After Christian's beautiful blessing, my parents had us up for a brunch.
Here are Stephen's siblings and grandparents.

blessing day

Here is Maddy holding the little fellow.

 

Though they've got quite the ways to grow, we think Christian has his father's feet.

 

Here are all the little ones for the blessing. If we had our way, they'd all be ours.

 

 

Ohwee Chistmas!

We haven't yet decorated, I think we're going to wait till adorable Clarity, Abby, and Maddy arive. Christmas isn't Christmas unless there are kiddos running around. So this will be Christian's first Christmas, and I'm so glad he'll have some cousins to spend it with.

So, I have to say, lately I've felt like such an adult. You might be wondering if it's because I have a child. I don't know if that's so much the reason as all the wonderful Christmas cards I've recieved. Teenagers get pregnant, but teenagers don't get Christmas cards from friends. I'm afraid I could not return the favor (perhaps because I'm not an adult, I just have friends who are) and I never got around to sending Christmas cards. I guess I'll write an update blog.

Stephen was able to celebrate the birth of his "firstborn" by spending hundreds of dollars applying to PhD programs around the country. Three of the programs were in California and two were in New York, so we'll see in which super expensive place we end up. He applied to a few others as well. His honors thesis was accepted for publication in Dialogue for this summer, but don't worry, he still has a testimony. Another one of his papers have been accepted for a conference in Chicago and he'll be going out there in April. He's been taking great care of Christian, except for when I find Christian without any pants on in our cold basement. I ask Stephen where his pants went and Stephen says he has taken them off to look at his cute little legs. sigh.

I, Rachel, have just finished my coursework for my masters program in Sociology. All I have left to do is my thesis. I'll be working 20 hours a week as a TA next semester, but only 6 of those will have to be on campus when Stephen will be watching the boy, and the rest will be grading and reading that I can do from home. We feel blessed that my professors have been so willing to work with my pregnancy and me being a mama.

Christian, our litte joy, is a sweetheart. Though he cries when we give him a bath, change his diaper, or when he's hungry, he's usually a little angel. I hope in naming him Christian, we haven't set him up for a life as a silent monk. yikes. No, we've appreciated his good temper, especially these past busy weeks. We're excited for him to get chubby wubby, but until then, we still think he is adorable as can be. He's not nursing super well, so we supplement with formula and with pumped breastmilk.

It's hard to believe that two years and 5 days ago, Stephen and I were both leaving our missions. We have felt so very blessed since then.

Uncle/nephew affection

Name change

I know all of you were thankful that we named our little fellow Christian instead of Wilberforce. Well, I've been thinking that really this fellow's name ought to change. I try and try to fatten him up like any wicked witch ought and he just won't do it . . . so Hansel it is.

First two weeks and a visit from the Greats