Stowers Family Blog

Because Some People Care...

2011-02-08T14:21:00.004-05:00

Because some people care, namely my family and a few friends in the States, here are my most recent "belly pics," taken this morning. Please excuse the fake smile - we were running late to get to work this morning but I knew if I didn't take the pics then, I wouldn't get them taken at all!

26 weeks pregnant with Baby Girl Stowers! Yay!

Overall I feel pretty good, but this pregnancy definitely isn't the same type of experience as the first time I was pregnant. Besides being achier (probably because I'm older!) and more tired, I just want to skip the rest of the pregnancy and get the baby!

Baby Girl seems like she'll be a mover and shaker when she's born. She is constantly moving in utero - but not so much kicking. More like swimming. I tell Ross often that it feels like someone is doing the breast stroke in my stomach. Definitely an odd and, sometimes, kind of gross feeling. I'm thankful to feel her move so much, though, and pray that she continues to develop into a healthy and strong baby girl!

A Very Quick Update

2011-01-20T08:42:00.004-05:00

For those of you with whom I am not Facebook friends, here's a link to view a bunch of pics from the holiday season. We had a great time celebrating Christmas & New Years, enjoying Florence, and traveling a tiny bit during our vacation. Enjoy!

Buone Feste da Firenze

Winter Wonderland

2010-12-20T08:58:00.007-05:00

On Friday it snowed in Florence. Record breaking snow - the most the city had seen in 50 years. It snowed about 10 inches in just a few hours! The whole city shut down, roads were closed, public transportation (buses, trains, airports, etc) all stopped working, and people were stranded for hours and hours. It was crazy!

We couldn't believe all the snow since, well, we had heard that it rarely snows in Florence. And last year the same thing happened - snow the day before we were supposed to leave for a Christmas trip with friends. What are the odds of that happening two years in a row??? When it rarely even snows once/year???

This is our street as the snow was just beginning to fall...

Here's a little look at how backed up traffic was. This picture was taken at 1:30pm and when we looked out at this same street at 11:30pm it was just as bad, if not worse. (Look at how all the roads feeding into the round-about are at a stand still!)

This is Porta Romana, near our house. It looked so pretty with snow falling all around it.

Out street at 2pm...

Our back yard around 4pm - at least 5 inches of snow out there by then!

When Colton had gone down for his nap, there was no snow at all! When he woke up, he saw this. He was so amazed and excited. He kept exclaiming, "Snow! Car! Cool!"

Unfortunately, we did have to cancel our trip with friends. Not because of the snow, though. Instead, out of nowhere both Ross and I got sick with a stomach bug that night! We are still recovering. We were bummed to miss the trip and even more bummed that we couldn't take Colton out to play in the snow on Saturday, a beautiful and sunny day. God was gracious, though. The snow stuck around through Sunday, it was sunny again, and we both felt good enough to take Colton out to play in the back yard for a little while. He LOVED the snow!

One of his first looks at the snow from this side of the house...

"Hey! Where are my feet?"

Colton was so excited to play! Isn't he cute all bundled up?

He loved it when Ross threw snowballs at him. Yup, he's all boy. :)

It took him awhile to figure out how to walk in all that snow, but once he did he had fun walking up the steps to our yard and jumping down them. He also loved throwing himself down into the soft, fluffy snow. It was too cute and funny!

Ross tried to show C how to make a snow angel...

...and with a little help, he did it!

Finally, I stepped out from behind the camera and got a good picture with Colton.

It was so much fun to experience playing in the snow through Colton's eyes! We are thankful that we were able to enjoy this special "first" with him. If only the rain wasn't setting in and all the beautiful snow wasn't melting...

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

2010-12-12T03:00:00.005-05:00

Christmas is not celebrated in Italy with as much emphasis as it is in America. We do feel blessed, though, to live in a place where Christmas is celebrated and there are some really fun options available to celebrate as a family. The other night, we took Colton to the Florence Noel market. The actual market part was pretty strange, but there were so many great things for kids to do there! Colton was thrilled because we left the stroller in the car and let him walk on his own the whole time. You could tell he felt so special. We had a great time!

The market was held in an old train station building. The decorations outside were beautiful. Plus, there was fake snow (bubbles) falling!

Inside the market was very pretty, too. So many lights and decorations!

The tables in front of the evergreen forest were stacked with papers and markers so the kids could write Santa Christmas letters.

It was hard to keep C in one place long enough to get a picture with him. :)

Colton was not a fan of Babbo Natale (the Italian name for Santa) this year. I'm not too surprised since he has seemed to finally be showing some separation anxiety in the past month or so. We stopped by Santa's area first but all Colton would do is cling to me.

I tried to put him on Santa's lap but it just wasn't going to happen...

This is the closest we came to a picture with Santa this year. Ha!

Just beyond Santa's area was an awesome play area for kids up to 8-years-old. First, Colton tried this ball pit. He couldn't move very well in there and wasn't a huge fan.

But then we tried this bounce house. It took Colton a little while to warm up to the idea of jumping (and falling) around a bunch of other kids, but once he did we could not get him out of it! He had the best time!

Ross shared a cannoli (cannolo here in Italy - meaning just one cannoli) with Colton. I wish I could have gotten a picture of him taking a bite of it since, well, it's just not your typical American kid snack. But all I got was this pic of him chewing. :)

Playing with other kids at a craft table.

Even though there were so many fun things set up for him, one of the activities Colton enjoyed most was running up and down this little ramp. It's the simple things, right?

On the way out, we tried to get Colton to go tell Santa "bye-bye." He still wasn't interested in sitting in his lap, but he did give him a high five.

This is what we got when we asked Colton to give Santa a hug. :)

Once again, Ross and I had so much fun watching Colton enjoy some of the fun parts of the Christmas season. It is a joy to celebrate this holiday as we get to see it anew through the eyes of a two-year-old! I know it will only get more fun as the years go on.

For those of you who are interested, here's a little video of our jumping bean enjoying the bounce house...

And a short video of how he liked to get out of the bounce house (usually just so he could turn around and go right back in). My child has no fear...

It's Christmas Time All Over the World!

2010-12-02T12:12:00.004-05:00

The holiday season feels like it has rushed in and taken over! Starting the week before Thanksgiving, things got a little crazy. We had a big dinner for our Italian friends on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, then on Thanksgiving we had another dinner (at our house) for our coworkers! Needless to say, lots of cooking was involved and tons of time invested. Overall it was fun to celebrate, though, except for the fact that I had yet another terrible migraine that took me out of the celebration at our house. While I threw up and slept, everyone else ate and had fun. It was disappointing.

This pregnancy has been way worse as far as migraines go. I've been getting 3-day-long migraines (during which I can't get out of bed or eat or drink) about every two weeks. Please pray that these would taper off as it is really discouraging to be taken out of life so often.

Maybe the reason the migraines are so much worse is that, well, this pregnancy really is different. We found out on the 30th that WE'RE EXPECTING A BABY GIRL!!!! We are so excited as we begin to dream about names, little girl clothes, and all the fun a little girl will add to our family. We feel so blessed and thankful that God is giving us this gift. We are praying for her continued healthy growth and development, as well as the preparation of each of us (especially Colton) for another family member.

Anyway, in the midst of all this busyness and excitement is the added busyness and excitement that Christmas-time brings! The weather has been dark, cold, and rainy almost every day for a month, but decorating for Christmas (and seeing the city all decorated, too) is cheering all of us up! As I've decorated, worked on gifts, cleaned the house, fed Colton his meals - well, almost any time - I've been listening to Christmas music. My favorite song this year is called "It's Christmas Time All Over the World," sung by Sammy Davis Jr. It really hits home with me as we celebrate such a long way from our families and friends in America. The song basically says that no matter where you live; what language they speak; or what customs they have, it's Christmas-time all over the world and we're all celebrating together! I love it!

Here are some pics of our decorations around the house. And, BONUS!, a video of Colton right after we put up and decorated our Christmas tree.

*Side Note* Celebrating Christmas this year with Colton is so fun! He loves the tree and ornaments, excitedly points out Christmas decorations around town, and is enjoying Christmas stories and videos. I feel like I'm reliving a bit of my childhood as I watch his awe and joy! It's so fun!

This is our tree...

And these are our stockings...

This is the advent calender on Colton's bedroom door. He loves getting candy each night after dinner as we count down the days until Christmas. And on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day he gets two big(ger) Santa chocolate bars!

Garland and Christmas candles on our "entertainment center."

Ornaments hanging in our front window...

My beloved nativity scene...

And a couple Christmas quilts...

Finally, this is a great video that shows Colton's excitement for the holidays! It's such a joy to celebrate with our sweet little boy!

We hope you're enjoying this season, too! We love you!

Big Announcement & Halloween

2010-11-02T07:51:00.004-04:00

Last weekend was pretty eventful! We went to the annual Fall Staff Conference for Agape Italia and, while there, announced my pregnancy and celebrated Halloween!

Yes, we are so excited to officially announce that I am 12 weeks pregnant with Baby Stowers #2! This Baby is due May 15, 2011. We announced the pregnancy to our friends and coworkers with Agape Italia at the conference last weekend. Colton wore a "Big Bro" t-shirt and we just let people notice by themselves. A lot of people were confused - unsure of whether the shirt was a message or maybe just a hand-me-down that we had Colton wearing. As soon as a few people figured it out, though, word start to spread. It's nice to finally be out in the open with our joy and excitement. :)

Here is Colton in his t-shirt with me...

He was so excited to finally spread the news!

Colton doesn't really understand what it means to be a "Big Bro" or to have a baby on the way. When we ask him, "Do you want to have a Baby Brother or Baby Sister come live with us?" he answers, "No!" about 90% of the time. Haha! Hopefully we can help him warm up to the idea over the coming months. :)

The next day was Halloween. We were so excited to dress Colton up in the adorable dalmatian costume that Gigi made for him. By the time our Fall Festival party rolled around, though, Colton was pretty exhausted and overstimulated by all the conference craziness he'd endured for three days. When we woke him up from his nap to go to the party, he totally lost it - screaming and crying for 50 minutes straight with no way to console him. We barely got him in costume and down to the party before it ended! I had hoped to paint his little nose black and draw him some whiskers but, on this "real life" Halloween it just didn't happen. Oh well, he still made a cute little puppy!

Family Halloween picture - 2010

Cute little puppy bottom...

This was the only Halloween treat Colton got to eat all day/night! The poor little guy really missed out compared to American kids! ;o)

Some of the kids from Agape Italia all dressed up...

I look a bit frazzled - well, let's face it, I was!

But I still adore my sweet little puppy.

As the party ended, Colton finally got into his role as puppy dog. He crawled around for awhile, acting like a "doggy."

Happy Halloween, everyone!

You'll Never Be One Again...

2010-09-27T03:33:00.009-04:00

Colton is officially 2-years-old! It's hard to believe how time has flown and what a "big boy" he has become. It is truly miraculous how children grow and develop so much in such a short time.

My mom told me that when my siblings and I turned 2, she would listen to a song by Alabama and dance with us. It always made her cry. The chorus says, "You'll never be one again, the twos are tumblin' on in. [Mommy's] little [boy] is growing up in the world, no you'll never be one again." What a sad but sweet time. And we had a fun time celebrating!

We had a little party for Colton about two weeks before his real birthday. We wanted to celebrate while my sister, Jenn, and brother-in-law, Nate, were visiting. It was really special to be able to celebrate Colton while family was here.

Colton was initially excited when Ross came out holding his birthday cupcake and everyone began singing to him.

But after a minute he decided he did not like the "Happy Birthday" song. He kept pulling on my scarf saying, "Mommy? Mommy!" in an attempt to try to get me to make everyone stop singing.

I showed Colton how to blow out his candle and, after my demonstration, he did it all by himself.

Colton tried a few tastes of the frosting on his birthday cupcake...

...and looked like he was going to take a big bite! But, for the second year in a row, he did not like his cake. The kid would rather eat steamed green beans! I do not know where he got that from.

Mommy and Daddy got Colton a 'Cars' backpack. 'Cars' is his favorite movie.

He had a lot of fun pulling the tissue paper out of the gift bags.

But he was a very careful unwrapper. He pulled each piece of paper off very carefully and handed each one to me to put in the garbage. How organized!

Colton looks so cute in his new Superman shirt!

Aunt Jenn and Uncle Nate got a great picture with Colton after the party.

And we got a great family shot!

On Colton's actual birthday we spent a fun family day together. We started by bombarding Colton in bed with shouts, songs, and a camera flashing. He couldn't hardly open his eyes because the camera flash was so bright!

But he was excited by all the fuss being made over him and he still tried to smile for the camera. What a sweet boy.

Mommy and Colton with his special birthday breakfast - a Grand's Cinnamon Roll from the Army Base in Pisa! What a treat!

Birthday kisses. :)

To celebrate Colton, Ross and I took him to the zoo. It was his first time doing anything like that and he had a blast! It was especially fun to feed the goats...

The big group of goats sort of intimidated Colton so he found this little baby off on its own. He loved feeding it leaves off the ground.

It was so fun to see these leopards just inches away through the glass.

Daddy and Colton got to feed a giraffe!

And an elephant! Colton loved when we fed her but didn't want to be too close himself. I don't blame him - she's a big girl!

Colton liked the zebra because it reminded him of a "horsey!"

And he loved the cute monkeys, as well.

What a special time we had celebrating our big boy! We have been so blessed by God to have him in our lives and we pray that we can give Him glory as we raise the son He has entrusted to us.

Happy birthday, Colton! We love you!

Things Colton Likes...

2010-08-22T10:56:00.005-04:00

Colton's 21st and 22nd months have been full of change and growth. Each month I'm totally amazed by how much he's learning, how strong and coordinated he's getting, and how his little (well, maybe not so little) personality is shaping up. Here, in pictures, are a few things that Colton really likes right now...

Colton LOVES coffee. Any time Ross and I have some he all but attacks us to try to wrestle it out of our hands. We usually give him the last little drop in the cup.

Colton loves to climb - the furniture, toys, stairs, ledges. Anything really.

Colton loves "Wrinkles" and "Puppy, " his two crib friends. He insists almost every morning on bringing them out so he can share his breakfast with them.

Colton likes to be in the driver's seat. Yup, that pretty much says it all. :)

Colton LOVES Totti right now. He's finally figured out how to catch him. Totti gets more hugs and cuddles than he ever wanted.

Colton loves copying Mommy and Daddy. Most often he copies what we say or noises we make (I've learned SO MUCH about what comes out of my mouth these past few months!). Today, however, he had a ball copying Daddy while he did his workout. :)

Really, there's never a dull moment...

Sponge

2010-08-11T04:13:00.003-04:00

Colton is really a sponge these days. Last night at dinner he busted out some more Italian. The kid loves pasta and as soon as the waitress brought it to our table he started yelling, "Buona!" which means something like "Yummy!" He even put the right hand motion with it, just like the Italians. We were so surprised and tickled by how quickly he is learning and just how fun/funny he is becoming.

Enjoy this little snippet of Colton enjoying his pasta last night.

Please Pray

2010-08-05T08:15:00.004-04:00

Years ago, when Ross and I were working at UCF, I met with a student named Marissa for about a year. She went on to marry Jeff and, recently, they learned they were pregnant.

Their son, Jonathan, was born extremely prematurely. Sometime around 23 weeks of Marissa's pregnancy. Obviously, Jonathan has faced many problems since his birth. Recently, however, he was doing well. Then, a couple nights ago, things really took a turn for the worse. Jonathan is fighting for his life, and Marissa and Jeff are fighting for their son.

The greatest thing we can do to help them all fight is to beg the Lord to work in this situation. We can trust that He has a good plan for Marissa, Jeff, and Jonathan. Marissa and Jeff have been amazing pillars of faith during this extremely difficult time. Please, stand with them before the Lord on behalf of their son. Please.

I cannot imagine anything more difficult that watching your child struggle to stay alive... or to lose a child. Marissa and Jeff's website details what Jonathan is facing every day, so we can pray more specifically. I encourage you to take a look at THIS WEBSITE and to faithfully pray for them.

Even though most of you don't know this family, as the Body of Christ we can go to the Lord on their behalf and trust that He will hear us. Let's pray.... and keep on praying!

Dear Lord,

I can't imagine anything harder than what Marissa, Jeff, and Jonathan are facing now. You have been with them every moment that they have walked this difficult road; You have given them incredible strength and faith. Thank you for that. Thank you that we can trust that you have a GOOD plan for each of them, even in the midst of this incredible struggle. God, You love them more than we can even begin to understand. Thank you.

God, I beg you to work in Jonathan's tiny, 2 pound body right now. Begin to heal him. Bring him complete healing so that in the coming weeks, months, and years no one would even guess that he had fought this difficult fight as a newborn. Continue, Holy Spirit, to be with Marissa and Jeff moment by moment. Give them exactly what they need to continue to move forward in this journey, step by step, with You.

Thank you, Lord, for all You and all You do.

In Jesus name I pray all of this...

Typical Colton

2010-07-30T13:00:00.003-04:00

We're having a good summer in Florence - I can't believe how quickly it's flying by! This week has been great since the weather cooled down a bit (it's supposed to get hot again this week, though). I've started running - trying to keep up with my sister and her hubby (my Dad, too) who are training for the Motor City 1/2 Marathon in October. Jenn and Nate are visiting us in September so it's my goal to be able to run with them while they're here. I'm actually enjoying running so far - even though I'm nervous about increasing the milage. I am finally feeling the need to get into good shape again (don't judge me for taking 2 years post-baby to get there) and it feels good to push myself.

The (slightly) slower pace of summer has also given us the chance to connect a little more with some friends here. We're really enjoying some much needed time to deepen relationships with other people in Florence. God's been showing me recently just how much I need community in my life - and not just the great friends I have back in America, but new friends here in Italy, too. A friend here helped me realize just last week that, even though this move has been/is hard, God called us here knowing everything we would need to thrive. That includes friends! He will provide relationships for us - but we have to ask in faith and believe He will do it. Since then I have been asking, believing, and seeing Him work. I'm so thankful for that! Please pray with us that God would continue to provide people here that we can "go deep" with - people who would encourage us in our relationships with Christ and visa versa. Thank you!

Besides that nothing much new is going on. I am anxiously awaiting a visit from one of my best friends - Sara! She arrives in Florence in just 11 days. :) We are also enjoying Colton so much right now. Though he wears me out on a daily basis (How can such a small person have so much energy?!?) we know that this time will fly by so we are trying to savor each day.

Here's a video for you to enjoy. It gives just a little glimpse into daily life with Colton. Now that he's starting to talk he rarely stops making noise! In the car yesterday I caught some video of him singing, "Boom, boom, boom!" from the Black Eyed Peas and he just kept going after he was done singing. Turn the volume on your computer all the way up (the noise of the car makes it a little hard to hear Colton) and enjoy!

Kiddie Pool Fun

2010-07-14T05:32:00.007-04:00

It has been so hot here in Florence. We've been wanting to set Colton's kiddie pool up for a few weeks now but between busy schedules, Colton's stitches that couldn't get wet, etc we hadn't gotten around to it. Until yesterday. It was so fun to get Colton in the pool - it's a great way for him to get relief from the heat! And he loved it. Oh, he loved it.

I love this picture of Ross and Colton. They look alike, don't they?

Love a good belly laugh.

Playing with Daddy is so fun!

Colton got thirsty and tried to drink the pool water. Um, ew.

Ross tried to teach him to blow bubbles in the water, instead of drinking it.

Colton thought bubble blowing was hilarious. :)

No better way to cool off than to lay down and relax. :)

Drinking from the hose.

Mommy and Colton playing cars.

Splashing!

Colton also liked the foam mat we put his pool on.

One thing Colton doesn't like is getting dirty. When he noticed he had a bunch of dirt on his legs he started yelling "Poopy! Ew!" and wanted me to clean him off.

We ended our afternoon in the pool with a game of "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes." I cannot believe he's already big enough to play it with me! Time flies.

2010-07-05T07:43:00.003-04:00

First of all, Happy 4th of July from Florence, Italy!!!

Yup, even though we currently live in a different country, the 4th is still a celebration for us, too! We hosted a BBQ for our American friends and enjoyed spending time with them while eating great American food that everyone made for the occasion. It was a fun day!

Colton had a super fun time playing outside while everyone ate, talked, and partied! He got filthy dirty and sweaty, but isn't that what a boy is meant to do???

Summer has hit in full force here in Florence. It seems like overnight it got H-O-T and there's no going back until October. I know that it's hot in a lot of places around the U.S., too, but this is different. It's in the mid-upper 90's every day but the real kicker is that THERE IS NO AIR CONDITIONING...anywhere. So basically, you get hot and can never cool down. It's maddening! I literally wake up sticky and sweaty after going to bed sticky and sweaty. How many showers/baths can one family take in a day??? We'll be finding out this summer!

We're excited, though, to put Colton's new kiddy pool in the back yard this week. He absolutely loves to play outside and I think having a place to splash around/cool off will be so exciting for him! And for me! I plan to sit in that pool at least as much as Colton does. :) Pics will come soon, I'm sure.

Other than that, nothing too exciting is going on. Colton is now 21-months-old (Though that still seems young when he is repeatedly mistaken for a 3-year-old by the Italians. He's just so tall, especially here in Italy.) and I've been trying to take pictures of some of our "everyday life" things. So here are a few pics of Colton living life at 21-months.

Colton fell off a chair and had his trip to the ER (Pronto Soccorso, in Italian) and first stitches this month. 6 stitches, to be exact. Here's a picture of the wound.

He was not at all hindered or slowed down by his injury, though. He has been just as curious and active as ever! So active, in fact, that he re-injured himself and we had to make a second trip to the ER just a week and a half after the first one. Don't worry, though, he is fine.

Colton loves helping us now. Here he's helping Daddy try to hook up some cable. He is also a big fan of helping me unload the silverware from the dishwasher. He does a great job!

Colton loved dressing up for the World Cup! He wore an Italy jersey for all of the Italy games, a USA shirt for all the USA games, and a Fifa World Cup shirt in between. He's a real fan. :)

Colton wanted to put on one of Daddy's t-shirts recently. He had a great time walking around the house in it but could not figure out why it was so big! :)

Well, that's it for life at the Stowers' house...for now! Once again, Happy 4th to our friends and family in America. We missed celebrating with you but, as always, you were in our thoughts!

HAPPY 26TH BIRTHDAY, JENNIFER!

2010-06-25T10:49:00.003-04:00

Today is my little sister's 26th birthday! How are we getting so old?!? ;o) I am so thankful for you, Jenn! You are a wonderful sister - the best a girl could ask for. I'm grateful that we keep getting closer through the years, even though we live far away from one another. You are fun, encouraging, real, open, and you love fiercely. You're a great friend, sister, daughter, and wife.

Thanks for the ways you've pursued our relationship in recent years - from visiting us in Florida, to coming on UCF's Salerno Vision Trip with us in 2008, to being such a great Aunt to Colton. I love you and I hope your day is super special.

Sisters

Aunt Jenn w/ Colton at 4-weeks-old...

...3 months old...

...and 6 months old!

Love you, Jenn! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

Grammy and Poppy in Italy

2010-06-19T10:59:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the blogging absence. We just finished a wonderful visit with my parents. They were here for about two weeks and we had a great time in Florence (and taking day trips to surrounding towns). Over 1,000 pictures were taken during their time here so I figured that, instead of choosing a few to post here, I'd give you the link to my Facebook album from their trip. HERE you'll find over 100 pictures of our time together.

We've been so blessed that both my family and the Stowers clan has been able to make sacrifices to visit us this year. Even though we don't get to see them often, I feel like our time together is special for everyone. They've even been able to see Colton as he grows and changes! Such a blessing.

Speaking of C, he is in such a fun stage right now. He is talking a lot - not full sentences but all sorts of words. It seems like every single day he says at least one new word. Recently he's learned to distinguish between "car," "tractor," and "train!" Other recent words are "pea," "egg," "MINE!" and "story." He can imitate almost any word or sound, too. The other day I told him that a chicken says "buck, buck, buck, buck-aw!" and he repeated it perfectly. So adorable.

Colton is always making noise, talking or singing to himself, and it's so fun to hear our home filled with his joy! We'll try to get some video of it soon to show you. :)

Now life is back to normal. Our next visitor doesn't come until August (Sara, my friend from college) so we've got some down time. On Monday I begin taking a two-week-long, intensive course in Italian. I'm nervous but also excited for it. Please be praying that I test well and can keep up with everyone else in my class. Pray, also, that I will have ample energy to go to class, study, and continue to get things done at home during these next couple of weeks. I'll update you on how it goes soon! Until then...

The Every Day Things

2010-05-26T03:21:00.004-04:00

The past couple of weeks have been full of the every day things. Nothing special has been going on but the weather has been beautiful and we've enjoyed doing little things together as a family.

Colton, most recently, has become obsessed with playing in our backyard. Almost every morning he wakes up, runs to our back door, and says, "Ide! Ide! Ide!" which means "Outside!" He doesn't need many toys or things to do to keep himself entertained; he just enjoys exploring and climbing up and down the stairs. :)

In this picture, Colton was "helping" us plant some flowers.

He had lots of fun with the pots they flowers had been in. In this picture he's trying to wipe dirt off of his hands by rubbing them together. The kid hates to have dirty hands!

Colton loves sitting in our "big people" furniture.

Oh, and I have to tell you about the jeans he's wearing! I got them at a clothing exchange here in Florence for FREE! They are Polo, too! I just love them - they are one of the only pairs of pants Colton has that can fit his small waist/legs, but still be too long! The waist is adjustable, too, so I know he'll still be able to wear them next Fall. Score!

Last week we took a family trip to Ikea and Colton got his first ice cream cone all to himself. He loved it!

He was even good about sharing with mommy and daddy. :)

Here's a video of Colton enjoying his cone. It's pretty uneventful (he's mostly watching some kids that are behind me while I'm taping). But, hey, it's the best I've got for now.

Grammy and Big Poppy arrive tomorrow for a two week visit. I'm sure we'll have many updates to show you of our adventures after they leave. Until then, CIAO!!! :)

A Few of His Favorite Things

2010-05-13T08:52:00.004-04:00

Ok, I know this post is titled 'A Few of His Favorite Things,' but I'm going to start out with a few of MY favorite things!

1) My boys. Aren't they both handsome?

2) Colton's new euro-style swim trunks. Adorable.

3) Those sweet cheeks! You know what I mean. :)

Now, moving on to Colton's favorites! Hehe...

Colton is 19-months-old now. Wow, time really does fly! Every week he seems to understand and communicate more. Seeing him develop opinions, tastes, thoughts, etc of his own is really fun. Mostly. Sometimes it's annoying - like when his opinions, tastes, thoughts, etc differ from mine. ;o)

Anyway, I chose a few pictures to illustrate some of Colton's favorite things, as a 19-month-old.

This picture captures a few "favorites." One, Colton LOVES to "Go!" It's his most used word, I think. He often wakes up in the morning and begins chanting, "Go! Go! Go!" as soon as we take him out of his crib. He runs to his stroller, continuing his chant. It's really cute - until you tell him "No, Colton, we aren't going anywhere right now," and he begins crying. That's not so cute. This "Go! Go! Go!" routine happens many times each day.

Similarly, Colton loves going out to eat. He enjoys people watching while he eats, and he definitely eats more when we're out and he's entertained than he does when we're at home.

Finally, this picture shows Colton's love for Italian food (which might also be another reason he likes eating out so much; Mommy and Daddy's Italian cooking does not compare to the real thing!). He loves pasta, pizza, tomatoes (he just said this word for the first time today, though it sounded more like "mato"), bread, etc - just like a true Italian boy. ;o)

Lately Colton LOVES standing on a chair in our bedroom to look out the window. I'd estimate that he spends at least 40% of his time at home on this chair, watching the world go by. :)

Yesterday he was not content on the chair unless I was standing next to him, looking outside. I kneeled down beside him so his head was just about 1 inch higher than mine. He looked at me, smiled, and put his arm around my neck. He pulled me into the sweetest side hugs, making sure my head was on his chest, over and over. He is becoming such a loving little boy!

Colton used to love gelato - and he still does. But now he prefers the cone! Last weekend we went to Ben & Jerry's and I got a cone to share with Colton. I kept trying to give him spoonfuls of ice cream, but he kept rejecting them. He wasn't content, though. He kept reaching out, trying to grab the whole ice cream cone. Finally we realized he didn't want any ice cream, just the cone! He was thrilled when I finished eating the ice cream and he could have the cone all to himself. :) To Colton's credit, though, he shared about half of it with me.

These pictures of Colton capture two things. The first picture shows that Colton loves cheesing for the camera. Pull out a camera and real smiles fade; you just get weird grimace smiles like this one. Ha! The rest of the pictures show that one of Colton's current favorite things to do is use his Bumbo chair (which is meant for small babies who can't sit on their own yet) again. He has only one use for it, though. He pulls it in front of this ball popper toy every time he gets it out, sits in it, and pushes the toy's 'on' button over and over. It's very cute and is a good example of how Colton likes things "just so" in many cases.

We are having so much fun watching Colton grow and change, listening to his new words, and seeing what habits he is developing. Every day with Colton is a blessing!

Oh, and I'll leave you with a video. It was taken the same night as the first picture in this post, when we were out to eat. The boy sure has energy! Enjoy my happy little man. :)

30 Years.....Young?

2010-05-07T07:01:00.006-04:00

Ross celebrated his 30th birthday on April 28th. I spent a lot of time, starting a month or two before his big day, rubbing in the fact that he is getting O-L-D! Ha! I'm not sure he appreciated it. When it came time to celebrate, though, we partied more like we were celebrating his turning 13! We had an awesome, super-fun Rock Band party with our friends here in Florence.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this game, the pictures below will probably explain it all. The long in the short of it, though, is that it's a video game (we borrowed from a family who lives here) in which three people at a time play. One is a drummer, one is a singer, and one plays guitar. This little "band" plays songs selected by the game and earns points. The points really don't matter, though - it's all about having fun!

We ate American food - fried chicken (with homemade Abners/Huey Magoos/Guthries sauce), mashed potatoes, salad, veggies, etc. The night was topped off with Ross' favorite birthday cake, Chocolate Fantasy cake. It is made 100% from scratch and takes two days because each of the three layers has to be frozen overnight before it can be frosted the next day. Yummmmm...moist, fattening goodness. :)

Anyway, here are some pics of our celebration...

Our teammate, Abigail, made Ross an awesome 30th birthday shirt to go along with the Rock Band theme.

Ross has a patented leg kick that he pulls out whenever he is rockin' it out in Rock Band.

Matt, Ross, and Davide were amazing - the best band of the night, for sure!

I rocked out, too, for a song or two. :)

Abigail also printed funny pictures of Ross and made "masks" for everyone. We pulled these out when it was time for birthday cake. :)

Our teammates Koren, Melanie, and Melody...

...Matt, Matt, and Davide...

...Jamie and Cassie...

...Sarah and Abigail...

...and even little Silas posed for pictures with their Ross masks!

Ross got some great gifts from our team (who, obviously, know him well).

Finally, on the evening of the 28th, Ross and I went out to dinner to celebrate. It was a real treat to get to go somewhere, just the two of us. Before we left, though, we took a family picture to commemorate this big day in Ross' life!

Congrats on turning 30, Ross! You are such a blessing in my life, a gift from God. Thank you for always putting me (and Colton) first, for serving well, for leading well, for being a trustworthy man of integrity, and for making my life so much fun! I love you!

Pray for Nashville

2010-05-04T03:59:00.002-04:00

Oh, there is so much I have to update you on. These past couple weeks have been busy and full of fun! Ross celebrated his 30th birthday, Colton is learning new words (some of them slightly inappropriate but funny), and we went to a Agape Italia conference where Colton sported a very Euro bathing suit. :) I will be sure to post about these things over the next few days but, first, I wanted to ask for prayer.

All of you probably know that Nashville has been hit by some major flooding. Click here to check out a short video clip from MSNBC that shows some of the devastation and here to watch some local Nashville news coverage of the flood.

The major landmarks of Nashville are damaged and people have lost everything - almost no one in Nashville has flood insurance because flooding has never been a threat there. We have many family members and friends there who are also struggling.

Ross' Nana's house is pretty much lost. We don't know many details but we have been told that the water level in her house was 7 feet! Everything that wasn't solid (ie: plates) is ruined. My sister and her husband's house had water right up against it for at least one day. The yard suffered much and they have some damage to the outside of their house to take care of. They are blessed compared to many, though - including their neighbors on either side (both of whose houses flooded).

Please pray for our family and friends, for the countless numbers of people who have lost everything (with or without insurance coverage to help recover it), and for the city as a whole to recover from this disaster. Oh, and check out the video linked above if you want to know an easy way to help!

Beautiful Spring!

2010-04-18T07:23:00.007-04:00

I found winter in Italy to be really hard. It was dark and rainy almost every day for about four months. I was taken by surprise that it affected me so much; I mean, I'm from Michigan (and Illinois and Wisconsin). Winter in all of those states is long, dark, and cold.

But something about being here made it worse. Maybe because my apartment itself is sort of dark - without sunlight it felt like a cave. Maybe because we don't have a car and so Colton and I often were unable to leave the house (because who wants to walk around in 40 degree, rainy weather?).

But the long, dark winter has made spring so much sweeter! It's beautiful here!

Flowers are in bloom everywhere and the sky is often a cloudless blue. This is a beautiful tree in my back yard!

Leaves reappearing! :)

Cool flowers that sprung up from out of nowhere in our yard.

I bought two azalea bushes - one this color and one lighter pink. We hope to get two more, plus some flowers to plant in pots.

Last weekend we were able to host a party for our American and Italian friends. Because the weather is so gorgeous, everyone stayed outside the entire time! Colton had a great time playing for hours in the yard.

Can you spot him chasing his little soccer ball?

Colton was so proud of himself when he learned to sit on his ball!

Oops! He fell off. :)

It's so great to have room to play!

Our teammate, Matt, loves playing rough with Colton. Colton loves it, too.

Cristiano, our Italian teammate, is also great with Colton! What a lucky little boy!

Colton liked picnicing with Cristiano, Sarah, and Sabrina.

Ah, sweet spring! We're so glad you are here. :)

Easter Fun

2010-04-09T08:03:00.004-04:00

Easter is a big deal in Italy. It's a little different here than in America, though. I didn't see any big Easter Bunnies (though I did see a few small chocolate ones), nor did I hear mention of any Easter egg hunts. In some ways Easter seems simpler here, which is sort of nice. It's a time to get together with family and friends, eat good food, and - in theory - to remember that this is the biggest day possible for those of us that believe in Christ. It's a bigger deal than Christmas! Not only was Jesus born, not only did He die for our sins.... but Jesus was raised back to life; raised from the DEAD! This is what Christianity is all about. In fact, Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15,

"^{14 ...if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless... ¹⁷ ...and you are still guilty of your sins. ¹⁸ In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! ¹⁹ And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world."}

Read all of 1 Corinthians 15 here - it's an amazing message of hope! It's the message of Easter!

Anyway, we had a fun Easter. We enjoyed going to the church service at our Italian church in the morning (where Pastore Andrea preached on the the above Bible passage), then we spent the afternoon lunching with our friends here in Florence. Finally we had a nice evening as a family as three. Colton enjoyed opening his Easter gifts from Gigi & Grandy, and Grammy & Big Poppy. He also enjoyed some play time with his Daddy. Pictures and video below...

Here is a pic of a typical Italian Easter display. Instead of getting big Easter baskets, kids here get chocolate eggs (some with a toy inside) or animals. Often the molded chocolate is absolutely beautiful!

We got Colton a chocolate frog. :)

Here's Colton getting his frog out of it's box.

He wasn't really sure what to do with it. He still hasn't shown an interest in eating it. Ha!

Looking for his present from Gigi & Grandy...

...cars!

Opening his gift from Grammy & Big Poppy.

He enjoyed pulling everything out. :)

This is the closest thing we got to a good shot of his Easter outfit. He was too quick and active to get a better picture! :)

Finally, here's a video of Ross and Colton playing at the end of the day. It's a little long, but I think it's pretty darn cute! Enjoy this look at their typical daddy/son interaction.

Did Ross look a little worn out at the end to you? How is it that toddlers seem to have endless energy, leaving us in the dust?! :)

Happy belated Easter, family and friends. We love you!

Colton's 1st Haircut!

2010-04-01T13:24:00.005-04:00

Today Colton got his first haircut! He is 18 months old. It's sort of funny because if you looked at him from the front you'd think, "He doesn't need a haircut! It just grows as if it's perfectly trimmed!" But when you saw him from the side or back, well, you knew why it was time. I wasn't 100% ready to chop off C's little baby hair, but it needed to be done. He did great and he looks like such a little man now. Here are some pictures of the experience...

Ross, Mark, and Colton outside of the barber shop.

The reason we had to cut Colton's hair. It was crazy!

"What's going on?"

Matteo, the barber, couldn't believe that Colton's hair just naturally grew this way. He asked Ross, "Are you sure you didn't cut it to be like this?"

One of the last pics of Colton's sweet little curl. I'll miss it.

"Hey, this isn't so bad!"

The last picture of that curl. Bye, bye baby hair! :(

Colton liked to watch Matteo cut his hair.

There's no going back now. My baby is growing up.

"All done!" Well, almost... :)

Getting one last little trim.

The finished product. Doesn't he look like a little man now?

Matteo ended the haircut by tickling Colton with the hair duster brush. What a sweet barber. :)

What a handsome little boy.

Gorgeous Countryside

2010-03-28T17:10:00.006-04:00

On Thursday Mark, Connie, Robert, Charissa, Ross, myself, and Colton decided to take a day trip to the Tuscan countryside. We were able to borrow a co-worker's car and the Stowers found a really cheap rental so we loaded up and headed out late that morning. We decided to go to the highly recommended (if very touristy) towns of San Gimignano and Volterra. Both were really amazing places with stunning views. The Tuscan countryside really is all it's cracked up to be!

This is San Gimignano from outside the city walls. It's known for having the most towers still standing in any city in Tuscany. The towers were built by wealthy families to show off their power back in the day.

Looking out at the countryside from a road in San Gimignano.

I loved this tree and building - beautiful!

Family picture with a gorgeous view in the background.

A main piazza in San Gimignano. I love the stone buildings.

Ross, Charissa, Robert, and Connie taking a break to admire the main street.

Colton held up pretty well, even though he doesn't nap much while out and about in his stroller - there's just too much to see!

On the drive from San Gimignano to Volterra, though, he finally succumbed to his exhaustion. Unfortunately the cities weren't that far apart so he only got about a 20 minute nap.

This view looks out to the Tuscan countryside from Volterra.

Mark and Connie enjoyed the view!

Though we didn't see any vampires in Volterra (this city is part of the story in the popular 'Twilight' series), Robert and Charissa played the part well.

This was an amazing Roman theater from 10 B.C., I think. Behind the theater, built later, were Roman baths.

This is one of the main churches in Volterra. It was beautiful inside and out. The shadow on the church is from the baptistry across the way.

After a long, full day we headed back to Florence. Colton was very quiet and looked so tired, staring off into space for the first 30 minutes of the drive.

Well, I thought he was tired. It turned out that I snapped this picture about 30 seconds before he vomited. We think that he might have gotten carsick due to the twisty roads in the countryside. There's nothing sadder than a sick baby. The funniest part, though, was as soon as the vomit exited his mouth he began saying, "Cool! Cool!" I guess he's a true boy. :) We promptly pulled the car over, stripped him of his clothes, and Colton rode the rest of the way back to Florence happily in just his diaper. Once again, just like a true little boy.

Now Robert and Charissa have gone home and just Mark, Connie, and Grace remain in Florence until early Easter Sunday. We are taking it very easy for a few days - in part because we are all exhausted and in part because Ross got very sick last night (either food poisoning or a stomach bug). Today we mostly just hung around home, and we plan to do the same tomorrow and Tuesday - maybe even Wednesday! We are all excited for some low-key time. Please pray that Ross would feel 100% better soon, and that no one else would get sick. Also pray that Colton would continue to do well. He has been a little fussier and grumpier than usual - we think because of all the stress and changes that have been going on this past week - but he is still such a sweet boy. Hopefully these next fews days to rest will be just what he, and the rest of us, needs!

Pisa

2010-03-24T16:09:00.007-04:00

Today we took a little family day trip to Pisa. There is a great outdoor market there on Wednesdays and Saturdays, one of the booths selling Vietri pottery on the cheap. Of course we also had to stop by the Leaning Tower. :) We had a fun but exhausting trip.

It began with an hour-long train ride. Uncle Bobby entertained Colton pretty much the whole time!

A picture of my handsome husband on the train.

Here we are buying our pottery at the market. My in-laws bought variations of serving platters and coffee mugs.

I bought these four pots to plant flowers in for our back yard. After we got home, Connie, Charissa, and I looked up the pieces we purchased (or the closest thing to them) on the Vietri website. Let's just say I paid less than 1/12th of the price they would have been in America - which was over $600!!!

After the market we began walking toward the Leaning Tower. On the way we came across this park where Ross and I had our "define the relationship" talk over 6 years ago. In fact, we think this was the exact bench on which we talked!

Colton was pretty tired by this point because he won't nap much in his stroller. He was chillin' out, though, and seemed pretty darn relaxed!

Finally we made it to the Tower! The pictures don't do it justice - in person it looks like it's leaning much more.

Robert and Charissa were looking cute together.

And, of course, we had to do the typical "holding up the Tower" photos.

I was excited to get a picture with Colton in front of the Tower - his first time seeing it. He didn't really seem impressed.

After seeing the Tower, we headed to eat a late lunch. We went to a good mediterranean place that had great hummus! I was so excited that I got some to-go. Yay!

We headed straight for the train after that only to find out that there was a strike going on. We had to wait a little longer than usual but we hopped on a train and made it home safe and sound with all our stuff and a slightly grumpy, over-tired baby. All in all, a very fun day!

Colton: 17 Months Old

2010-03-22T05:34:00.006-04:00

A spring day in Florence. Piazza Michelangelo, taken from the bus.

Colton is growing quickly! He is just finishing up his 17th month (he'll be 18 months old on the 25th). He is such a funny kid and I thought I'd share a few pictures of him from this month.

C loves wearing Daddy's sweat bands. He wants to be just like him!

Taking the sweat band off...

...and trying to put it back on. :)

I love that cute profile.

Last week I dressed C in his "redneck" overalls. He added my hat to finish off the look. The whole thing was just so cute I had to get some pictures. Colton is getting really good at smiling for the camera!

C loves putting things over his eyes and walking "blind." So silly!

The Stowers fam is here visiting now (Mark, Connie, Robert, and Charissa are already here - Grace arrives Friday). We are having a fun time touring, shopping, eating, and spending time together. :) I'll be sure to post little updates from there visit soon!

Run, Colton, Run!

2010-02-28T13:48:00.003-05:00

Colton is all boy and all action - so fun! Yesterday was a beautiful day in Florence so we spent most of it outside. In this video we were in the city center, at Piazza Duomo, and we decided to let Colton out of his stroller to stretch his legs. We didn't realize until we caught him on video that, given open space to run in, he's gotten pretty fast!

Daddy's Boy

2010-02-18T04:26:00.003-05:00

Colton has really grown more attached to Ross and I over the past couple months. He has definitely been making me feel good by sitting in my lap often, cuddling with me more, wanting to be held by me a lot, and (shhhhh, don't tell Ross) choosing me as his comforter, cuddler, holder, helper most of the times he has a choice.

BUT, Colton also loves Ross. It often seems like he's trying to be just like his Daddy. Like just the other day when Ross left his hat on the floor. Colton put it on and enjoyed wearing it around the house.

Just like daddy.

These first three pictures make me laugh. If you just take a picture of Colton he will usually stare at the camera. But if you count to 3, you get a smile! :)

This is a new trick for Colton - turning the lights on and off! He is already tall enough to reach the switches. This makes for some "fun" times in the dark for all of us.

Little, happy boy.

New

2010-02-10T14:13:00.004-05:00

Well, I tried something new yesterday. In an effort to connect more to the people and culture here, AND to give Colton a chance for a little socialization, I joined a 9 week baby & mamma music "class." Yesterday was the informational session. I was there with 3 other moms - one Mexican, one Croatian, and one Cambodian - and their children who are all around 18 months. The class is led by an Italian woman and conducted entirely in Italian.

It was interesting. The Italian "teacher" leads us all in traditional Tuscan children's songs, shows us the hand motions, and tries to help the children play simple instruments. In the end, though, it was a time for 4 crazy babies to run around, hit each other with things, and play. I am hoping that as the weeks go on Colton somehow magically "gets it" but, either way, we'll have a good time getting out of the house together.

Though we had fun, Colton did throw 3 or 4 fits during the class. Yes, I have the child who throws tantrums. Tell him 'No!' and you're in for it! He is prone to hit people when he's upset (a problem I've been trying to work on at home with little success) and he batted at a little boy who took an instrument from him at one point. In my humiliation I figured that this is how he'll learn what is acceptable social behavior and what isn't... I hope.

So, we'll see how that goes. Thankfully things are getting back to "normal" around here. Colton is mostly better after a week with a bad cold and low-grade fever. He's still growing like a weed, still enjoying more cuddle time than ever before, and making Mommy feel good by asking often to be held/played with/read to, etc. No matter the trials, we are ever more in love with our strong-willed, fun, crazy, sweet, little boy!

Now, here are some pictures to leave you with. They were taken last week after one of Colton's nighttime baths. So fun!

Mommy and Colton - taking a cuddle break.

Colton is always on the move - and he's very focused.

He sort of looks like a little Grim Reaper - but colorful. :)

Love his sweet little profile.

"Ok, enough with the pictures. I'm ready for bed!"

Hospitality

2010-02-02T16:39:00.005-05:00

Have you ever heard of Vietri? I hadn't until I moved here but it's a company that sells really cool pottery - dishes, serving/cooking things, and other household items. Many of the girls I work with here collect it. I go, every so often, with them to various markets to look at the pottery but, until recently, had no idea what I was seeing. I finally realized that, in the U.S., it is expensive stuff! The good thing for us here in Italy, though, is that we can buy it at a fraction of the price.

For example: This platter (pictured below) was given to me as a gift for Christmas from a co-worker, except in green. She paid about $12 for it but it sells in the states for around $75! What?!? Yup, good deal.

Anyway, I went today with some girlfriends here to the home of a woman who sells this pottery. These girls are looking for specific pieces for their collections that they could not find at the markets. This woman, Maria, goes twice a week to the market in Pisa but only takes a fraction of her inventory each time. Her garage is full of it and she told my friends they were welcome any time to see what else she had.

Maria is an older woman, maybe in her late 60's, and as sweet as she could be. The trip to her house today reminded me of what I love about the Italian culture...

HOSPITALITY!

Maria met us in her driveway at about 6pm tonight and spent almost an hour in her garage with us, showing off her vast inventory. As we all decided on our purchases and began paying, she insisted that we come into her house for biscotti. Even though Maria is allergic to gluten she had made this biscotti by hand today. She said she often cooks things like cookies, pizza, pastas, sweets, etc. even though she can't eat them because, well, she has cooked them her whole life and she enjoys having them around should company arrive!

She ushered us into her house, set the biscotti before us, and poured us drinks. Though she had a bad back she insisted that we sit at her kitchen table. There were only enough chairs for us but she would not allow anyone to give up a seat for her. She pulled up a low stool and sat nearby. She talked with us the entire time we ate. She insisted, repeatedly, that we eat more cookies. If we stopped eating she would ask, "What is wrong with my cookies? Don't you like them?" We would then reassure her that they were fabulous - which was totally true - and eat another. she asked about our families, how and what we cook, and told us all about her children and grandchildren. As she talked with my friends, who she knows better, she stroked their hair or patted their shoulders or kissed their cheeks. Everything about her exuded love and friendship - even to four strange American girls who can barely understand her and are 100% different than she is. Really it was just a bunch of little things that all added up to one big, warm feeling of sweetness. Kindness.

It was refreshing tonight. Nonna Maria (as she called herself) reminded me that living here, though often different and difficult, is good. I'm thankful, so thankful, for her hospitality.

Flying by...

2010-01-31T03:54:00.003-05:00

Colton is a big boy. Not in the sense that he's getting older, though that's true, but in the sense that he's extremely tall. It's hard for me to notice how much he's changing and growing since I see him every day. I do notice it, however, when - all of a sudden - he is climbing on things that were too high for him just a few weeks ago, or when he's reaching the tops of tables that were far out of reach for him just recently.

I also notice how big Colton has gotten when I have the chance to look back on pictures of him in a similar situation over time. The other day I stumbled on these photos of him in his car seat and I couldn't believe how much he's changed!

This is Colton, just 3 days old, on the way home from the hospital.

Colton was 4 weeks old in this picture. Still pretty small but already bigger than that newborn baby.

Now, jump way ahead - This is Colton in his car seat at 11 months old. His little feet, when his legs were straight, definitely hung over the edge.

Finally, I took this picture just last week. Colton in his car seat at 15 months old! His head is to the top and his feet hang way out. Obviously it's time to retire this old seat.

*Don't worry, he doesn't use it in the car anymore - we just put him in it at night to drink his bottle. :)

It's really crazy to think about how much Colton has grown, and how quickly it's happening! As he gets bigger physically he's also growing much in the personality department. When he's happy, he's very happy. When he's frustrated or angry, though..... well, let's just say it ain't pretty. A friend recently told me that her child's pediatrician said that the 15 - 18th months are a notoriously difficult time in raising toddlers. I hope that's true because Colton's definitely been testing my patience this past month.

Even so, Colton is also becoming sweeter and sweeter in his happy moments. He often wants to be picked up or cuddled on our laps. He loves bringing us books to read him, blocks to play with, and cars or balls to roll back and forth. He's just now starting to become wary of strangers (he studies them quietly for about 5 minutes, then he's back to his crazy self) and clings to us just a little in a new situation. Even as we try to figure out how to parent a toddler who is prone to screaming and fit-throwing in his tougher times, we are overwhelmed by what a joy he is in our lives.

Time is already flying by...

One of the best...

2010-01-22T14:08:00.002-05:00

Colton has never been a cuddler. Well, not since he could move on his own anyway. :) He's a crazy-active little boy. He rarely sits still for even 30 seconds which just doesn't leave him much time to love on his mommy.

Around the time he turned one he seemed to begin to understand that it didn't take too long to give a hug or a pat on the knee. He began to show some affection, for which we were grateful! More recently he has started to ask to be picked up (not verbally but by running to you and holding his arms up). Once again, that was more attention than he ever seemed interested in before and we were happy.

But tonight was a big deal. I immediately noted it in my mind as "one of the best moments of my life." :) Colton kept wanting to crawl into my lap on the couch. He would stay there for about 30 seconds, his typical time he's able to sit still. Then he would jump off the couch and immediately want picked back up. I decided to see what happened if I put his favorite pillow down and put on a short video.

VOILA! CUDDLES!!!

He stayed with me for about 20 minutes and I savored every last second. Maybe, just maybe, I will make a cuddler out of him yet...

Bed Head

2010-01-19T18:50:00.005-05:00

Recently some people have been concerned that I haven't updated the blog in awhile. Really, it just boiled down to the fact that nothing struck me as "blog material...."

...until yesterday!

Colton's hair is finally growing. He still has the longer patch in the back and is now also growing longer hair on his crown. He probably is about ready or a haircut - but I'm not ready for that big step yet. Until then, I guess we'll be seeing more of what I saw yesterday. BED HEAD!!!

I had to grab the camera to capture Colton's first bed head - and we ended up doing a little photo shoot. He's one cute kid, if I do say so myself. :)

The players: These guys sleep with Colton in his crib. In the back we have "Mr. Wrinkles" and in front is "Puppy." And, of course, the all important pacis. Keep your eye out for these guys in the following pics!

First shot of the morning - C generally wakes up smiling and ready for fun. :)

Bed head!

Cuddling with Puppy. Colton loves to throw soft things (pillows, stuffed animals, etc) down and then lay down and rub his head on them. He does it throughout every day...and he sleeps that way, too!

I found out the other night, when I went into his room while he was asleep, that Colton often uses Mr. Wrinkles as a pillow! I just think it's too cute.

Though C was awake when I took this photo, it's probably the closest we'll ever get to having a picture of him while he sleeps - Mr. Wrinkles pillow and Puppy lovie in hand. :)

A good shot of the bed head. From the right angles it looked like a mohawk that started on top of his head and went all the way back.

Peek-a-boo!

I see you!

Such a sweet boy.

Giving Puppy a hug - another thing he does all the time. I love it - it's just too sweet!

Final shot of the bed head. You can see the full extent of it here, even though you can't see his sweet face. :)

Sweet dreams, everyone! :)

Christmas with Colton

2009-12-29T15:18:00.005-05:00

Celebrating Christmas with Colton was one of the most fun things I've ever done - and he's still pretty little! I am looking forward to the next few years, when he thinks that Christmas is magic and enjoys every little thing about it. Celebrating Christmas with kids is amazing!

I like to look back at pictures to see how Colton has changed. It's so hard to believe that just one year ago he was so small, still so unaware! When we celebrated Christmas last year Colton was just 12 weeks old.

This time, Colton was just barely 15 months old. He's no longer an unaware baby but a wide-eyed, curious, and fun toddler. :o)

This is Colton on Christmas Eve. He wore PJ's that said, "Dear Santa, I can explain..." and some friends of ours accessorized him with this perfectly coordinating scarf!

Christmas Day was a blast. We're still not sure exactly how we'll incorporate Santa into our Christmas celebrations as Colton grows - we want to enjoy that magic with him while, somehow, keeping Christ at the center of our celebration - but this year we didn't have to worry about it. Santa, the gifts - none of it really means anything to Colton. He did, however, get caught up in our excitement and enjoyed the morning.

A look under our tree after Santa visited!

A closer view.

Colton ran right to his new little table and grabbed the jar of play-dough. He has no idea what it is, but he was excited about it! :o)

Next Colton grabbed his new bulldog....stuffed animal! He immediately gave it hugs and kisses, like he does with most every stuffed animal he sees. He also makes some very sweet, "Goo goo, gaa gaaaaaa!" sounds to show his affection for them. It's adorable.

Happy boy.

Along with his table, bulldog, play-dough, tent (pictured above), and a few other small gifts - Colton got a tunnel! We thought this would be a fun toy for the winter, when we're often trapped indoors due to bad weather. We got some great pictures of him crawling through it for the first time!

What sweet funny faces! :o)

Even in all the excitement, Colton made time to pose with mommy. I love that little boy!!!

We also took video on Christmas morning - about 10 minutes worth. Hopefully we'll get it edited soon so we can post it here, too!

In the meantime, please be praying for Ross and Colton. Both have some sort of little bug, and neither of them are eating or drinking much. I'm praying it doesn't turn into anything serious and that they both feel better very soon. Also, I'm praying that I don't get sick, too!

Merry Christmas friends and family. We missed you all so much and hope you're Christmases were fabulous.

Love from Ross, Lindsay, & Colton!

Frohe Weihnachten! Joyeux Noel! Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T17:29:00.021-05:00

This past week we got to take a Christmas trip to Germany with some friends. It was a trip of high highs and low lows... but we had a great time. :) We stayed in the small town of Kandern, Germany with some friends who are also on staff with Campus Crusade. The Hoskins were so good to us - opening their home for us to cook and eat, play games, hang out with one another, let the babies play, put babies to sleep, finding great apartments for us to stay in, and showing us around their city and each town we visited. In total, 8 adults came from Italy and 2 babies. Including the Hoskins there were 10 adults and 3 babies! We were a big group. The purpose of this trip was to spend time together with friends and to hit up some German/French Christmas markets nearby Kandern.

It all started with the drive to Kandern. The drive, according to Google Maps, was supposed to take 6.5 hours - so we planned for 8 hours. We were all geared up to leave at 9:30am but we didn't end up leaving until 1 or 1:30pm. We figured that we would still arrive in Kandern in time to have a late dinner. Little did we know...

About 20 minutes into the drive Colton threw up. This was no little thing - this was an adult sized, adult smelling vomit. This was all over me, himself, and his brand new car seat. This was both his breakfast and his lunch. It was terrible! We pulled off the road at the next rest stop - about 10 minutes after Colton got sick. I took my poor baby into the bathroom to proceeded to clean him off and change his clothes. Ross had to totally take apart the car seat, piece by piece, and take it inside to clean it so that the car wouldn't reek the entire drive (though the smell persisted anyway). An hour or so later, we were finally on the road again. For awhile things seemed to be going smoothly. We left Italy and entered Switzerland, and we were making good time. Then we came to "the tunnel." There are tons of tunnels on the road from Florence to Kandern, cutting through hills and mountains. This tunnel, though, is especially long - 17 km. We entered the tunnel on dry, clear roads....but we exited the tunnel to icy, snowy roads. It was snowing like crazy on the other side! The rest of the drive was slow going as we tried to make our way safely to Kandern. All in all the trip took 12 hours, much longer than we had planned.

Though we were all exhausted, we got up early the next day to take a day trip just over the boarder from Germany into France. We went to Kaysersberg, France to enjoy a day in this picturesque town.

This day was freezing cold. I mean painfully cold. Part of bundling Colton up enough to keep him warm was making him wear tights - which act like long underwear. We took this picture to use as blackmail later in Colton's life. ;o)

This house was one of the first things I saw upon arriving in Kaysersberg. I love it - it looks like it came right out of a fairy tale.

The main street in Kaysersberg.

Mommy and Colton - all bundled up.

The stream that runs through the city.

Daddy and Colton.

French/German buildings.

Many buildings had every window decorated for Christmas. It was so festive!

Such a special family trip!

The next day we were all super tired so we decided to stay in Kandern and relax. We played games, went grocery shopping, watched some TV, kept warm and cozy, and ate some yummy German pastries. My favorite pastry was something called a quark ball. I think quark is a kind of curd cheese and, in this case, was infused in a cinnamon sugar donut hole. So amazing!

On our last day in Germany we headed to Freiburg. It is a bigger city than Kaysersberg, and more modern, but it had a huge Christmas market. Plus there was also a huge weekly market that we visited. This day was much warmer and we all enjoyed being outside much more.

The first stop we made in Freiberg was this brewery where we had an awesome lunch.

Ross was so excited!!!

A really cool building near the weekly market. I love the colorful spires.

The cobblestone was beautiful in Freiburg.

And now begins my attempt at being artistic - taking pictures of the stands at the weekly market.

Winter vegetables - I love how people eat so seasonally here in Europe!

The weekly market surrounded this church.

Butcher

Brats! Yummy!

Flower stands.

A wooden toy stand.

This sign says, "Merry Christmas" in German. It was at the entrance to the Christmas market.

The German markets had tons of handmade wooden ornaments, figurines, and decorations. They were beautiful!

A look at part of the market.

A life-size wooden nativity.

Colton chillin' at the market.

The family in Freiberg.

Love.

Ross took this picture to show the juxtaposition of the old and new in the city.

Sweet boy. :o)

The only things I didn't get pictures of that I wish I would have was the food and drinks! We had amazing hot, spiced wine & hot chocolate at the markets to help keep us warm, brats & schnitzel, fried sauerkraut with ham in it, Starbucks coffee (a real treat since we can't get it in Italy), and so much more! Amazing!

Oh! Also, I wish I had gotten pictures of the memorial stones in Freiburg. Set in the cobblestones, in front of each building that a Jewish person lived in during WWII, were memorial stones. They commemorated the lives of those killed in the war. It was sad and sobering to see stones for entire families who were killed in concentration camps like Auschwitz.

Well, the trip was great. By the time we had to head back to Florence I'd almost forgotten about how crazy the drive to get to Kandern was. I was, however, reminded.

As we started our trip home, everything seemed to be going great. We were only a 1/2 hour late in leaving, traffic was flowing well on the roads, and we were making good time. Then, about 5 hours into the drive, traffic slowed to a standstill. We saw signs over the highway which said that traffic would continue to be extremely heavy until we arrived in Florence. After about an hour during which we barely moved we calculated that if the traffic really didn't let up it would take another 7 hours to get home!

At this point the ride was already getting frustrating. It was about 8pm and Colton was ready for bed. He kept falling asleep but, in his new, front-facing car seat, he couldn't stay comfortable and would wake with a start as his head fell forward. He would fuss and cry for a half hour or 45 minutes out of complete exhaustion, then sleep again for about 20 - 30 minutes. This happened over and over for hours. Not to mention the fact that, while he was sleeping and we were stuck in bumper to bumper traffic in a long tunnel, a huge fire truck came from behind us, trying to get through this tunnel filled with traffic. It was an insane experience...and loud!

Finally, after a few hours, we decided to get off the autostrada and take side roads home. Almost immediately these roads started twisting and turning, doubling back up and down huge hills. By this time it was pouring rain, too. We slowly made our way and, after about 45 minutes, found the road we needed to take towards Florence. ....but it was CLOSED!!! Agh! By this time we were all exhausted, worn down by listening to Colton cry, had to go to the bathroom, were hungry...the list goes on. We had to turn around, stop at a busy cafe/bar, ask for directions, and - finally - head home. After 13 hours we finally made it - at about 1:30am!

Haha - though the travel was difficult, the trip was wonderful. I hope you enjoyed the pictures. :o)

It's Not Christmas Until...

2009-12-15T18:39:00.002-05:00

...we've elfed ourselves! :) Check out this hilarious video. I also made two more. You can see them via Facebook or Twitter, if you are my friend/follower.

Also, the post below this is new, too, so don't miss out!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

O Little (People) Town of Bethlehem

2009-12-15T14:58:00.004-05:00

Today Colton and I set up his own Little People Nativity set! It is so cute and I love that he can play with it, unlike Mommy's expensive nativity scene. :o) He loved playing with the animals and the angel most of all. He also loved that, when you press the angel down, it plays 'O Little Town of Bethlehem.' I'm so excited to use this toy to teach Colton about the meaning of Christmas.

In other news, we bought Colton a "big boy car seat" today! Though if we were living in the U.S. (or owned a car) we would have done this months ago, it still feels unbelievable that he's already so big! It was definitely time, though, as his feet stuck out a good 5 or 6 inches over the end of his infant car seat.

We got this seat for him in preparation for a trip we're taking with friends to Germany! We leave on Saturday and drive through Switzerland to Kandern, Germany (in the southwest of Germany). We are staying with some Campus Crusade staff there so housing is free! Yay! One of the families there is planning day trips for us to French/German Christmas markets and maybe even a day trip to another city in Germany, like Freiburg. We are very excited for this trip as it will give us a chance to spend quality time with some of the other couples we work with in Florence and because we've heard that Kandern is a very picturesque city this time of year. What fun! Pictures to come after our trip!

Christmas-Time in Florence

2009-12-09T07:19:00.006-05:00

Now that Thanksgiving is over my favorite time of the year has officially begun! CHRISTMAS-TIME!!! :) I thought I'd share what Christmas-time looks like in Florence, both at our house and around the city. I apologize for the quality of some of the pictures - many of them were taken at night with my phone. Anyway, enjoy an inside look at Christmas from across the globe!

Just as a comparison, this is a picture of Colton from last Christmas. He was about 12-weeks-old. It's hard to believe how much he's changed in a year!

This is our Christmas tree. It's in our bedroom in front of the window so everyone on our street can enjoy it with us. :) Oh, and Santa has already stopped by to drop off some of Colton's gifts under our tree. How good of him. ;o)

A look at some of my Christmas decor. It doesn't look wonderful in the pic but in person it's nice.

The nativity. Not every Italian puts up a Christmas tree but they ALL have a nativity. I love mine - it was a Christmas gift last year. I only set up part of it this year because it's within Colton's reach and I didn't want him grabbing the little animals and breaking them. Maybe next year I can set it all out again!

And now for some shots of Colton. He was all dressed up in his wonderful Christmas outfit from Grammy and Big Poppy as we were about to head to our work Christmas party.

This is a very typical Colton face. Do you think he's a little mischievous? :)

Another of Colton's typical faces - his huge smile! I'm sure he's screaming with glee, too. :)

He really loves this toy!

A great picture of Daddy and Colton!

Family picture, Christmas 2009

I love these PJ's from Gigi and Grandy; they are perfect for Colton. "Dear Santa, I can explain..." :)

Now for a look at how Florence celebrates Christmas! These pictures were all taken yesterday. I have to admit, I love walking through the city and admiring all the beautiful Christmas decor!

Piazza Repubblica

Same piazza from the other side. See all those people? It was a gorgeous evening/night last night and thousands of people packed the streets, strolling along and enjoying the sights, smells, and sounds of Christmas. I love it!

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. I tried some for the first time right after taking this pic. Let's just say i enjoy the song MUCH more than the actual food. :)

Florence has amazing Christmas lights out all over the city center. Their beauty is hard to capture on camera but here's a look at some of them.

Curtains made of lights

The main drag is canopied with thousands upon thousands of lights

A window display. The city color for Florence is purple and this tree was decorated accordingly. Dad, you'd love it! :)

Light columns floating above the road

Stars!

Colton was thrilled to get out of the stroller and walk with Daddy. :) I just liked the picture it made.

"Auguri" means something like "Best wishes."

Finally, and this has nothing to do with Christmas, I had to post a picture of this sign in a store. Bless them for trying to translate the Italian to English for the tourists.... but I cracked up when I saw that instead of shoes they wrote "shoeses." :)

MERRY CHRISTMAS! :)

It Goes Both Ways

2009-11-30T07:59:00.003-05:00

It's very common that Ross and I make idiots of ourselves when we try to speak with people here. Either we act like we understand what someone is saying to us, only to be exposed when they require an answer or response to what they were saying; or we blurt out words/sentences that make no sense and must endure the blank stares and giggles from those we try to talk with.

Today, however, I was encouraged to find that Italians make mistakes, too, when they try to speak English. Last week we bought a new brand of paper towels. When we began using them we found that, apparently, this company is hoping to make a few extra bucks trying to teach their customers English as they wipe up their spills. Every role of paper towels have pictures of things, their names in English, and then their names in Italian. I've actually found these paper towels helpful to expand my Italian vocabulary! I guess they've pulled me in with their scheme.

As I was reading my paper towels today, I noticed a mistake:

Sadly, now hundreds - if not thousands - of well-meaning Italians will be walking around calling a ladybug a ladybird! I hope that someday one of them says it to me so I can give them the blank stare I receive daily, giggling at them as I correct their mistake. ;o)

Fun with Gigi and Grandy!

2009-11-24T07:49:00.006-05:00

Ok, this post might rival any I've ever done for most pictures! But there are so many fun pics from when Mark and Connie visited us last week. :) We enjoyed having them here, despite the fact that Ross was deathly ill about a week before they arrived, followed by Colton and me getting sick! Luckily we were all on the road to recovery by the time they got here. Connie, however, got sick while visiting! What a bummer. Luckily our good friend Dr. Kerr hooked her up with some great meds and she wasn't down for the count for too long.

We didn't do a ton of things but we did get some great, quality time together. We are thankful that Mark and Connie came all the way to Florence to see us - we all loved spending time with them!

Here are some pics from their visit. The first group are some irresistible shots they took of Colton...

C has started to smile for the camera every once in awhile. I love it! :)

Colton is big into hugging his stuffed animal friends right now. It's just too cute!

Colton LOVES bath time! He has taken to laying down in the tub, which he thinks is hilarious. :)

C also loves getting on "big people" furniture - like beds and the couch. He feels so special when allowed to sit with the rest of us.

I don't know how they did it, but they got some great shots of Colton while he ate. He is usually too concerned with getting out of his seat and back to playing to pose for photos. :)

Colton thinks it's hilarious to wear my sunglasses. We think it's pretty funny, too.

On Gigi and Grandy's last day we went to the park. Colton loves to play outside!

Now for some shots of the grown-ups! :)

Ross, me, Colton, and Connie in Piazza Santo Spirito - a famous piazza near our apartment.

On the Ponte Vecchio.

In front of Santa Croce.

Connie and Colton took a ride on the carousel in Piazza Repubblica. It was C's first ride!

Colton loved when Grandy read to him. :)

Ross and I in Piazzale Michelangelo, overlooking the city.

Connie, Mark, and Colton...

Still in love. :)

A great shot of Mark and Connie at ZaZa's - one of our favorite restaurants in the world - on their last night here.

My artistic shot of the trip.

Mmmmm.... amazing bruschetta!

...and the best steak I've ever tasted. :)

On the walk home we came across these Christmas lights! It was a treat because, though many lights are strung throughout the city, they are not supposed to turn on until December 1st!

Ross, Connie, and Mark - one last shot in front of the Ponte Vecchio.

Thanks for a great visit, Mark and Connie! :)

Another Doctor's Visit

2009-11-09T08:09:00.003-05:00

Well, we could really use some prayer. Ross suddenly got really sick yesterday and the doctor told us today that it looks like he has bronchitis and a flu. Obviously we want him to get well very soon, so pray for that. Also, please pray that Colton and I DO NOT get sick! Mark and Connie (Ross' parents) arrive on Friday and we all want to be well to enjoy their visit. Also, I have so much to do before then, I need my health!

Anyway, going to the doctor was an interesting experience again - just so different than in the States. This doctor is British and caters to ex-pats, study-abroad students, and tourists who want an English speaking doctor. We learned of him last night through some friends and I e-mailed him, since it was almost midnight, to schedule an appointment for today. This morning at 9am I received a text message from the doctor himself asking if we could come in at 10:20am. I called to confirm and he answered the phone himself (I think it was his cell) and gave me directions. Yup, the doctor did this all himself! His office was very small, in a very old building. We walked in and there was no receptionist, just a clip board with a sign saying to fill out the information on the sheet and wait. When the doctor called us back, we went into his office - a large room with a desk and a small, partitioned off area with an examination table. He told Ross to sit on the table and did normal sick visit things. After the exam we all moved to his desk area and sat down. He told us what he thought Ross was facing and which medications he would recommend. As he was writing the prescription (which they do on, basically, note paper with their name on it - no signature needed) his phone rang. It was a girl looking for his office. She told him she was in front of the H&M and he said, "Wait right there, I'll hang out the window to see if I can see you." He proceeded to get up, open the 5th floor window, hang halfway out of it, and peer out toward H&M. "Do you see a silver car driving toward you?" he asked. She answered and he then said, "Ah yes, I think I see you. Are you wearing a white scarf and a white jumper? Just walk forward one more block and we are on your right..." Really??? He answered the phone himself??? He peered out the window, found this girl, and gave her directions....himself??? Yup, he did. Anyway, after paying right then and there (a requirement - no billing from that office!) he sent us down to the pharmacy next door, we picked up everything he prescribed, and headed home.

I just could never imagine having an experience like that in the States. I mean what doctor doesn't have a huge staff of receptionists, nurses, accounting people, etc? What doctor would ever text you to set an appointment? What doctor hangs out of windows to give some lost college girl directions? He was a great guy, very kind and seemingly good at his job, but the whole experience was strange.

Not only that, but we are learning that getting medical care here is expensive! You see, if you want to go with the public healthcare system you have to apply to get into the system. That process usually takes a year or more. Then, once you are in, it can still take months to get an appointment when you need one! Therefore, everyone - including Italians - who can afford it sees private doctors. The difference? Instead of the state or an insurance company covering the costs it's all up to you....or in this case, to us. You have to pay in full at the time of the appointment and if you are prescribed any medications or treatments you have to pay in full for those, too, as soon as you get them. As Ross has had trouble with bad pain in one of his legs recently we have spent A LOT of money on doctor visits, therapies, drugs, etc since our arrival. I gotta say, I miss my insurance coverage!

Anyway, thought I would share what, to me, is an interesting difference in a routine activity when living in Italy v. the U.S.A.. Also, please do remember to pray for health for Ross, Colton, and myself. Thanks!

Enjoying Fall

2009-11-04T15:33:00.004-05:00

Fall is my favorite season. It always seems too short but that month-or-so that is cool (yet not cold), sunny all the time, and that ushers in the changing leaves is my ideal. I've tried to get out with Colton to enjoy some of Fall's beauty this year as I have a renewed appreciation for this season after living in Florida. Friends there have been complaining that it is still in the 90's. I don't know how I lived like that. ;o)

Anyway, enjoy some pictures showing how Colton and I have been relishing this gorgeous season...

At the park, playing on the slide.

Colton making a bee-line for the swings.

Wheeeeeeeeeeeee!

Colton loves to examine the fallen leaves.

Here's Colton sporting some cool Halloween PJ's.

Halloween isn't technically a holiday here in Italy, but more and more people are starting to celebrate it anyway. I mean, seriously, who doesn't want to dress in funny costumes and eat a bunch of candy?! :o)

Speaking of funny costumes, Colton dressed as a monkey (thanks GiGi!) for the Fall Festival at our Agape Italia staff conference last weekend.

Halloween 2009, family picture.

I love my little monkey!

Many of the Agape Italia kids. Each one of them (as well as those not pictured) is living in either Florence, Rome, Salerno, or Bologna with their families as missionary kids. God bless them.

Colton has really enjoyed some Italian food this Fall. Here he is after slamming some lasagna!

Finally, I have been thrilled to see the colors of Fall again!

This is looking into a park that Colton and I often go to. It's also a dog park so sometimes we take Beau to play here, too.

Some beautiful ivy, turned red with the cooler weather.

I am hoping that we will have more beautiful Fall days before winter really hits. The rainy season is starting now, though, so we will most likely have more rain than sun. I guess I'll just have to use that as an excuse to stay indoors drinking coffee and hot apple cider, and eating pumpkin desserts. :o)

Another Difference

2009-10-28T06:34:00.004-04:00

Yesterday we took Colton to his 12 month appointment with the pediatrician (Dott.essa Maria Serenella Pignotti). At this appointment I was struck by some of the differences in medical care; well, at least pediatric well-visits.

First of all, we visit Dott.essa Pignotti at her house instead of at a practice. She officially works at a neonatal hospital but it's far away from where we live. So, naturally, she offered to allow us to see her at her home office - which is pretty close to where we live - after she is done working at the hospital. Therefore, our appointments are always at odd hours. Last night, for example, the appointment was at 7pm.

Another difference is that the doctor does not keep Colton's records on file. At our first visit she gave me a little green folder. She fills it out and puts things in it each time (weight, length, prescriptions, vaccination information, notes about child care, etc) and gives it back to us. It is our responsibility to take care of it and bring it to every appointment. The ever important folder is pictured below:

The actual appointment is fairly similar except for the fact that she does not take his temperature or look into his ears - basics at every doctor appointment we went to in the U.S. I asked her about why she doesn't look at his ears and she said that it is obvious that he doesn't have an ear infection - that we would just know by how he's acting. Hmmm.... I didn't actually think about her not taking his temp until I got home. He was warm so I took it and he actually did have a little fever - 101.5 degrees! Hmmm.... again.

Now, the biggest difference - pediatricians do not actually give children their vaccinations. Dott.essa Pignotti says that she does not want to give shots because then "the children won't like me." (She actually said the same thing about looking in Colton's throat...that's why she saves it for last in the appointment - so he doesn't get upset and cry the rest of the appointment.) She asked some friends of ours how vaccinations work in America and when they told her that every doctor has the medication at their office and gives the shots right then and there she said, "Why would the doctors have the medication?" Wow. Here there are public offices where you make an appointment and take your child to be vaccinated. It is free....if you can ever get in! She told me herself, "When you call, do not give up. They never answer their phone. Sit down with a big cup of coffee or tea to help you relax and just keep trying, it will take a long time." Great. After you actually get the place on the phone it can apparently be months before you can get in! And, for us, we have to make two separate appointments because he needs two vaccines that they don't give together. Lovely. Now, in Dott.essa Pignotti's defense, she did say if we can't get in to the public vaccination office she will give Colton his shots. We, however, have to call pharmacies until we can find places with the vaccine we need, buy them ourselves, take them to her, and she will finally give him his shots. All in all, we cannot escape a HUGE hassle. Bummer.

I miss our pediatrician in Orlando. Not that Dott.essa Pignotti isn't nice but everything is so confusing here, plus the language barrier makes it really hard for me to feel like I can ask everything I'd like to (plus understand the answer)! It's hard to trust in these new ways to do medical care, especially for my child. I have to keep reminding myself that there are plenty of healthy Italian babies so this system must work, too. I just miss it being easy. I miss a pediatrician who is less concerned with whether my child "likes" her than doing what she needs to do to make sure he's healthy (ie: shots, taking temps, looking in his ears.... the list goes on). Oh well.

The good news is that Colton seems to be continuing to grow wonderfully! He's already gotten much bigger since we moved!

At 10.5 months (the first time we took him to see this doctor) he weighed 19 pounds (8.66 kg) and was 30 inches (76 cm). Last night he weighed 22 pounds (9.98 kg) and was 32 inches (82 cm).

I guess the Italian food and lifestyle is agreeing with him. :)

Reflections

2009-10-10T09:49:00.004-04:00

Colton, hours after he was born.

One of our first family pictures, Colton's 2nd day of life.

It is amazing how tiny he was!

6 months later, Colton was a sweet little boy who was rolling around the floors, learning to army crawl, and eating his first real baby food.

He also took his first "big boy baths" at 6 months.

Now, at 1-year-old, Colton is walking like a pro!

He's got a sweet disposition and is almost always happy...especially when he's playing.

But, on the rare occasions he cries, he really knows how to work that grumpy face!

It's been a couple of weeks since Colton turned 1 and I've spent a little bit of time reflecting over how much he has grown and changed this past year. When I think of how fast this year has gone I am reminded of how truly miraculous the growth and development of a child is. I'm amazed at what Colton has learned in so short a time, and I am loving to see how he is becoming his own little person with a big personality!

We moved to Italy when Colton was 8 months old. The three and a half months between that and his 1-year birthday flew by, yet he has become a different child! When we arrived in Italy Colton was just army crawling, as he had been for a couple months. The apartment hadn't been cleaned before we arrived and, since Colton was sliding around on his belly on the filthy floors, his clothes were caked with dirt! Since then, he has moved from army crawling to crawling on his hands and knees to cruising the furniture to all out walking! This big accomplishments are certainly not the only ways he's changed, either. He has gotten 4 teeth since our move, making his face look more boyish than babyish. He is beginning to master concepts that were lost on him before, like putting toys in their correct places or pressing specific buttons to get the results he wants (from his toys, not from us!).

Colton is also showing more of his personality. He is content to play alone most of the time, ever entertained by anything that rolls around the ground or makes noise and blinks brightly, but he loves to get our attention and grin at us as he plays. He also loves to be chased, jumped out at, and tickled. It is such a joy to hear him laughing. He is truly one of that happiest children I have ever seen. In addition to this, though, he has a little mischievous streak. He likes to begin doing things he knows he's not supposed to, but stops just before he actually does that "bad" thing just to be sure you're watching. He then gives you a sly little grin and continues doing the wrong thing. When you fuss at him for it, or any other reason, he's learned to screw up his face so that he looks like he's going to cry. After a few seconds he slowly opens his eyes to see how you're reacting. It's hard not to giggle at him when he does it - he's just so cute!

Finally - well, the last thing I'll post here....there are just too many changes to list them all - Colton is starting to talk! Now, he's not really using real words yet - don't get too excited - but he's starting to string sounds into what sound like sentences! He reminds us of Avery Downs, the daughter of some dear friends in Orlando. He does seem to be learning a few new words here and there, though. For example, when we feed him his food we'll say, "Mmmmm, that's good!" And he'll reply, "Mmmmmm, gooo!" We'd swear to you that he's saying good. :) He also is using sounds more to convey his emotions. When he sees us with food or really likes what he's eating he loudly says, "Mmmmmmmmmmm!" If we're eating a snack while he's awake he literally follows us around saying, "Mmmmmmmmmm!" until we give him a bite. Also, he has started saying, "Ooooooooooooooo!" When he's looking at something he's really excited about. Truly, it's adorable. :)

I know for most of you this won't be very interesting. Heck, if you made it this far I'm surprised! But to me, these are some of the most miraculous, beautiful, exciting, and fun things I've ever seen and I want to remember them all. We are so blessed with a happy, healthy baby boy. Already it feels like he's growing up so fast, but I'll continue to soak up every bit of time I have to know him. I'm thankful.

Colton is One!!!!!

2009-09-27T04:21:00.010-04:00

Colton turned one on Friday! Can you believe it? Unfortunately he got sick that afternoon - just a bad cold and a slight fever - and he was not his normal, playful self. His birthday party was on Saturday, for which he was also sick. Despite him not feeling great, though, it was a great party and a great time. We missed all our family and friends who couldn't be here with us to celebrate, but we're thankful for the family and friends who were here. Now check out some of the pics - there are a lot! :)

Connie made Colton an adorable 1st birthday bib.

Mommy and Colton. How is he already 1?!?

Grammy and Colton. :)

The spread - we had lots of yummy food (homemade guacamole dip w/ chips, sugar cookies shaped and decorated like bananas - a big hit with the kids, banana bread, cupcakes, and a monkey cake) and it was all eaten up during the party!

I made this little banner and hung it opposite the food/drink table in the dining room. It consisted of all his "monkey pictures" through 11 months. We took pictures of him next to his sock monkey at 3 weeks, 7 weeks, 16 weeks, 5 months, 6 months, 8 months, and 11 months to document his growth.

The monkey cake! I came up with the idea but Ross decorated it! He is so good!

Another view of the table.

Our family. I'm so blessed!

Grammy and C, again.

Colton got some play time at the party. It was awesome for him to enjoy time with and around other babies/kids. In this picture he's getting his balance...

...so that he can walk! He's walking a lot now - definitely more than he's crawling.

Playing.

Connie, Mark, and Nana were able to join us at the party via Skype! We wish that they could have been here in person but they added to the festivity of the party with their monkey party hats, noisemakers, and celebratory attitudes! :)

PS: Look at all the presents!!!

Another pic of the decor on the food/drink table. It just looked so cute! :)

Singing 'Happy Birthday' to C. He was so curious about why everyone was singing to him!

He wasn't sure what to do with the cupcake.

...so he knocked it off his tray and onto the ground! But then I gave him a taste of the frosting. He wasn't a huge fan.

But he did like the cake!

In the end, he was over the cake.

A view of the party from the back of our garden. Our apartment is on the bottom floor and those wonderful french doors open up to our amazing patio and yard. We are really blessed to have such an amazing, private outdoor space in the middle of Florence!

Colton had tons of gifts to open, thanks in large part to family from America! Here he is opening Uncle Jeff's card and gift. Uncle Jeff thought it would be hilarious to give him a girl's card - and Colton actually kind of liked it! :)

Colton got an amazing Puma track suit from Grandma Great and Grandpa Grandpa! It seems that they know his style! :) In this picture he's saying, "Whoa, this Puma outfit is WICKED COOL!"

Colton really wanted some bath toys and Aunt Jenn and Uncle Nate helped fulfill that wish. He was pumped!

He also loved his car (and his other wooden toys) from Mor-Mor. He loves cars!

Colton also got amazing gifts from the Stowers side of the family. Unfortunately the friend who took pictures for us didn't get any of those! We'll search the cameras of our friends soon and try to find some - but Colton LOVES the amazing books, clothes, and toys that y'all sent for him!

To end the birthday extravaganza, Colton played some more! Enjoy these closing pics - and check out his awesome birthday shirt! :)

Artistic shot of our sweet, runny-nosed 1-year-old looking out to his future. :) The sky is the limit!

Colton Learning to Walk!

2009-09-14T08:15:00.003-04:00

Colton never ceases to amaze and entertain us. As his 1st birthday approaches, just under two weeks away, we have been trying to take lots of videos to document this time in his life.

At the beginning of his 11th month he took his first steps! His Tonka truck walker helped speed up the process, we think, but he is quickly picking up the idea on his own. He's doing a lot of walking now, of his own accord, and before we know it he'll be giving up crawling for good!

He's also been acting really funny - making faces, blowing spit bubbles, snorting, licking inappropriate things, and more.

Check out the three videos below for a good look at what's been going on in Colton's 11th month of life. :)

FINALLY...Pictures of our Apartment

2009-09-09T08:33:00.008-04:00

Welcome to our apartment in Florence, Italy. We've had a few *cough* requests to put some pictures up now that our stuff has arrived and we have unpacked (We lived here for two months without any furniture but for a futon mattress, pack n' play, and folding table w/ two chairs.). We're finally getting around to it and hope you enjoy getting an inside look at life in Europe.

Here you are standing in our living room. It's the first room you walk into when you come through the front door - that very sturdy and safe looking door on the far wall, left side. I think even SWAT would have a hard time getting in it!

This is a view from the front door. As you can see, there are no hallways in this apartment. Each room has a door that just opens up off of this room. For example, in this picture you see, counter clockwise from right to left, our little bathroom's door , the door to the storage room, the door to our big bathroom, the door to the kitchen, and the door to the dining room. At first I wasn't sure I liked the no hall set-up but it's been great in practice. It's so easy just to close the doors to rooms I don't want Colton to crawl into! :)

One last view of the living room. You're standing in Colton's doorway now and looking at the guest room door, the master bedroom door, the small bathroom's door, and the storage closets door (again, counter clockwise from right to left).

One of the most difficult rooms for us to set up in the house was the kitchen. This is because it was unfurnished - meaning there was NOTHING in it. Ross took countless trips to Ikea and electronics stores to buy cabinets and appliances and after about a month - and Ross' blood, sweat, and tears - we had a fully functional, beautiful kitchen!

Here you are walking into the kitchen from the living room.

Once you're in you get a view of a wonderful smelling honeysuckle bush that is growing just outside the beautiful doors. These lead out to our private garden - about 40 feet by 30 feet of stone patio and grass. It is a huge blessing to have a nice outdoor space in the city and we are thankful. So are Beau and Colton - it's a great place for them to play!

Now you're standing by the door to the garden and looking back into the kitchen. We have a pretty big fridge by European standards, though it's still small for the U.S.

To the left of the doorway to the outside is what we call our "island." We had enough space on that wall to put an upper and lower cabinet, plus a pantry. Having this space really makes our kitchen feel bigger!

A view from the "island" area to the main part of the kitchen. The oven is the farthest left, then a dishwasher. The rest you should have a pretty good view of!

This is the dining room. It also looks out to the garden.

We are blessed to have two bathrooms in this apartment.

This one is the big one and has a great bathtub, perfect for Colton!

This is the small bathroom. There's a shower to the left of the toilet. Not enough room in here for the bidet, sorry.

The next room is one you need to look at closely - the guest room! Could you sleep here???

Looking in from the doorway.

A view of the "office" section of the guest room.

An armoire for your clothes (We wouldn't want you living out of a suitcase your whole visit!), a queen-sized bed for your comfort, and a mirror so you can get ready in the mornings. What more could you want? ;o)

This is Colton's room. It's one of the smallest rooms in the house but it works great for him!

You're looking straight in from the doorway here. As you can see, he has some beautiful doors that open up to the garden, as well. Besides the lovely doors you can see his dresser, crib, toy box, Gator, and armoire.

A close-up picture of the Gator. He loves to play all over it and to pull his friends out of the trunk.

Looking from the back of the room towards the living room.

Last, but not least, are pictures of our master bedroom. It, like the guest room, faces the street and has a great window to let in plenty of light. It's also at least twice the size of our bedroom in Orlando. Seriously? Who would have thunk it???

Looking in from the doorway.

Again from the doorway - the big thing on the right is our armoire.

For those who have been asking, a good picture of our bedding.

Thank you for touring our apartment. Please consider this your invitation to make a personal visit at any time; we'll always have an open space for YOU! :)

Funny Faces

2009-08-27T14:36:00.004-04:00

Last week we got some pictures of Colton making funny faces. These were taken just before his 11 month birthday. I can't believe he's getting so old. Plans are underway for the big 1st birthday party - definitely a bigger deal to me than, certainly, to him!

This is the way he hold his mouth 80% of the time now that he has teeth - lower jaw punched out. He also, often, grinds his bottom and top teeth together to make a clicking noise. Ross hates that! Also, look at those beautiful eyes/lashes!

Here are some funny face/teeth shots. 1-1/2 bottom teeth...

2 top teeth...

A shot of all the teeth at once!

The three teeth shots show Colton doing one of his new favorite activities - snorting! He cracks us up when he does it...and we crack him up by doing it back. Ah, the joys of watching a child explore all his little body can do. :)

Evolution

2009-08-25T04:40:00.004-04:00

Today Colton is 11 months old. It is hard to believe that in just 1 month he'll be a one-year-old!!! It's amazing how much changes in the 1st 12 months of life. What a miracle that babies go from doing nothing...not even being able to focus their eyes...to becoming little people in such a short amount of time.

This week Colton learned another new thing - it happens often now, it seems. Using the laundry basket, Colton learned to walk! Though he's still not walking on his own, these first steps toward that milestone were a big deal to us.

After playing with the laundry basket for awhile, we called GiGi to ask her if Colton could open one of her birthday presents to him a little early. It's a big Tonka truck that you can use as a walker! Colton has loved every second with it - he plays with it constantly!

Over the past two days, Colton has improved greatly in his walking skills. We'll try to get a good video of him using the truck/walker now and update the blog soon with that.

**If you are on Facebook and want to see these videos, please go to stowersfamilyblog.blogspot.com.**