July, here we are!

Well, June basically didn't happen. Did it?

For those who are unaware, little Simon Richard joined our little family on May 26th at a whopping not-quite-7-pounds after a surprise/emergency c-section. Despite things not going as planned (there's a 10-page birth story for the interested, but I decided not to unleash it to the public domain, partly because of the personal nature, and partly because I barely had time to write it, let alone edit it to the point where I'm happy enough with it), I felt well taken care of for the most part. My parents arrived the day after Simon's birth, and that was such a blessing. They really carried us through the first weeks at home as I recovered and we all got used to each other. Jesse's mom has been with us for a week and a half, and has a few more days here still. Family is wonderful!

I've also had my birthday, which was celebrated in stages; on the day of, Jesse and I went to the mall and made some present-purchases (including a stand for my laptop and wireless keyboard and mouse, so I can set up on a desk like a desktop and not destroy my back all the time, among other things) while Simon hung out with his Grammie at home. Saturday, friends came up from Sydney and we celebrated again with a pinata. Thankfully, their daughter is one year older and was not quite as traumatized by the pinata-hitting activities this year :)

I was realizing the other day that in this coming year of life, I will miss two reunions (college and high school), the birth of my cousin's son, my sister's 21st birthday, and who knows what other events. What's really tough is realizing that friends and family in the US are missing out on life with Simon. But we have much to be thankful for; deepening friendships here, a job I enjoy and look forward to continuing (albeit in a reduced role), a brand new fridge (ok, so that's kind of shallow, but I'm excited about it), and generally a good life where God wants us to be.

While it's difficult to miss those shared moments, when we dedicate our children to the Lord (as my parents did with me, and we did with Simon), we commit to teaching our children to serve God with their whole lives, and the best way to teach that is to live it. There is a certain amount of letting go that must happen, of acknowledging that their gifts and talents might not always lead them close to home. We still cherish the time we have with loved ones (as I write, I'm watching Simon sleep in the lap of his Grammie, who has fallen asleep sitting on the couch :) and do our best to support each other wherever we find ourselves.

In the next year, I know that Simon will continue to grow and change. My hope is that Jesse and I will be able to grow and change too, as we pursue God in our new little family.