Happy Birthday Granddaddy!!!!!!

We had a fun "happy birthday" phone call to my dad this morning. Julianna carried the phone around the apartment and had a grand time talking to her grandparents. Dad started his birthday celebrations with dinner last Friday evening with my brother Stephen, and the highlight so far (according to dad) was watching Wake embarrass UNC on the football field Saturday. No mercy for those Tarheels, even after four years of tuition payments!

He'll wrap up the week of celebrating on Thursday evening with a big family dinner in Chapel Hill. We sure wish we could be there.....

packing our bags again

Today we are off to a retreat with some other folks (chinese and american) from our area. Traveling to a "resort" about 90 minutes from here (we hope it's only 90 minutes... there is some road construction, and in China they do a decent job tearing roads apart and turning highways into dirt tracks). The "resort" costs 15 USD per night per person and includes room & 3 meals. So, you interpret "resort" however you want!

We'll have a great time. Julianna and I spent part of the morning baking goodies to take with us. Packing for the two girls is a bit of work, so I'll be busy through the afternoon and collapse into my seat on the bus when we leave at 3:30. Luckily, the others that are going with us are great with the girls, so I'll breathe a sigh of relief when we are all together and I can enjoy their help!

I'll take photos and post them when we return (late Thursday night).

up and down

Here's that video Matt was referring to in his post. He had Julianna practicing pulling her pants up and down. Watch it!

all together again

Well, Lydia and I arrived home late last night and we're so glad to be a foursome again! The Thailand trip was fun and we had a terrific time with Erin Ashley and little Emma Grace. The girls were sooooo good for us! But, it's so nice to be home again :)

I will write more later, just wanted you to know we are back safe and sound.

bangkok update

Well, we are here in Bangkok.... in a noisy internet bar and Lydia is fussing, so I can't write much. Just called Matt and checked in with him, I miss being home!

Lydia's appointment went great. She weighs 12 1/2 lbs!! 75 percentile, so she is actually dropping percentiles since her birth weight was literally "off the charts". The doc (same pediatrician I see with Julianna) said she looks terrific. She got lots of immunizations, which were NOT the highlight of the trip for her, but she handled it ok.

Well, her crying just keeps getting louder. Gotta go before the other patrons get too frustrated - I am already getting my share of "looks".

We miss Mommy

Just thought that all our faithful readers (Thanks Mom, Dad, Paul, and Patt.) would be interested to know that Julianna and I (Matt) are doing fine. We definitely miss Laura and Lydia. Julianna has asked about Laura each morning, but has yet to get real upset about Mommy being gone. Thank God for this! For me, the house definitely feels a bit empty. However, many friends have come over to keep Julianna and I company.

I meant to show you a video entitled "potty training - phase 1," but I couldn't make it work. We'll have to wait until the webmaster gets home to show you it.

off to Bangkok

Lydia and I are off to Bangkok tomorrow morning for her two-month immunizations (don't you love it when life is simple??). There is some doubt as to the effectiveness of locally produced vaccines, so most foreigners choose to vaccinate their little ones outside the country. Bangkok is the closest, easiest option. We'll be gone for three days, Matt will hold down the fort here at home with Julianna here to help him!

Here's Lydia on her 10-week birthday.


While in Thailand I plan to do a little shopping too. Top of my list is a kitchen-aid style mixer. Matt says he might try to post an update while I am gone, so you'll have to wait to hear from him these next few days.

cha cha cha

Last night's party was really fun. Erin Ashley and Andy have these fun "learn to dance the cha cha cha" videos that must be about 20 years old. We all learned to "cha cha cha" and laughed so hard at ourselves and one another.


Trying to get the steps right......


We did figure it out!



I talk about Andy and Erin Ashley a lot, so I figured they deserved to have a photo in the blog too!

cooking with mommy

One thing I really enjoy about our new apartment is the large kitchen, complete with deep countertops. Julianna loves to sit up on the counter with me while I cook. You can only imagine how much help she is! Stirring is probably her favorite activity, but she's also a big fan of tasting the ingredients! This morning we made a cake together and - surprise, surprise - Julianna likes to eat chocolate chips :) Makes her mommy proud to see how she inherited one of my better traits - a love for chocolate!

The cake is for a birthday party we are having tonight, celebrating one of our teammates' birthdays. Should be fun.....

crying in unison

So, all is quiet here at the Kvernen household. For a few minutes, we had both girls crying in unison.... nothing like the sound of two little girls wailing to make you question your own sanity! But, bedtime is upon us and it's the most relaxing part of my day. Oh, how I love my girls - especially when they are asleep! Ha ha.

The weather has turned nice again, and we were outside ever so briefly today. Honestly, getting both the girls out the door and down the flights of stairs is quite a challenge. Julianna is a big fan of walking the stairs on her own, but at her pace, we'd spend the entire day just getting down to the ground floor.

We talked to both sets of grandparents on webcam this past weekend - Julianna is starting to understand the concept, I think. At least, she is starting to talk to and interact with them via computer. Makes it fun. Since we have a wireless router, we can webcam from anywhere in the apartment, including the kitchen table.

the year of the golden pig

My uncle Charlie has been talking up the "year of the potato" recently, and we thought we'd counter-offer with the "year of the golden pig". The way I understand it, one of the 12 animal signs (pig) lined up with one of the five elements (gold) and, voila, the golden pig year is here!

With a Chinese population of 1.3 billion (or so), something tells me more folks are celebrating the Year of the Golden Pig than are celebrating the Year of the Potato. How exactly do you celebrate? Have a baby! Yep, a baby boom is on, as it is very good luck to be born in the year of the golden pig. Lydia joins an estimated 20 million newborns here in China.... all born in the auspicious year of the golden pig. (With her NC roots, Lydia is thinking of striking gold by investing in an eastern North Carolina pig farm.)

The courtyard in our apartment complex is full of golden pig babies. I'll have to take some photos one day and you can see for yourself!

a few more photos to enjoy

A pretty lazy Sunday here in KM and not a lot of news to report. The temps were slightly higher today and we all four went outside for a bit this afternoon. The girls are both asleep, Matt is reading The Economist, and I am on the computer. I thought everyone might enjoy a few more photos, so I am uploading some to the blog.

This shot is of Julianna with Emma Grace (our neighbors' little girl). Emma Grace is a good buddy for the girls and Matt and I value the Huffmans friendship tremendously. I think Erin Ashley and Andy are some of Julianna's heroes. She talks about them (and Emma Grace) all the time!

here's Julianna smiling for the camera
(taken in the girls' bedroom, which is currently occupied by just Julianna)

This is a shot of Lydia making her best "contemplative" face. She is more and more fun everyday. She loves to smile and interact, especially right when she finishes eating. Her new favorite thing to do is stop eating, look up and me and grin, and then return to her meal.
It's pretty cute :)One more of Lydia - she spends a lot of time laying on this play mat. While she's there, Julianna brings her lots of toys and lays them on Lydia's stomach. Julianna is even willing to share her treasured Jing Jing (the panda).

5 little girls....

Well, let me start this blog with a "I learned my lesson" story - the lesson is: You should never brag on a blog about how well your baby sleeps! The reason is: your baby will quit sleeping well! Lydia's nights have not been very smooth this past week, so I am once again finding that morning comes way too quickly around this house!

Anyways, yesterday (Friday) there were 5 little girls at our apartment - and Julianna was the oldest!! It was pretty crazy, but lots of fun. Matt is frequently gone until very late on Friday nights, and the afternoon and evening can get long for me and the girls. But not this week! Two friends from our city, Alisa and Ginny, came out to visit Erin Ashley and me. The girls in the photo are, from left to right, Emma Grace, Kayleigh, Julianna, Aria, and Lydia. We had a great time :)

The weather has been unseasonably cold around here - highs in the 50s and low 60s. We have our heaters running, but a concrete apartment with no insulation is not easy to heat. The best defense is to wear lots of clothing, which is exactly what we do. The girls are both bundled up in many layers and we're staying pretty warm. It should not stay this cold, hopefully the weather will turn nice again soon.

Xiao Li !!!!

The best news of the day is that we have a helper! And, even better than just having a helper - it's Xiao Li.

I have been praying for a helper since we made the decision to move out here last spring. God, in his perfect timing, chose to answer that prayer today. I cannot believe His tremendous mercy towards us in that not only would he provide someone, but that "someone" would be Xiao Li. As I told Matt, she is one of the few people in the world (apart from family) that I trust with my house keys, my passport and my kids.

Long story short, we offered a nice salary, and help with rent (she'll have to move to a more expensive part of town). She will work 5 days a week, splitting her time between our home and the Huffmans. She'll be here some mornings and some afternoons. Erin Ashley and Andy are as excited as we are. She starts in early November. Yay!!!

big girl bed

Well, mark your calendars folks. Julianna has officially graduated from her pack n play to a "big girl bed". I was hoping she would move this fall (after all, little sister is waiting to move into the pack n play), but I didn't have any real plans for the transition.

Yesterday mid-morning I decided to unpack her bed-rail (purchased last spring in Thailand) and assemble it. Julianna and I talked about the bed and when naptime rolled around, I put her in her pack n play, but told her that she could move to the big bed that night. Well, night rolled around, and it was into the big bed she went! Not a peep for 12+ hours and she woke up happy this morning. Naptime was no trouble today and she's back in the big bed for night #2 as I write this post.

I tell you, big events are happening all the time around this apartment!

more photos from the camping trip

Well, I never wrote much about the camping trip. Matt and Julianna had a great time. Julianna was a tad bit overwhelmed by all the people (35 or so) and stuck close by the ones that she knew best. But, by the end of the trip, she was trusting more folks. (In several photos - like the one posted here - I don't even know the student that is holding Julianna.)

Matt and Julianna shared a tent and Julianna wore a double layer of pajamas to help her stay warm, since she we knew she wouldn't stay in a sleeping bag. For dinner it was grilled meats and veggies (kind of like kabobs) and Julianna dug in. According to those who were there, she ate the equivalent of two sausage/hotdog like meat sticks. Yuck. For the record, I have never eaten one of those meat stick things (though they have been offered to me many times). She's definitely not a picky eater. Reminds me of her daddy.


The trip was mostly about having fun together. Students did obstacle-course type games and cooked meals over the campfire.

Julianna came home with a dirt-streaked smile on her face. It was great.


Lydia and I held down the fort at home while Matt and Julianna camped. Lydia did her normal baby thing (eat, sleep, eat, sleep) and I marveled at how much I could accomplish with only one little one to care for! It was a great time for me to get a few projects done around the house.

the puppy never burped

Julianna is really getting into pretending these days. She loves to "cook" and frequently sits up on the counter with me when I am preparing lunch and/or dinner.

Today she started a new 'pretend' game - burping her baby doll. She insisted that I put a burp cloth on her shoulder and proceeded to burp her baby. Then, it was on to the rest of the animal kingdom. First target, a small stuffed sheep. The sheep, however, was quickly put aside in favor of a rather large stuffed puppy (affectionately referred to as 'buppy' because Julianna does not pronounce a clear initial 'P' sound). Buppy disappointed both of us with his failure to produce any audible burping noise. Rest assured, we'll try again tomorrow!

Lydia is also making huge strides in her ability to "play". This week she started deliberately reaching for toys. This might not sound like much, but, trust me, for an 8 week old, this is big news! She continues to be a delight during the day and rewards us with an 8+ hour stretch of sleep each night. Julianna was 7 months old before I got this kind of sleep!

Here we are snuggling on the couch together....


oh yeah - our date last night. Well, we opted away from Thai food when Matt reminded me that I ate curry a few weeks ago and Lydia protested mightily during her next two feedings. Wendy and Brian had a great time with a sleeping Julianna and not-to-fussy Lydia, so the evening was a big success. We're big fans of the date night and aim to continue our once-a-week habit. We're always looking for babysitters, so if any of you are interested....

The "window-pass" method...

Matt is taking Mondays as his "day off" this semester. So, it's been a nice day with all four of us at home. We ordered a metal frame stand to use in our utility room to stack our washer and dryer (and save on limited floor space). The door into the utility room is pretty small, and Matt warned the man when he ordered that he didn't think the frame would fit through the doorway.

Sure enough, the man showed up with a frame that was too large to fit through the doorway. Problem solving method #1 (remove the door from the hinges and try to squeeze the frame through) did not work. So, the fix-it man recommended method #2: pass the frame out the porch window and back in through the utility room window. [FYI - I was not a big fan of this particular method, but seeing as how method #3 was non-existent, the "window-pass" won out.]

The fix-it man proceeded to take the utility room windows out of the window frame and then lean (too far) out the window to retrieve the stand Matt was passing via the porch window. I am happy to report that neither Matt, the fix-it man, nor the metal stand was injured in any way and we now have a washer-dryer stand in our utility room. Not sure if any by-standers were able to witness the fourth floor window pass, but I am sure they would have been impressed.

Not sure what we'll do when we move out of this apartment, but I have a strong hunch that we'll leave the stand behind! I do plan to post some photos of our apartment soon, and I'll be sure to include one of the washer-dryer stand, now that you can really appreciate it!

It's date night tonight and Wendy & Brian are coming to watch the girls. If all goes as usual, Julianna will sleep and Lydia will fuss from 7pm to 8pm before conking out for the night. Luckily, Wendy is a great baby-holder and she knows what she's in for!!!

I'll update you tomorrow on how the evening went. Matt and I plan to try a new, kind of fancy Thai food restaurant on the north side of town.

Jeremy and Anita come to dinner!!!

Jeremy and Anita came to dinner tonight - guests two nights in a row!! We had a great time visiting together, the Smiths are expecting their first baby (a little girl) in December. (you can also get a great view of our apartment in this photo)

If Julianna were "king of the world...."

If Julianna were "king of the world" (or even just "king of the family") then we'd have company for dinner every night. Lucky for her, we do like to have friends over for dinner, and tonight was one of those times. Some of Matt's friends from campus joined us for dinner (spaghetti and meatballs) and then stayed to hang out. Julianna watched and cheered as they played Jinga -then it was bath and bedtime for her.


The guys are still here, talking in the living room. Lydia is ready for her dinner too - so I need to run. You are all invited to dinner here anytime - just let us know when to expect you!!!

morning update

Well, here we are at the breakfast table on Saturday morning. Matt had a great Friday night meeting and I went to bed early with Lydia (who has had some great nights recently).







And here is one of Lydia from yesterday....

a little bedtime reading

Here's a photo from last night - reading on the couch before bedtime. We're having a kind of stressful day here... Julianna is working on some new teeth and she is a grouch! Lydia had a rough morning nap. but, for the briefest of seconds, both of them are sleeping and i have a free minute, though Lydia should wake anytime. i think i hear her now. anyways, here's a photo.

camping trip photos

the campsite

chilly evening by the campfire

wow - the pictures worked!

well, that was a success! I'll have to take some photos of the apartment and post them too. We've done a lot of work and it has been stressful, but worth it. On Monday morning two different men with power drills were here working on curtains and some last minute installation stuff. Drilling into concrete is LOUD. At one point both the girls were huddled on my lap, crying. Oh joy.

Still, it's nice to have the apartment starting to come together. It does look nice, if i say so myself.

Ok, it's breakfast time. Lydia is sleeping through breakfast (usual behavior, she already ate earlier) and Julianna is talking away in her high chair.

hopefully i can post again tomorrow!
laura

posting a picture or two?!?!?

Here are a few recent ones... Lydia is starting to interact a bunch and that makes her really fun. Julianna adores her and I love to hear Julianna say, "idia, idia". Don't worry, we made sure to get some video of Julianna saying Lydia's name to preserve for generations.

first time for everything

Well, I decided I might have a try at this blog thing - my good buddy and neighbor Erin Ashley is a new fan of blogs, and I decided to jump on the bandwagon. I expect to have a select few devoted readers (the grandparents). And, I sure do hope that a few other friends and family take a look every now and then. Just as a warning, this is primarily a "julianna and lydia" blog, so expect lots of photos (if i can figure out how to post them) and plenty of day-to-day routine news. enjoy!

Laura