is all healthy again! As you can see from this pic taken today in my shirt that mommy and daddy's college sent me all the way in Africa, I am still doing great :) Love, Corban

Pray for Caden

The test came back positive today that Caden has Malaria. This is the first time for him. Many of you may be wondering, "Is that serious?" The quick answer is yes, unless you have medication to treat it. We have started Caden on meds, and he should start feeling better within 24 hours. For more frequently asked questions about Malaria, you can visit the CDC site. It all started when Brett was out of town and I had the boys on my own. Normally, this is no big deal and I'm definitely getting the hang of it.
I had just gone to bed when I heard Caden open his bedroom door. I guided him back to bed only to have him throw up all over the floor. I spent the rest of the night being afraid of falling asleep and not knowing how sick my child was. Needless to say, when Brett came home I was SO glad to have my helper back. It is possible that he has a stomach virus on top of the Malaria, but we'll deal with that once the Malaria is gone. We have dealt with fever, throwing up, and general puniness over the last 36 hours.Three Sleepy Boys

Please be praying for our little guy...that the Lord would heal his body quickly and rid it of all malaria parasites. Pray for us as parents to be patient with him and know how to make him as comfortable as possible.

Caden's ABC's

The "expert" on BabyCenter.com says this:

• Most children begin recognizing some letters between the ages of 2 and 3 and can identify most letters between 4 and 5. This means that you can start teaching your child the alphabet when he's around 2 — but don't expect full mastery for some time.

Today Caden is exactly 2 years, 3 months, 2 weeks and 3 days. A proud Momma has a right to brag on their own blog, right?!

ABCs
Uploaded by emersonstogo

We're All Smiles

Corban is smiling non-stop now it seems. He loves to be tickled and has the cutest little laugh. Corban will smile spontaneously at his brother, Daddy, and Mommy! I think he likes his brother the most. Now if we could convince Caden to not jump, dance, or play on or around Corban when he's on the floor....seriously, it's an accident waiting to happen.I love this picture because you can see just how much he loves his Daddy already!
This would be Caden's finger pointing out Corban's nose...
he's a little obsessed with naming body parts.

and here's our happy baby.... (click to enlarge)

He smiles with his whole face!

And lastly, who doesn't enjoy real footage of smiling and laughing??

AllSmiles
Uploaded by emersonstogo

i LOVE my boys

More Singing

Spider_med
Uploaded by emersonstogo

Our Little Soccer Player

This is what I do when I have too many pictures to choose from.
It works for me.
Also, you really should open this up big to appreciate some of the Caden faces I captured.
Enjoy!

Hard At Work

I'm sure Caden was trying to be very careful when he decided

he could pour a few crackers onto the container's lid.

Corban is...

Two months old and has been tagged by his cousin Cullen to write his first blog post.

Hi everyone! I'm supposed to write 8 things about myself, so here we go...

• My name is Corban Stewart. Corban comes from the Bible (Mark 7:11) and means, "A gift dedicated to God". Stewart is my Mommy's grandparents' name. My Mommy and Daddy say they are very special people who love God and that's why Stewart is my middle name. I can't wait to meet them in April!
  
• I was born in Africa...pretty cool, huh?!
  
• I am learning to smile and laugh right now. I'm the best at this first thing in the morning. I love morning time!
  
• I love my brother and think he is very funny. He likes to play peek-a-boo with me, touch my hands, feet, and head, and he's always asking if he can hold me.
  
• My favorite place is my baby swing. Sometimes I wish Mommy would let me hang out there ALL day but she says I have to spend time on my tummy and other places. Other places really aren't that bad...but don't tell my Mommy. :)
  
• I am 2 months old but have outgrown almost all of my 0-3 month clothing. I'm really tall, just like my Daddy.
  
• Size 2 diapers are almost too small on me but Mommy says we still have a several packs of them so I have to wear them a bit longer.
  
• Sometimes I sleep six hours at night, but sometimes I get hungry sooner than that. If Mommy would just let me sleep in my swing, I would probably sleep even longer than that!
  

There's not a whole lot a two month old can write about...maybe I can do this again in a few months. I'm supposed to tag my friends now. I haven't met many people yet, so I'll tag some people my Mommy says are my friends. I tag Gideon, Nathan, Zoe, and Caleb (I actually know him!).

Baby Einstein

Caden is now trying to sing along with every song he hears, whether it's the first or millionth time he's heard it. A lot of fun for all of those involved.

Head
Video sent by emersonstogo

Caden's 1st Hair Cut

That's right...our two year old had his first hair cut today! You may be surprised it's not longer than it is, but that's because his hair didn't start growing until he was almost one.

So here's the setup:

• plastic mat
• special seat
• water bottle
• comb
• scissors
• Finding Nemo DVD
• cameras
• clothes not necessary
  

Before:

After:

Don't look too closely, it's not perfect, but it will work.
I'm sure we will continue to snip stray hairs for the next few days.

Missionary Kid #2

Check it out! Corban has a passport and his birthplace says GHANA. I still can't believe he was born in Africa!
I always think that baby passports are so funny. You do your best to get a picture of your newborn with his eyes open and looking at the camera. Also, he doesn't have to get a new one until he is 5 years old...how would anyone recognize him at 5 by this picture?! When filling out the application we had to guess on his hair and eye color.
Oh the adventures of a missionary kid....

This Pretty Much Sums It Up

This pic is a good snapshot of our family life right now: our first born wearing a napkin on his head while strapped into a chair with a feathery boa so he won't leave the dinner table while asking to hold his little baby brother while laughing and smiling and being silly the whole time. Meanwhile, our newborn baby boy sleeps through it all!

If you can't relate, then you've never been the parents of 2 young boys!

Crazy-Faced Caden

This is hard work keeping posts up about two boys instead of just one. My mom captured Caden making this face...who knows what he was thinking. And don't you just love the big cloth diaper with short-sleeved pajama top in addition to the Christmas tree in the background....all obvious things that indicate we live in Africa!

Happy Face

Corban has started smiling! He has a great smile where he uses his whole face, but of course I couldn't capture that one on camera. Here are two little grins for you.


Also, you might be interested to know that Corban is 11 lb. 4 oz. now. The pediatrician at Tsiko said he is in the 90th percentile for weight and height (I'll have to get back to you on this measurement). Go Corban!

Birth Announcement

Obviously, it's too difficult (not to mention expensive ) to send out birth announcements. But if I was, I would choose one of these. Since I don't have to choose, I'm posting all of them. Feel free to click on your favorite (this will give you a big, high resolution version), save it, and have it printed at your favorite film developing place.

(the first and last pictures are 4x6 format, the middle is 4x5)