That Magical Moment Right Before Bedtime...

Realizing I'll probably say it a hundred times more before he goes to college, I'll just start now: Jonathan is at such a fun stage right now. He's starting to understand how much we love him and our genuine concern for his well-being. The way he looks at us is full of trust and assurance that his needs are important to us. 

He woke up from his nap today with a stuffy nose. As he struggled to breath he looked at me and his expression pled, "Fix it! Fix it, please!" I laid him on the changing table and got out the weird nose-sucker-gadget he so passionately hates. He looked at it, looked at me, looked at it, and looked at me again. He put his little hand around my finger as I put the opening to his nose and sucked. He didn't cry, he just squeezed my hand until it was over, looking at me so intently. I was startled to find my eyes becoming a little misty during such a simple chore--I was so touched by how explicitly he trusted me.

It is so fun to see him smile in the morning when he wakes up and sees us. It usually takes him ten minutes or more to realize he's hungry because he just wants to play and snuggle. He's also responding more and more to teasing, and smiling when he sees his favorite toys. But nothing delights him (and us, let's be honest) more than silly games with Mommy and tickles from Daddy. It's quite the ego boost to have someone think you are so perfectly clever! 

One of the best times of day is right after Jonathan's last bottle and right before we put him in the tub. Somehow the stars align so that everyone is fed and at home but no one is tired yet. It was during these perfect twenty minutes tonight that we found Fabio's whiskers to be the perfect length--not too soft, but not too prickly--much to Jonathan's delight.

And now as he lays next to me asleep, somehow taking the lion's share of our California King bed, I can't help but think how happy I am that Jonathan knows he is loved. This really is a fun stage.

Jonathan's Photo Shoot

The oh-so-talented Jane came to our house a couple weeks ago to take pictures of Jonathan. We had so much fun, and they turned out perfectly. She captured Jonathan so completely. Most of the pictures were taken right in his bedroom, which makes them all the more personal. The pictures are especially tender because Jane is one of our dear friends who watched Jonathan while I was in the ICU.

She couldn't have given us a more sweet and timeless baby gift. These are some of our favorites:

I think the finger-clutch is probably the best part of the day for anyone who has a baby

Documenting one of Jonathan's great joys in life

Miniatures of Fabio's feet--

I can't believe there are somehow bones in those teeny-tiny toes!

Now that we have all of these gorgeous pictures of our boy, I have the impossible task of choosing one to frame and put on the wall. Any thoughts?

Big button, Big flush; Little button, Little flush

Before moving here I heard reports of toilets in Asia being surprisingly complicated. But the ones in Singapore are on the more straightforward side of things.

That being said, I won't tell you how long Fabio and I lived here before we figured out why our toilets (and everyone else's for that matter) had two buttons.

It's actually pretty intuitive when you think about it...

The Unexpected Hazards of Sleep Deprivation

The other night, around 3:00 am, Jonathan fell back asleep and I realized I needed to use the bathroom. I got up, stumbled through the house and started to undo my pajama pants only to realize just in time (much to my surprise) that I was in the kitchen!

Later, as I washed my hands in the appropriate room and shuffled back to bed, I re-committed to keeping the wise adage I had clearly not been following closely enough: "Sleep when the baby sleeps."