Joshie-Wan Kenobi

We interrupt this run of "catch-up" posts for an incredible dose of cuteness: our little J-man right after a bath, in his wee hooded towel!  He's totally rocking the Obi-Wan look -- the cutest little Jedi we've ever seen!


Snuggling up to both Daddy and Mommy

'Sup, yo?

So cute so cute so cute!!

Back to your regularly-scheduled blog reading.  :)  Coming soon: our visit with Iain and Erin, Joshua's first bottles from Daddy, the next installment of Joshua Watch, and Princeton Reunions!!

Catch-up post: What Joshua has been up to

Since I restrained myself from posting too many Joshua photos in my other catch-up posts today, I figure I can reward myself by giving him a post all to himself.  :)

So what has our little guy been up to this last month?  We'll have a developmental rundown in the Joshua Watch post to come sometime later this week (can you believe he's almost four months old already??), but here are some photos of the fun we've been having with our J-man!

A playdate with Lucy and Nora D!  We finally got to meet the twin daughters of our friends Harmony and David -- they were born just a couple weeks after Joshua was, and the D family lives just a couple sections over in our development, but what with the craziness of caring for newborns (plus, Lucy and Nora have an almost-two-year-old older brother!), we weren't able to get together until just a few weeks ago.  These little girls are so sweet -- I'd like to think our three kiddos had fun playing together.  :)  And it was certainly good to see Harmony again!  We definitely need to put together another playdate sometime soon!



Making friends at small group!  We've been taking Joshua to our small group Bible studies since he was about two weeks old, but it's only recently that he's been okay with being held by others.  Rest assured, I've busted out the camera pretty much every time he's played well with someone else.  :)



Smiling -- and laughing!  Joshua is smiling more regularly now, and in response to specific things that we do.  He loves it when we rub his belly, or when we make fools of ourselves saying things like "Yaaaaaay!" to him in high-pitched voices.  :)  He's also started to laugh -- real, sweet belly laughs!  The first time he laughed was when I had him on the changing table with a clean diaper -- I was playing with his feet, and blew raspberries on them, and he just burst into laughter.  The sweetest sound in the world!  And the second time was in response to David tickling his belly and squeezing his cheeks while he was playing in his activity gym.  So he's an equal opportunity laugher.  :)

No videos of him laughing yet (though that's on my list of things to try to get!), but here's my new favorite photo of our adorable little guy smiling his heart out at us!


Other Joshua news to come.  We had a wonderful visit from David's brother Iain and his girlfriend Erin last weekend; we're also starting to get Joshua used to being bottle-fed by his daddy, in preparation for my return to work next week.  These both deserve posts of their own, and will get them once I get the photos uploaded off our camera!

Catch-up post: A shower for baby B!

About a week and a half ago (Friday, 5/14), we threw a shower to celebrate Hilary and the impending birth of baby boy B!  Hilary is due at the end of June, and we couldn't be more thrilled for her and Steven.  :)

The shower was such a fun commingling of two of Hilary's Princeton "worlds" -- our small groups, and the psych department.  Everyone there was united in their love for Hilary and their excitement about this precious baby boy -- and it helps that there was a ton of good food, some silly shower games, and a bunch of adorable little kids to play with!

Among the decorations at the shower: baby-themed name tags (gotta love free internet clipart!), a beautiful diaper cake on the gifts table, and Joshua's old newborn-sized clothing, which he's lending to his friend-to-be.  :)



Silly shower games!  Close your eyes and draw a picture of Hilary's family; estimate how much yarn it takes to get around Hilary's belly.



Babies, babies everywhere! Joshua and Caleb, the littlest guys; Jemina and Ishaan, the toddlers (and Ishaan took his very first steps at this shower!); and Aliina, one of the happiest babies I've ever met!




And just some of my favorite shots of the beautiful mother-to-be, opening gifts and with her labmate Ann Marie (also a recent new mom!):



Hilary and Steven, we are so beyond excited for your family! Can't wait to meet baby boy B!!

Catch-up post: Senior testimonies

Two of the last Friday Night Fellowships of the year (5/7, 5/14) were devoted to senior testimonies -- a time for the seniors to share what God had taught them during their four years at Princeton and to give a word of encouragement to the younger classes, and for all of us to pray for each of them as they prepare to go out into the world.

It's always hugely encouraging to me to see how each senior has grown over the last four years.  This year, they shared stories of overcoming eating disorders, struggling with chronic disease, learning to let go of perfectionism, and finding the joy of true friendship.

We'll miss you all so much, 2010ers!

Catch-up post: PEF reading period events!

Now that the school year is officially over (just have Reunions and graduation to get through!), it's high time that I finally blog all the photos and events from the last few weeks... Warning: this post will be very photo-heavy!

Three weeks ago was Princeton's reading period, the week and a half between the last day of classes and the first day of exams.  Reading period is usually spent writing papers and cramming for exams -- but since there's no scheduled academic activity, the students also have time to hang out and throw fun events.  Over the last few years, PEF has developed several reading period traditions -- it's a fun way to kick off the end of the school year!

First up was the PEF talent show, held on Thursday night (5/6).  There's always such an interesting mix of actual talent (instrumental pieces, operatic arias), class skits (the seniors reprised their "Monks of the Saint Bill Boyce" skit from their freshman year!), and, um, varieties...




Perhaps my favorite skit this year was the role reversal by David L. and Ian F.  Both of these guys have very strong personalities -- David is one of the most exuberantly ebullient people I know, while Ian is very strait-laced and proper.  So their role reversal was BRILLIANT.  It was hilarious seeing them walk out in the other's clothing, and it just got funnier from there!



The day after the talent show (5/7) was PEF's spring picnic, right before our normal Friday Night Fellowship.  Tons of good food, fun and games -- and a chance to get candid portraits of people before they graduate and/or leave for the summer.




And finally, that Saturday (5/8) we held the PEF Olympics out on Poe Field. It was a beautifully sunny day -- perfect weather for relay races, soccer games, and other outdoor shenanigans.






It's always such a joy to hang out with PEFers, but especially so when the burdens of work aren't quite as palpable. :)