For Unto Us A Child Is Born

Hi,

Can you believe it's December again? Another year is soon to be over. And what a year! We have a lot to be thankful for! We've been blessed through our family and friends beyond words. God lavished His love on us yet again. We praise Him for all He has done.

Last December (on Christmas day, to be exact), we learned that we are expecting. Now we have a 4-month-old baby! And an almost 4-year-old big girl. How exciting!

Our first snow 

A few weeks ago we had some snow. Amy wanted to build a snowman, but the snow wasn't quite right for that, so she made snow angels instead. I love how she makes the best of what she has instead of complain. I sure have a thing or two to learn from her!

Amy loves to play with Haley. Their favorite game is peek-a-boo. This video is not the best quality, but you will get an idea of how it goes. :D

51 piece puzzle

Tricia, a dear friend of ours, sent Christmas gifts to the girls. One of the gifts was a 51 piece floor puzzle. It is a very interesting puzzle. The frame (ocean) are real puzzle pieces that you can put together, but the states have the actual shape of the given state. So once you put the frame together, you just put the states (separately) where they belong, and at the end, the frame holds the states together. The box says 6+ (for age recommendation). We opened the puzzle, I had to go to the other room and a few minutes later when I came back, this is what I found... She did it all by herself. I was so proud of her!

Amy is growing up and is getting better and better at reading and writing. One day she just set down and wrote her, Haley's, and my name all by herself, with no help. Once she was down, she showed me the paper. Wow! I sure couldn't write at this age!

Amy's pretty hair ...

Her memory and creativity never cease to amaze me. Oh, and now we can do stuff with her hair! So far I didn't think it was long enough, but I may have been wrong. :) She loves putting things in her hair. She sure is beautiful!

... and pretty face

We celebrated Thanksgiving with both our family and our church family. It is always good to set apart a day to think about all the blessings we received and to praise God for them. Amy said she was thankful for Haley. So are we! :) We are so blessed to have such sweet church family. They really are "family" to us.

Last Sunday Amy and her friends sang "For Unto Us A Child Is Born" during the morning service. If you have facebook, you can see the video on my page. They did an amazing job! :)

Amy and I did some Christmas crafts (we both love crafts). I think they turned out good. :)

We were able to see Grandpa and Grandma James as well as Grandma Grassi and Melinda & Terry a few days ago. It is so good to be able to see family at least this time of year. They are all very dear to us and we are glad they got to see Haley. :)

Have a Blessed Christmas!

Amy decorated the tree

One of our crafts
(everyone used their own hands and foot, even Haley)

It's Snowing!

Hi,

(See some pics at the end of the post.)

Amy keeps asking when she can make a snowman. Maybe sooner than we thought! We had about 2-3 inches of snow today. She is super excited! : )

Last month Chris' grandparents from Florida came to visit. We always enjoy spending time with them, and it was their first time seeing Haley. I am so happy we had the chance to spend an afternoon together.

Chris updated his website, click here to check it out. He had tons of work this past month, and is still busy with different projects. Praise the Lord!

Haley turned 3 months old today. Hard to believe how fast she is growing, She is a very smiley baby. Amy is such a good big sister. I am really proud of my big girl!

Amy and I love to cook/bake together. Our favorite is chocolate chip banana bread. We don't have banana bread in Hungary, so once I made some, I couldn't stop making them. I can eat a whole loaf by myself within a few hours. I made about 10 loaves recently, and Chris had altogether 4 slices. : ) Sometimes it is gone before he can even look at it. : D And it is not Amy who eats it all. : ) I don't know why we don't have it in Hungary, it is the best thing ever!

Here is the recipe I use (from http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/banana_bread/) 

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• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 1 hour
• Yield: Makes one loaf.

No need for a mixer for this recipe!

The best bananas to use for banana bread are those that are over-ripe. The yellow peels should be at least half browned, and the bananas inside  squishy and browning.

Save Recipe

Ingredients

• 2-3 very ripe bananas, peeled
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 cup of sugar (can easily use 3/4 cup, or drop it down to 1/2 cup if you want it less sweet)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

Method

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C), and butter a 4x8-inch loaf pan.

In a mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until smooth. Stir the melted butter into the mashed bananas.

Mix in the baking soda and salt. Stir in the sugar, beaten egg, and vanilla extract. Mix in the flour.

Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes (check at 50 minutes) at 350°F (175°C), or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and cool completely on a rack. Remove the banana bread from the pan. Slice and serve. (A bread knife helps to make slices that aren't crumbly.)

I also add a cup of chocolate chips to it. (I mix it in at the very end.) And I use half a cup sugar and it is plenty sweet for my taste.

It's good stuff, you should try it! : )

God bless!

Haley Is 2 Months Old!

Hi,

Hope you are doing well! 

Guess what! I had another Baby Shower! One of our friends organized a Baby Shower for Haley at our church. Wow! She really knows how to throw a party! : ) When I entered the building, I thought someone is going to have their wedding reception there. It was absolutely beautiful! She took care of everything (food, drinks, games, etc.). 

All I had to do was to show up. : ) I was touched by all the work, energy, and resources she and all the other ladies put into it. Thank you so much for making Haley's arrival so special! We had tons of fun and will never forget how loved we felt. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

On the way to the airport

We said goodbye to my dad a few days ago as he left for Hungary. He had a very interesting trip back. If you would like to know more about it, feel free to ask him.

Both him and mom were great help keeping Amy entertained while Chris and I tried to do the same with Haley. : ) 

Amy liked to pretend that
she is a baby

Dad took Amy outside everyday (except when it was raining) and spent hours and hours at the park, playground, or our yard. She really enjoyed playing with grandpa. She learned many Hungarian nursery rhymes and songs, and started to speak in Hungarian. (Although she understands everything in Hungarian, she wasn't really speaking in Hungarian before.)

So it was great to have my parents here, and we are looking forward seeing them in a few months!

In Amy's new playhouse

As hard as it is to believe, Haley is 2 months old already! (Or as Chris puts it, "It's been 2 months since we slept.") :)

Amy and Haley are really different already. Amy has blue eyes, blonde hair, and fair skin. Haley has dark brown hair, dark brown eyes, and darker skin. Amy started to sleep through the night at 5 weeks, went to sleep by herself in her crib, and never really needed to be held (she preferred to be put down somewhere). Haley is just the opposite. She can't stand to be alone, or feel that she is alone. She needs to feel someone's body to be fine, and even then, she prefers standing to sitting, and prefers walking to standing in one place. Even if we think she is completely out, if we try to put her down, she wakes up and starts to scream. Amy was never bothered by her dirty diaper, and Haley cannot stand to be in her dirty diaper for even a minute.

It is so interesting how two sisters can be so different. But they love each other! Amy still wants to hold Haley all the time (and kiss her, love on her). She even sings to her when she cries, and Haley stopped crying several times when Amy sang to her.

We had to realize that something that worked with Amy, may not work with Haley. For example when Amy was a baby and was fussy in her crib, we just let her cry until she fell asleep. Sometimes it only took a few minutes, other times it took 30-40 minutes. But we didn't pick her up and soon she learned that "crying doesn't work," And we never had a problem with it later. 

So we tried this with Miss Haley, but she cries so hard that she makes her tummy upset and then throws up (which is extremely dangerous since she needs to sleep on her back and can choke). So that doesn't work with Haley.

Raising children is not an easy job, and we need lots of wisdom. We pray for our children daily, and ask for wisdom from God, to parent in a way that is pleasing to Him. The Bible has a lot to say about parenting, and we try to follow the instructions laid out in God's Word. It would be so good to be able to say that both of our girls will grow up to be followers of Christ. But that is not something I or anyone else can guarantee. It is their personal decision. But Chris and I have the responsibility to teach them about God, show Christ's love to them through our deeds and words, and explain to them that they need to make a decision either to trust God and believe in Him (in other words, accept Him as their personal Savior), or deny Him.

We are so thankful for our loving church family and for all those who teach our children how to know God and please Him. Wherever we go, Amy speaks so highly about our church and tells everyone how much she loves to go to church. Hope this never changes! : )

Have a wonderful day!

Sleep? What Is That Again? : )

Hi there, 

Having a newborn is always fun. I believe it shows you how awesomely God created men. I haven't slept more than 4 hours at once (and even that only a couple of times) since Haley was born, and I am still alive. May not be sane any more, but am alive. :D And some would argue I was never sane, so I can't really blame it on little sleep. : ) 

But seriously, I don't know what I would do without Chris! He is a HUGE help! I am so thankful for him.

Haley is not the best sleeper, but she is definitely getting better at it! So instead of 30+ times a day, I only feed her about 20 times a day (these are at least 10-minute long feedings).

Amy LOVES Haley and wants to hold her, kiss her, love on her all the time. She thinks Haley is the cutest thing on planet Earth. She cannot wait for Haley to be able to talk and play with her. : )

Mom left a week ago and dad came a couple of days later. We are so grateful for both of them! They are tremendous help! We are truly blessed with great parents. And not just parents, but a church family as well! I cannot tell you how many of them offered help "if we need anything" (and they truly mean it!). They keep us in their prayers, provided meals for us, brought us presents, came by to make sure we are doing well, and are just so thoughtful, caring, and loving. We even received a huge playhouse and a cozy coupe car from one of the families at church. While we don't deserve the love we get, we are humbled by it and are so grateful for it! It is a wonderful feeling to be shown Christ's love!

Great news! We were able to buy our tickets to Hungary! We are leaving in the middle of March and coming back in the middle of May. So we will be "home" for 8 whole weeks! We are super excited to be able to see friends and family during our visit. 

More pictures:

Share In Our Joy (Part 2)

Haley Amelia James was born (two weeks early)!

Date: August 16, 2014
Time: 4:57 am
Weight: 6 lbs
Length: 19 and a half inches
Cuteness: Off the charts...

She has brown hair and dark eyes. She is absolutely adorable and we cannot get enough of her.
We were discharged from the hospital a little over 48 hours after her birth, since both Haley and I were doing very good.

By God's grace I had the chance to give birth to Haley, so finally I can say that I gave birth! :) (Amy was born with an emergency C-section.)

Here are some pictures of our new bundle of joy:

A few hours after birth

With Amy and mama (day of birth)

With Néni (day of birth)

With daddy

 All the women in the family

With Big Sister

Share In Our Joy (Part 1)

Dear family and friends,

Hope you are doing well!

This month was without a doubt one of the most exciting months we'e ever had! So much has happened. Let us share with you the highlights of these past few weeks. 

Becky and David moved to South Carolina

We really enjoyed living close to Becky, Chris' sister and her husband, David. But the time came for them to start a new chapter in their lives as David started Seminary at Columbia International University. It was hard to say goodbye, but we are also really excited for them. We look forward to see what God has in store for them. 

Paul and Jill Weaver came to visit

I'm afraid we don't have proof in form of a picture, so you just have to believe me. :) 

Paul and Jill are Word of Life missionaries serving in Hungary. They were on furlough (raising support) this summer, and since our church is one of their supporters, they came to visit and "update" us on what's going on in Hungary. You can read more about them and their ministry by clicking here. If you are interested in supporting them, please don't hesitate to contact them.

We were so happy to be able to see them again and to catch up. 

Baby Shower 

I had a surprise Baby Shower! Amy and I were invited to a Pool Party at one of our church member's place, and when we arrived it turned out to be Haley's Baby Shower! Boy, was I surprised! I was always hoping to have one (we don't have Baby Showers in Hungary), but never thought I would. 

(I learned about Baby Showers at Word of Life, and since we had Americans there, they wanted to organize one for me, but since Amy came 4 weeks early, we had to cancel the shower. So I never had one with Amy.)

I loved the shower and felt so loved! It is a very humbling but beautiful feeling!

Indianapolis Children's Museum

Finally we had the chance to visit the world's largest children's museum. I must say, I had higher expectations, but it was very interesting nonetheless. We spent 3 hours there and were able to look at many different things. 

Mom is here!

My mom finally arrived! She's been a tremendous help to us and we are so thankful for her. She celebrated her birthday here in the States for the very first time. We took her mini-golfing and she did great! We had a good time.

And now about the greatest news of all... (check out our next post)

So This Is What a Pregnancy Is Like... :D

Hi there,

This may be my last post before Miss Haley is born! So exciting! Since I prefer not to make her arrival (or my pregnancy) "facebook official," I will ask Chris to keep y'all updated through this blog. So hopefully he will be able to let you know when we are headed to the hospital and when Miss Haley is born. But most likely I will be able to post one more before she arrives. :)

32 weeks pregnant with Amy

I had an appointment with my OB/GYN last week, and according to the ultrasound Haley is over 4 pounds already (more than Amy was when she was born). She is still very active. Chris, Amy, and I cannot wait for her to arrive! I must say, pregnancies are NOT the same. : ) With Amy, I had technically no belly as you can see on this picture. With Haley, I feel like I swallowed a huge watermelon and forgot to chew... I slept on my belly all the way through my pregnancy with Amy, and I can barely sleep (in any position) with Haley. :) I even use a body pillow to help, but I can rarely find a position that would work. With Amy, I never had problem getting up from a chair or the bed, and now it takes minutes to be able to stand up. : ) 

32 weeks pregnant with Haley

I am so thankful I don't have to tie my shoes (and can use flip flops instead), because I am not sure I would be able to bend down anymore. In any case, I am pretty sure this time I experience more of what it really means to be pregnant than I did with Amy. : ) I still love being pregnant, but I have a much better understanding of what pregnant women mean by "not always comfortable." : )

We would like to thank you all, who already bought gifts to Haley (and ultimately us)! We really appreciate your generosity! In case you are interested, here are the links to our baby registries:

our walmart baby registry

our amazon baby registry

Amy with her friend, Christina

Our big girl, Amy, started to read and can write most letters! She got interested in sounding out words about a month ago and since then she tries to read everything and anything she can. Since we walk quite a lot, she has the opportunity to see many signs and words written everywhere. So as I push her in the stroller, I hear her say, "Look mommy, this spells ____." We are really impressed by how fast she is improving! I really hope she will always be this eager to learn new things (she is a lot like her daddy!). We love her more than words can describe! She has such a big heart.

Share in our joy: My parents are coming to visit us! Okay, Haley has something to do with it, too. : ) My mom will arrive in less than a month and will help prepare the house for Haley's arrival. Depending on when she is born, mom will be able to spend a week or two with her before she heads back home. Then it's time for my dad to come. : ) (Because my grandma lives with my parents, they felt it's best if they don't leave her alone in Hungary for a month, so my parents will come at different times.) So mom should be here for the birth, and dad should be here for the month after Haley is born. They are going to be great helps, especially entertaining Amy during this busy period. Really looking forward having them! 

This year's VBS poster

We have VBS (Vacation Bible School) at our church this week and I have the privilege of teaching the kids on Thursday. Please pray that they would all understand that they are sinners (have done things that are bad), and that Jesus, the Son of God, died for their sins and rose from the dead. Pray that they understand that they need a Savior, and that the only One who can save them is Jesus. All they need to do is put their faith in Him as their personal Savior, who died for their sins and rose from the dead and is alive today. This is the most important message they will ever hear. The decision is theirs, but I want to make sure that I present the Gospel clearly.

Have a wonderful week!