Lots of transition

Well, it's been awhile since I've posted. Lots of changes and transition for our little guy. We moved this summer, so Eli has had a new room and house to get used to. We now live in town (Kandern), which is great! It's a 10 minute walk to BFA and 5 minute walk to both grocery stores. The best part of our location is "de train". Every Sunday, all summer long, there is a tourist train that travels to/from our small little town. It's a steam train that makes lots of noise, it pulls up almost directly across from Eli's bedroom window. He literally would jump up out of bed, on Sunday, and runs to find us yelling "it's de train, mama". His excitement brought lots of laughs and memories. Now, I wish I would have captured these moments on video. The train stopped a couple of weeks ago and I know we all miss hearing and seeing "Mr. Train".

Another transition is me staying home with Eli. Jon's position needs him to be at BFA full time. We tried to get Eli into 2 different German childcare facilities. This would have allowed me to go in from 9-12 M-F (until baby sisters birth). Under a couple of circumstances, neither worked. I tried working when BFA started, but it was challenging b/c no day had the same schedule for Eli. Plus, after a recent hospital stay, I'm homebound. Trying to prevent pre-term labor with resting a lot.

Our biggest excitement now is waiting for the arrival of Genevieve Grace, aka baby sister. We are trying to prepare Eli as much as possible for this HUGE transition. We talk to him and read him books about being a big brother. Plus he gets to hear me say be careful, 24/7, with my belly. He's excited, but I'm not sure how much is sinking in.

More exciting news, my parents are coming to visit. Unless I go into labor early (again), they should be here during the birth. It's been 1.5 years since Eli has seen them AND they have never seen me pregnant!! We are beyond excited!!

I'm so proud of my child, he has such a great heart. He's been very sick, but woke up today with no fever....so what does he do? Well, I'm sick now and he came in our room this morning to give me "monkey" (favorite toy from Oma) and blew me a kiss from the bedroom door.

Eli's prayers (they are too good to forget)
September 1st
Dear Jesus, Thank you for Miss. Doris and motorcycles.
September 7th
Dear Jesus, thank you for horses, they go way up high and Titus and Addie.
September 8th
Dear Jesus, Thank you for old train, thank you for engine and race cars.
September 19th
Dear Jesus, I pray for Jesus because he loves me!

Our community here in Germany has been unbelievable to our family. We have had dinners for about 3 weeks now and they continue until Dec. 18th. People have been watching Eli and doing some grocery shopping for us too. It's been a blessing to us and as part of our routine, we pray for the family that brings our dinner. Eli loves praying and giving thanks for his buddies and their families.

Blessings,
Valerie

Psalm 86:12 "I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever."

22 months old and counting

It's hard to believe that in 2 months, Eli will be 2 years old. What a joy he has been to our lives. Latest activities include: riding a balance bike, climbing out of his crib, playing with cars, potty training, saying sentences, drawing on the iPad AND watching "Kipper the dog". Needless to say, he is one busy guy! I have an app on my iPad for drawing. He can swipe through the apps to find the "fish" icon, then he chooses what picture to color. It's amazing!! I probably need to check our credit card to make sure he hasn't purchased new apps....ha! Kids these days!

He LOVES being outside. We have a hard time getting him back inside after a walk or a ride on his bike. He could stay outside all day....rain, snow or shine. He loves to throw snowballs and jump in puddles. I'm looking forward to this summer when we can take him to the zoo and go swimming.

One of the highlights this year has been Jonathan coaching boys basketball. Eli and I would go to practices and games. Each time we visit BFA, now, he asks to go see basketball. He was mesmerized with the noise of the dribbling balls and when the High School boys acknowlegded him. So fun to watch.....I wonder if he will enjoy this sport when he gets older?

Our boy is growing like a weed (Arkansas phrase). I was able to get him 3T outfits during my trip to the states. He can wear them, but they are just a tad to big. Hard to believe. All our 24 month clothing is out the door. It's going to be challenging to keep him clothed, I'm afraid.

He loves for Jon and I to read to him. His favorite book, he calls "Bible book". It's a daily devotional for kids (short and sweet, just like his attention span). We read it to him every morning. He likes to hold it too. As he flips through the pages, he recognizes Jesus, Noah and Moses. This makes a momma's heart happy!

My prayer for Eli is to grow up knowing who Jesus is AND to be a humble person.

"Jesus’ life exemplified humility. He did not assert His divine rights while on earth but instead left behind the glory and authority to which He was entitled. Cloaking himself with humanness, Jesus chose to be an obedient servant of His Father (Phil. 2:5-8).

Our Savior’s example was and still is countercultural. This world does not value an attitude or lifestyle of humility; rather, it applauds high achievement, outward beauty, elevated positions, or exceptional skills. But God assures us that if we choose meekness—living in submission to Jesus as Master of our lives—He will reward us in both this life and the life to come. (Matt. 5:5 niv)." In Touch Daily Devotional

Busy..Busy..Busy guy

Eli turned 16 months on the 21st. Boy, what a difference a few months makes. When we left Germany for the states in June, he was crawling....now he is running. He didn't really have a "walking" stage. Walking lasted just a couple of days....poor momma and poppa! Ha!
Needless to say, he is very active. Climbing, chasing the dogs, outside walks, dancing....you get the picture.

His vocab increases everyday (AMAZING). Eli's current words/phrases.

English words
*nnnack (snack)
*bubble
*nnnap (nap) He tells us when he is tired!! lol!
*Monkey (his favorite stuffed animal that he sleeps with from Oma and Opa Griesse)
*Passy (pacifier)
*Murph
*Mouth, cheek, ears, head, eyes, nail (he can point to them too)
*Booger (Thanks, Chris Bosch for this one)
*Shoe (Usually kids don't like to wear shoes, mine won't go without them)
*Bike
*Hurt (He says this when we put on his bib during mealtime...no clue why?)
*Nana (banana)
*Juice
*Hi/Bye (if he leaves the room, he makes sure he tells us bye)
*Apple/Orange
*Hot (He will touch things and tell us that they are hot)
*Bath

German words
*Danke shon (thank you)
*Bitte (please)
*Hund (dog)
*Tschuss (bye)

Phrases
*Hold you
*More please
*no, no, no

There are many more...but it is hard to keep track of them all.

Jon and I have attempted to start timeout!! Eli did well with it at first, but now it has been a bit of a challenge. We make him sit and hold his hands together for 1 minute....no talking or moving. Doesn't sound difficult...you'd be surprised.

I love these precious moments with him. I try and cherish them all....they grow up way to fast.

Lord, thank you for each and everyday with our sweet boy!!
Blessings,
Valerie

Eli = mobile

Boy, what a difference a week makes. Eli is crawling everywhere....and at a fast pace, I might add. He is pulling up on the coffee table and couch. He loves chasing after the dogs.
Our little guy is growing up so fast. I'm praying for minimal bumps and bruises. He has fallen a couple of times, but if we don't make a big deal of it...he keeps on truckin.
It is beginning to feel like spring in Germany. I have a feeling that Eli is going to want to be outside. We took a walk the other day and he held his hand out to the side so he could feel the bushes next to us. I thought how simple and how smart!!
He loves for us to read to him. Each morning we read a bible story to him from a kids book. He loves it!!
Everyday it is something new and exciting. It is a privilege to watch him grow up.

My Animoto Video

My Animoto Video

Eli turning 9 months old

Lots of happenings in the Griesse household. Eli is now crawling and pulling up. Every little stage has just been amazing to watch. He is cutting his 7th tooth and using them to bite everything...including us. One day when I was home with him, he bit me about 6 times....including my leg, face, collar bone, hand and arm. You get the picture. He has improved, though....he hasn't bit us in a few days...so we are doing something right.
Eli absolutely loves being in his walker. Talk about quick, he is literally on my heals. This mobility thing is kicking in strong. I know that Jonathan and I are excited and scared at the same time.
Jonathan and I both recently had birthdays. What a joy it was to share with Elijah. Eli got his pappa artwork and got me much needed knitting supplies.
Our little boy is growing up so fast. We are really enjoying every minute!! He truly is a blessing from the Lord! Thank you, Lord!!

Eli's First Christmas

Our baby boy is growing up, he is now 7 months old. We are having so much fun. He is talking and walking (running) in his walker. He is eating "real food" and loving it. Also cutting a couple of top teeth.
This Christmas was bittersweet. We were not able to be with our extended families in Arkansas and Missouri. Elijah's great grandfather, Eulis Grant Walker, passed away on Friday, December 23rd. Eli was able to meet him on our recent trip back to the states, so we are thankful to God for that!
The community here has wrapped their arms around us during this time of mourning! We are so grateful for all those who have opened their doors and hearts to us. It means so much.
Now for the fun part. Eli got two really cool Fisher Price Little People trucks. In our amazement, he played for a long time with them without getting bored. This is a daddy trait for sure. I think Eli enjoyed the wrapping paper too. He played with it for quite some time.
Overall, we laughed and cried a lot over the past few days. Thank you, Lord for our baby boy. He is truly the best present we could have received.

Our first trip back to the U.S......

Physical Therapy

Our little Eli has been such a strong b-o-y.  After a regular doctor's visit, it was recommended to us that he visit the physical therapist.  Our German doctor noticed that Eli's neck wasn't getting any better, Jonathan and I both agreed.  We have been visiting the pt, now for 2 weeks and he has had some increased mobility in his left side (hands, turn his head left...etc.)  We have been practicing like crazy with his left hand.....he doesn't like to use it at all.  This is a result of his tight neck muscles.  He also has two bones in his head that are tilted due to the stressful labor.   One bone is behind his eyes and the other is the very back bottom bone in his skull.  Eli is still young enough for the bones to be put back in place with the proper care.

Elijah absolutely loves going to physical therapy.....I think it is b/c he gets constant attention.  The only thing about his visit is that he crashes after every visit b/c it is such hard work.  Jonathan and I are both in agreement that God can heal this in order for Eli to live a normal life.

Bigger and Better

Well, Eli is approaching the 4 month mark.  He is getting so BIG.  He is getting BETTER with sitting up, eye hand coordination, cooing, rolling over...etc.  Yesterday was his first taste of solid foods.  He had a mixture of bananas and apples.  The kid ate like a champ.  I was impressed.....guess he was hungry.

We will find out his weight and length tomorrow during our next doctor appointment.  He is getting his next round of shots and we are going to find out more about his neck.  His head is still tilting to one side, due to his position in the womb and the difficult labor.  One side of his neck muscle is shorter than the other, plus there may be some scar tissue that is not reversible.  The doctors discovered this while we were still in the hospital, so they asked us to keep an eye on it.  So we are doing some little exercises everyday.  Unfortunately, I don't think it's getting much better. I'm praying for peace tomorrow at the doctors office.

Family Tree

A couple of weeks ago, Jonathan's uncle (Ron) sent us a detailed newsletter on the Griesse Family Tree.  Lots of work went into this and we are very thankful for his work!!  I have loved reading and re-reading the newsletter.  It makes me want to research my family background.

The Family Tree couldn't have come at a better time......I loved finding out about Eli's great great grandparents and great grandparents.  Sooooo  here are some interesting things.  Eli's great great grandparents were Rev. August Griesse and Lydia Wassman who were both German.  They spent some of their lives in Hanover, Germany before migrating to the states.  I believe their parents were instrumental in establishing the German Lutheran Churches.  The couple had 10 children, 7 guys and 3 girls.  Six of the guys were Reverends, Eli's great grandpa Griesse and grandpa Griesse were farmers.  (Jokingly) This explains why Eli sleeps during church and loves being outside.  Both my grandfathers, grandpa Walker (who Eli is named after) and Grandpa Pierson were/are farmers too.

Isn't it fun to find out about our ancestors.  We are so blessed to have Godly ancestors.  Our job as parents is a hard one, but what a great opportunity to teach our little guy about the bible and Jesus.  We love our little MK!!
 

U.S. Citizenship

On Thursday, we took a trip to the U.S. Embassy in Frankfurt, Germany.  It took weeks to get all the documentation for Eli's passport and SS#.  They require everything but the kitchen sink.....which I guess is good.  Jon and I had to prove we were U.S. citizens by having W2's for 5 consecutive years, plus an original copy of our marriage license (who has the original...not us, only a copy).  The list goes on and on.  We left at 5:00 a.m. Thursday morning and arrived in Frankfurt at 8:30 a.m.  Once we arrived in Frankfurt, we prayed for a decent parking spot.  We read online that parking was difficult.  Thank you Lord, we got the first (and ONLY) parallel parking spot on the street.....5 steps from the Embassy.  Once we got Eli out, and entered into the line.  A police/security officer waved us up to the front of the line (which was wrapped around the corner).  WOW, thank you again Lord.  The experience was great, now it is just a matter of waiting for his passport and SS# card.  We walked out of the Embassy at 10:30 a.m.  Eli is now officially a U.S. citizen!!  Yeah baby boy!

Our little trooper

Our little trooper, Eli.  Yesterday afternoon, Jonathan and I noticed that one of Eli's testicles was swollen and red.  So we called the after hours pediatrician clinic.  In just 1/2 hour we had a German doctor at our doorstep.  The doctor did an exam on Eli and said that it could be a twisted testicle or a hernia.  So we asked if we could take him to the doctor the next day......he said "no go to the hospital, now".  Holy cow.  Jon and I prayed that Jesus would heal little Eli's body.  We were both at peace with taking him to the hospital.  My first reaction was to panic, but God really gave me a peace.  So about 9:30 p.m. we headed to the Kinderhospital in Basel, Switzerland.  The doctors and nurses were so nice and all spoke very good English.  They also told us that it could be twisted or a hernia, but only an ultrasound would tell.   After the ultrasound it was confirmed there was only fluid build up and nothing was twisted, plus there was no hernia.  Praise the Lord.  Only time will heal the fluid.  We are so proud of our little boy.  He did so good at the hospital.  During the ultrasound, he just starred at me and didn't make a sound.  My heart just melted.  We love our baby boy so much!!  So thankful that he is okay.

Surreal Moment

Monday, Eli went to his very first play group.  It's with a group of German women and children.  As I am sitting there holding and taking care of Eli, I was in amazement that this is really my life.  I have felt at times that I have to give Eli back to "his mom"....no wait, I am his mom.  It was such a surreal moment for me.
The play group is designed as a ministry outreach.  There are only a couple of Christians in the group, but mainly non-Christians.  Even though I can't speak the language, I'm learning more how to  be the body of Christ through actions and not words.  The entire play group is getting together on Sunday with spouses and siblings.  This is a great opportunity for the Griesse family in Germany.  Thank the Lord for Eli, who at his young age is already showing me how to love deeper and stronger!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JULY 7TH to Julie Hamlin (Eli's Aunt) and Zach Dineen (Eli's cousin)!!

Our German Midwife, Karin

So living in Germany has its challenges.  We have learned a lot and grown as parents.  Once I found out we were pregnant, I was terrified.  Especially about having a baby, but in a foreign land.  One of the first things I was told, was that a midwife will deliver your baby.  I was like "a who?".  I mean I had heard the term before, but didn't really know their role.  Well, let me just tell you, I LOVE MIDWIVES!  Instead of your regular nurses, Germany has midwives.  They take you through the entire labor and delivery, plus help you with prenatal and postnatal care.
I became especially close with my Lamaze midwife, Karin.  She came to the house for 2 weeks after Eli was born.  She listened and observed.  She was a true lifesaver.  I can call and ask her anything at anytime. She taught me so much....thought I would share some of her best practices.
1.  Johannsubeer nektar - for low iron during pregnancy
2.  Sab Simplex - gets rid of bubbles in formula
3.  Quark - soothe breasts after breast feeding
4.  Baby massage and gymnastics
5.  Massage oil for your lower back during contractions
6.  Still tea - Add to formula in order to soothe babies tummy

Life as we know it......

Eli turned 5 weeks old today.  He has changed to much!  He is eating every 2 to 2.5 hours.  Needless to say, he is quite the little chunk.  Jonathan and I are trying to find a routine that works for Eli and both of us.  

 

Eli has had colic.  Any of you mothers out there that have experienced this.....WOW!!  It has been one of the most challenging things I have ever dealt with.  I have been online everyday reading about colic and ways to help soothe your child.  We should be on the up-and-up because colic peaks at 6 weeks.  We are getting close.

A friend from the states sent us the book "What to expect the First Year" (thanks, Dede).  It is from the series "What to expect when you are expecting".  I highly recommend it!  It has pretty much anything and everything you need to know about your baby.

We have had 2 really good days and nights, so I am hopeful that Eli is past the colic stage.  We will keep our fingers crossed.  

On a sad note, Eli's great-grandfather isn't doing well.  He is in stage 4 cancer.  Eli is actually named after him.....Elijah Walker Griesse.  His great-grandfather's name is Eulis Grant Walker.  I hope and pray that they will get to meet in person when we travel back to the states in September.  We love you great-grandpa Walker!!!

Elijah - 1 month old

Our hopes of being parents came true on May 21, 2011.  Weighing in at 9lbs 1oz, our baby Elijah Walker Griesse was born at Helios Klinik in Mullheim, Germany.  Four years ago, when Jonathan and I married.  We knew that we wanted to have children.  After trying for a couple of years, we did get pregnant, but it ended in a devastating miscarriage.  The doctor in Arkansas, actually classified us as "non-fertile".  Jonathan and I knew that only God could make that decision.  Thankfully, God did know and showed us his way.

Our plans to become missionaries and move to Germany were still in full action.  We arrived here in August 2010 and shortly after our arrival, to our surprise, we were pregnant.  What a great experience it has been.  Our Black Forest Academy community has been outstanding.  The doctor's and midwives were wonderful.  Our friends and family in the states have sent numerous packages.  We are just overwhelmed with the generosity!

On June 6th, Eli's Pawpaw and Lala Walker came to visit.......AND Aunt Emmy.  He was showered with many kisses and hugs.  Jonathan and I barely got to hold him during their 10 day visit.  While they were here we visited Triberg, Heidelberg, Lorrach, Freiberg Germany along with Basel, Switzerland and Riquewiher, France.  So our little one month old is a world traveler already!!

Currently, Jonathan's doing summer work at Black Forest Academy.  Next school year he will be the BFA Videographer and I will work part time in the Personnel Office.  We love working here and being a part of the Missionary Kids lives.