15 Months

It has been 15 lovely months since Notorious Noa Cate entered our world. Her world continues to grow more exciting and full of possibilities with each passing month, and hence, so does our appreciation for God's unique creations.

Her appetite (for food and life) is voracious, and she is growing like a lovely dandelion weed. Her weight has actually declined or hovered since her 1-year visit, but her height and lusciously-large cranium (we try hard to refrain from speaking in 'I Married An Axe Murderer' quotes) have continued to climb the charts.

She is walking now (started doing so just a few weeks ago) and loving her new freedom. Along with this new love, comes also a new hate for being restrained. Public tantrums are a new adventure that Josh and I are learning to navigate!

Lately, Noa is beginning to act out, or point to, objects that we have been learning about for months now. A few examples include: (pointing to) nose, ear, mouth, chin, bellybutton, feet, hand, head; and (acting out) tongue, point, hug. She's also discovered the nifty trick of balancing objects on her head. This fascinates her to no end. Here she is in the tub placing her comb on her head, then taking it down, then putting it back...

And here she is, showing me her teeth!

As for our employment - we are still actively looking and applying. Our hope is that we will begin hearing back from companies as the end of the fiscal year nears (Sept. 30). Our prayers are that God will continue to build into our faith in Him and our relationships with new friends in this interim. Both Josh and I are submitting resumes right now, and we are trying to relinquish previous definitions of corporate value and wage expectations. Many of our friends and family have stepped into our lives to help keep us on our feet during this time, and we cannot avoid the glaring proof in these actions that God is not forgetting us.

Have a wonderful week, everyone! With love - Josh, Mandi, and Noa