Today, Balian is two months old. It's absolutely amazing how much he has grown and changed in just two short months. Even more amazing is how fast the time really does fly by. All parents warn new parents to be prepared for the time passing quickly, and they are right to do so. Balian quickly outgrew his newborn clothes and diapers about a month ago. Some of his 0-3 month clothes are already too small for him, also... it's because he is so long! So long in fact, that he has another week- maybe two tops in his bassinet, and then he will truly be too long to sleep in it anymore! That's not a bad thing, mind you, but I will be sad when he is no longer sleeping just a few feet away from me in the very same room. Luckily, there is only just a connecting bathroom in between our bedroom and his nursery. 

Of course, I believe Balian to be the smartest baby in the world. Most people comment on how he's been able to hold his head up for such a long period of time unassisted... he's really been doing this since the very early weeks... he doesn't need our help with this anymore. He wants to be mobile in the worst way! As soon as he figures out how to crawl, watch out world... he'll truly be on the move! He can push himself up, and hold his head up when placed on his tummy. He can almost roll over without any help, and he LOVES to be able to sit up and see what's going on in the world around him. A couple of days ago, he grabbed onto a soft rattle toy, and shook it, and played with it all on his own! That was honestly my proudest moment in life to date. Today, he grabbed the same toy with both hands and picked it up! He loves to play with his toys- his favorites being 'blue puppy' and the 'spider star.' We believe him to be over his colicky-ness, thank heavens, and he is sleeping for 4-5 hour stretches at night! Hallelujah! Sacha and I wake up and are WIDE AWAKE before 7 am now! B gets really cuddly for his early morning feeding... some time between 5:30 and 6:30 am, and then I stick him in the bed between me and Sacha, and we cuddle... sometimes falling back asleep. No worries- I make sure the blankets are pulled back and I toss my pillows aside, so we're not risking anything happening to him. B loves his swing- and some days, it's my only hope for a moment of sanity. He's happiest when he has a full tummy, a clean diaper, and a smiling mommy or daddy to gaze upon. For some reason, he is partial to Lady Gaga's 'Just Dance,' and the 'Twist and Shout' song... probably because his mommy wiggles around, dancing like a fool just to get a laugh out of him. Hey... it works! :)

We are so excited for Balian's first Christmas. He has a lot of little Christmas outfits he's been given, and some we have bought for him, too. I have already done a little Christmas shopping for him... and even though we know that he cannot open presents on his own on Christmas morning, it will be so much fun to help him and watch him. We have our house all decked for Christmas, and he loves looking at the lights on the Christmas tree. We have our nativity sets out, and once a day, we stop in front of the big one to look at everyone, and I try my best to point out who's who and tell him the story of Jesus' birth. In my opinion, it's never too early to start telling children about Jesus and His love!

We're busy these days around St. John's... lot's of Christmas music is being prepared and shared. Sacha is involved in the Men's Chorus Christmas Concert tomorrow afternoon at the church. Tomorrow morning, he is playing for two church services at a church in Charlotte. Next Sunday is our annual service of Lessons and Carols at St. John's- both traditional and contemporary... Sacha and I are both involved in both services. The next big thing will be preparing out musical offerings for Christmas Eve. Sacha's youth brass ensemble will be playing an arrangement that he composed, Sacha will play an organ/trombone duet with my dad, and I will be offering a solo. How we're going to work all of this out with Balian being there has yet to be decided. Sacha is also hard at work practicing for an audition with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, which will take place at the end of January. Don't worry... it's just an audition... so don't make any farewell plans for us just yet, but at the same time, please keep Sacha in prayer, because a job with a symphony is his dream.

That's just about all the news we have to share for now. There isn't a lot of free time to be had in our house, as you can imagine, so if I don't get to post again before Christmas, our family wishes you and yours a very Merry Christmas!