Fun with Gigi and Grandy!

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

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

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

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

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.