Our bi-polar baby

Not sure whether to laugh or cry!!!

Weekly Update

Jovee has not done too many new things this week.  She is starting to grab at her toes, which I think is one of the cutest things ever!  She is getting soooooooo close to rolling over...Back to Tummy.  She gets so close that it is hard to just sit and watch her.  I really want to help her over, but I know that would be cheating!  :-)

We also have started a tradition of reading to her before we give her a bath and head to bed.  Her favorite book is of Grandma Courliss reading to her.  She likes to talk to Grandma while she is reading the book!  It is very cute!

6 years and counting

As I was reminiscing over the last 6 years I realized that Norris and I have know each other for the past 11 years!!!  And if you know us you know the first 5 years were interesting!!!!  We celebrated our 6 year anniversary on Saturday and it was fun to think about what we thought marriage was 6 years ago and what we think marriage is now!!!  Don't worry I know that in 6 years I will be saying the same thing!!  We have this tradition of watching our wedding video and reception video for our anniversary.  Every time we get to our engagement section I just cry like a baby!  It was such a fun day and I think about how everything in my life changed from that moment on!  And even more recently we have a beautiful baby girl to add to our family...with more to come we hope :-)

  

This was our first anniversary in Cairo and we did not know that it would be in the middle of Ramadan.  Still it was one of my favorite anniversaries.  Norris bought me a puzzle.  This puzzle has a lot of significance as it is of India.  Two years ago when we went to India to visit we left all our camera's and video camera on the train.  Needless to say we have NO pictures of our trip.  So Norris bought this puzzle for us to put together and spend quality time together after Jovee goes to sleep!

  The problem is we are not working right now soooooo we finished after only 2 days! 

We have decided that we need to get another one even bigger to finish during the school year! 

Three Months

Well if you would have told me a year ago all the things that would have happened to Norris and I during my 9 months of pregnancy I would have laughed at you.  Well these three months of Jovee's life have also been quite exciting.  It was been fun to see her grow.  She is rolling over...not that often, just when she feels like it.  She loves to suck on her hands and play with her firefly toy...thanks to Amber Rohde for that!!!!!!!! These are some of the things that Jovee has loved to do during her first three months!

I already have favorite outfits that I will keep for her when she has her babies... This is my favorite outfit! 

                         She loves to play with her cousin!!!  They both have the Ham nose I think!!  They are                                 going to be great friends/cousins growing up!

 And of course she loves to hang out with her grandpa!!!

                         And we can't forget hanging out with her Great- Grandma!!!

 Jovee also LOVES the water! 

 Whether it is the pool or Lake Michigan she loves it!

Hanging out with daddy is definitely something that Jovee LOVES!

And taking summer walks along the beach! 

 Hanging out with family is very enjoyable!  This is four generations of Ham's...How special!

She loves to sit up and listen to any music you play for her.  I love that!!  Norris and I daily try to figure out whose personality she might have.  The problem is she is changing daily!!!  One minute I think I have her figured out and then she decides she does not like that any more!!!  Too funny!!! On her three month birthday we flew to Egypt and she really has been adjusting well.  She is meeting new friends and even sharing her favorite Firefly!!!!

She's Here

The first blog I posted about Jovee's birth was deleted for some reason.  So I will try to write another one.  It is going to be different than the first because thanks to the Lord I have already forgotten the pain that I endured while birthing her.  I do know that it was totally worth it but it was not easy.
I tried to tell myself that it would be the hardest thing I would ever do and also be the most painful thing I would ever experience.  I think with that in my head it did not turn out to be that bad :-) 
I must say that I am soooooo glad Norris was able to make it.  I tired to tell myself the weeks leading up to labor that if Norris was not able to make it I would be fine.  I would get through it and he would be here as soon as he could.  Well good thing the Lord knew best.  Norris got back 2 days before I went into labor and there was NO WAY I could have done it without him!  I took some advice from my friend Allison and wrote down a bunch of scripture that I could read and pray through as I was having contractions.  I am glad that my dad was there because he was able to read them to me as Norris was telling me to breath and my mom was pushing on my back..... for some reason I had some back pain. 

I really can't thank Allison enough for her blog about he son's birth.  It helped me realize that this process could be a very spiritual process.  The Lord really helped me because I did not even know that 10 hours had gone by.  I was only in labor for 12 and I think it was pretty average.  When they told me I was at 9cm I almost started crying.  I had no idea I was that close.  My mom told me later she was glad she did not tell me I would have a baby in the next 20 minutes....because it took 2 1/2 hours for Jovee to arrive!!!  It felt like half an hour to me...thanks to the Lord!!!!  When Norris told me it had been 2 1/2 hours I was shocked!!!!! Every time I started to get discouraged I would pray for our new child, I ask the Lord to help someone else who was going through labor.  There were times that I was selfish and I asked him to just get me through ONE MORE CONTRACTION!!!!!  He always did :-)  And now we have our sweet little Jovee or "The Joverton" as Norris calls her!!!!

Norris and I as we are heading to the hospital....

 Waiting for baby Jovee to come!!!! 

 She is here.....sweet little 9lbs bundle of joy!

 A family picture. Nothing will ever be the same again....

Well Jovee was perfect....of course as every mother and father would say, all 9lbs of her!!!

Weekly Update....updated!

I forgot to add her first stamp in her passport!!!!!

Weekly Update....

Well we have finally gotten settled into the new place.  It feels so much like home I just love it!  I can't express how wonderful it is to be back!!! 
As we were heading through security Jovee decided that it would be a great time for a nap! 

She did so well on the plane.  So good that we have talked about were we should go for Christmas!  When we got to the apartment we decided to put some stuff away and get organized and Jovee decided it was time for another nap.  Now I must say she has NEVER fallen asleep on her own so she must have been exhausted......

We had some friends come over on Wednesday and Jovee and Molly got to meet for the first time!

They seemed to hit it off quite well!

We then went to church for the first time and I think Jovee loved it!  I know the people loved her!  

 

We then went to City Stars to do some shopping at the mall!  We did not brave Spinney's this time it is only 2 days before Ramadan starts and that would have just been pure insanity!

Jovee also took her first taxi ride!  I think she loves having so much to look at all the time! 

 

Well we had a busy week but it was GREAT!  Jovee really does seem to be adjusting well to the time change and the new surroundings!