Pink Eye and Other Updates

Well, we are enjoying a few days in Searcy with friends, some old and even a few new ones. We're not big "Harding is the Greatest Place on Earth" people, but we will always have a strong emotional attachment to this place. We still have a ton of friends here that we absolutely love, and that makes the trip more than just one of nostalgia...

In other news, both of the boys have pink eye. Besides being gross, those weepy, crusty, swollen eyes make them feel a little less than stellar. They still continue to be great though, smiling and happy and winning the hearts of everyone they meet...

We have 19 days left in the States. That's still a good little while, which is good, because we're not ready to go home to Togo just yet. America has so many little fun and convenient things that we're still going to experience before we leave :)

On Saturday we'll be heading back to Montgomery to continue our bonding time with our sponsoring church. Once again, please pray for our comings and goings!

You Gotta See This!!!

Click HERE for some adorable pictures of Caden, Corban, and their 5 cousins.  Thanks Aunt Betsy!

On Our Way

We'll be on a plane bound for the States via Germany in about 2 hours. If all goes well, we will be back to our "other home" sometime Thursday afternoon. Please pray for our comings and goings!

Rolling Right Along

It's as if he is saying, "Hey everybody, look how big I am!"

On Monday (17th), Corban rolled from his tummy to his back three different times. I was sure he had it down and would do it any time he was placed on his tummy...he hasn't done it since. This video was my attempt to capture on video his new skill. Instead, I captured Corban sharing with the world how he did NOT want to be on his tummy. It is such a contrast to our happy, smiley baby that I thought it was funny.

rolling
Uploaded by emersonstogo

Rain In March

In case you are unfamiliar with our seasons here in Togo, there are two: wet and dry. Both are hot. The dry season is typically from September through May, with the hottest times being February-April. This week we received a special treat...a blessing, if you will, from God. RAIN! It began storming around 2 or 3 in the morning and didn't stop raining until 10 or so. Now in the States you often hear, "It's raining? Oh, how depressing." or something of the sort. Not so here...at least for me. It is party time! The rain brings in a refreshing coolness that can be achieved no other way. So even though I know the farmers and others working hard in the dry season were frustrated by this unexpected rain...I was doing a happy dance. We let Caden put on his rainboots and take his new umbrella outside to play in the rain. He loved it and was quite fascinated that he could stand under the umbrella and not get wet. Too much fun! Thank you God for the rain!

Have You Missed Us?

First, we'd like to apologize for the long time with no new pictures. It's been a busy week! April has had the little boys at home while Brett has been away for various reasons. The above picture was one where we were enjoying everyone being home together. Fun times!Brett was taking advantage of the time at home to do some exercising. Corban would laugh every time Brett completed a sit-up and Caden didn't want to be left out of the fun so he decided to help Daddy out by "pushing" him up with his feet. It was too funny not to take a picture. (Yes, Caden is still running around naked...but potty training is going well.)

A few days while Brett was gone, April took the boys to the pool with our friends. It has been SO hot that the pool is the only cool place to be (other than the air-conditioned car ride to the pool). The rise in temperatures has been the other reason we've allowed Caden to run naked. Not to mention that it is pretty normal in this culture. It's going to be difficult to explain to our friends in Montgomery why our toddler refuses to wear clothes.

Yikes!

The high today was 107.
We went swimming.
I didn't want to leave.


Enjoy your snow.

Hold Tight

When Caden wants to ride on the rope swing he says, "I wanna hold tight!" Then as he swings back and forth he exclaims, "Wheee!"

I kinda feel that way right now. I know I've got to hold tight while life swings me up and down. Now if I can just learn to exclaim "wheee" on the ups and the downs.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials many kinds" James 1:2
"Rejoice int he Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" Philippians 4:4

February Family Newsletter

You can read our latest newsletter by clicking the following link:

http://www.harvestfields.net/kabiye/Feb_08_Newsletter.pdf

Feel free to send it on to anyone else who might want it, or send us an email if you would like to receive it in your inbox each month.

Love and blessings,

BACC

Three Months

Corban is such a fun baby! He is very ticklish resulting in lots of smiles and laughs. He is weighing around 13-14 lbs. (we don't have a baby scale), is 25 1/4" long, and is wearing some 6 month clothing. He almost always smiles at Caden. He can spot his daddy from across the room and often smiles more for those two boys than he does his mommy. But I'm not jealous, he still prefers to be held by me and greets me each morning with the sweetest smile as I appear over the edge of the cradle :) We have also enjoyed comparing the similarities and differences between our two boys (and even their cousins) as they grow and develop personalities. They say that kids grow up too fast, but we are enjoying Corban thoroughly everyday and think that he is growing up just right!

One Of Each

Caden is my brown eyed little boy (with a hint of green).
It appears Corban is going to be my blue one.


You're welcome Emersons!

Warning

If you come over to our house and leave your color coded post it notes behind in a place where Caden can reach them, this will happen:Sorry Nicole!

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