Back in the 'Burgh

It took us 16 1/2 hours to drive home yesterday, but we're finally back. We stopped a few times at rest stops to let Jack stretch and kick.
And... he made some attempts at Grandma and Grandpa's, but he finally rolled from his back to stomach today.

What fun!

He did this for an incredible length of time.

Our trip to the Midwest

Here are some picture highlights from the past nine days spent in Wisconsin and Iowa. Last weekend, we traveled to Iowa for the Ryan family reunion. At the hotel, Jack slept the longest he's ever slept- 7 1/2 hours straight! Perhaps that was due to the trauma of the pool right before we put him down. We thought he would enjoy it, but the poor little guy screamed. It was a tad chilly.
Jack had a blast jumping in his Johnny Jump-up, kicking on the lounge chair on the back deck (we'll have to invest in one of these!) and looking cool in his new sunglasses from Grandma and Grandpa. I think he would have worn those glasses all day if I hadn't taken them off of him. We enjoyed being able to visit with Mike's family-immediate and extended-- some who got to meet Jack for the first time. We'll head back to Pittsburgh tomorrow- a 13 hour drive (including stops)!

Four months!

Our little guy is very active these days, rolling, trying to fit his whole fist in his mouth and talking up a storm. We've enjoyed his emerging personality and hearty giggles. He's currently having fun at Grandma and Grandpa Ryan's house in Wisconsin. Look for pictures and details about our visit in an upcoming post.

Making our house our home

We still don't have internet in our new house, so I'm at the Brookline Library, where I've walked several days with Jack to check my email. It's nice having conveniences like this so close, but unfortunate for Mike's work commute. We've gotten a lot of our rooms unpacked already with only a handful of items still to pick up from our old house. I will hopefully begin painting the dining room with some friends tomorrow. And on Thursday, we will drive out to Wisconsin for a much-needed vacation with family. So it may be a while before we blog again.

Closing Day

It's official. We bought a house today. After packing for weeks, our dining and living rooms look like donation centers. Don't we wish? Then we wouldn't have to move it all and unpack it at our new house. Fortunately, I really enjoy unpacking-- something about putting everything in its right place, and this time, it's our own house, which we will hopefully inhabit for quite some years to come.

After the closing this evening, which was entertaining in itself, we went over to our new place and started cleaning so that we wouldn't be moving our belongings into a dirty house. Not that it was that dirty to begin with. Now, last year's move in was a different story. Ashlee and I spent most of that day just cleaning, and it didn't help that we had to clean up after the cleaning lady (who spoke no English and cleaned our kitchen and bathrooms entirely with SHOUT stain remover).

So, at the closing, the seller's agent, who's name is Lu Ryan, told us that her son's name is also named Jack, making him Jack Ryan. So of course, she got the same Tom Clancy comment all the time with him. And I don't know whether it was my lack of sleep or the momentous occasion that caused me to go blank on my signature several times. I ended up initialling many papers 'KM' before I noticed. When I went back to correct my mistake, I added a 'P' to the end of 'KM.' Again, I realized that my last name does not begin with a P. It was an easy thing to fix, but for the rest of the closing, I kept forgetting what it was that I was supposed to sign for my signature.
We rented a truck for this weekend, so hopefully, we can get as much of it transfered as possible. Thanks to those who are helping us move!

First Roll

His actual first roll was two days ago, but I looked away during the action of it. I had put him on his belly in his crib for a minute, and when I looked at him next, he was on his back. Today during play time, he was looking at me and laughing while on his tummy, and then he rolled to his other side. So we ran down to show Dad, but I guess once is good enough for a day. Here lies one tuckered out boy.

Our spectacular display!

...Perhaps not spectacular, but we made an effort-- without being deafeningly loud for Jack. He seemed to appreciate the sparkler display, courtesy of Mom and Dad- and the small bonfire in the grill, full of burning confidential papers. The rest of this Independence Day we spent packing up all of our earthly belongings, and we finally made quite a dent.

Happy Fourth of July!

Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Mock!

We had a fun-filled weekend at Jen and Jarrod's wedding- our third wedding in less than a month! We stayed at a hotel in Somerset on Saturday night after the rehearsal festivities. This was one of the most fun weddings I have been to, though I can't say I've been to many. We found a nice church to go to in Somerset early in the morning, had breakfast at the hotel, and then Mike and Jack got to spend the rest of the day together until the wedding while I got ready and prayed with the other bridesmaids. The day was gorgeous for their outdoor wedding at Green Gables Restaurant, which is an absolutely lovely and peaceful setting. It was so nice to be in the midst of God's creation.
As you can see, Jack had a blast as well, though he was tuckered out by the end of it (In the picture, Jack's dancing with Juliet, one of the other bridesmaids). And Jen's brother, David, entertained us all with his self-built robot suit, in which he did the robot to "Mr. Roboto". I laughed so hard, I cried. He could have a real career in that robot suit.
Jen was one of my bridesmaids last year, and I lived with her for a year before getting married myself. Both Jen and Jarrod are amazing people who love Jesus and have a real talent and passion for sharing God's love with others. They will be moving to Qatar in August for Jarrod's job- with CMU's Qatar campus- and will be missed greatly.
Congratulations, Jen and Jarrod! And may the Lord use you both as his instruments always!