Jamming

Tate really likes music, including my cell phone ring. He also really likes lights and has about this same reaction whenever he sees one turned on. Watch the whole video for a variety of his moves. Now whenever we play the video and he is in the room he starts doing the exact same thing, right down to the raspberry blowing beat. I guess he made his own choreography.

He's also taken his first steps this week! However, I think it's mostly so he can get some new dance moves. While trying to get him to take a couple steps and concentrated hard and then started swinging his hips around, shifting his weight from front to back :-) Sweeeeet!

Spit Bubbles Are Fun

When it rains it pours on the blog. I (Heidi) am catching up on the last two months. Here is the moment Tate discovered spit bubbles.

The sound of Tate

So, here is my first attempt at uploading video. Now I have to learn how to edit before I can upload some more. This is one of Tate's stories. I think he had it in for the animals from the beginning.

Favorites from September

Tate and I took our first trip alone in September to see Grandma and Grandpa Staveness. Tate hung out at my uncle's farm for an afternoon and was mesmerized by the tractors. He liked baby cows until one mooed at him.

Mom thinks she looks like a dork in these pictures, but I think they are the best ever and it's my blog, so I'm posting them :-)

From an evening hike where Tate met a toad. He succeeded in grabbing it, then dropping it down dad's back where it, thankfully, avoided being smushed.
Tate thinks he's funny.
I bought a bike helmet for Tate so we could ride together. I laughed hysterically the first time I put it on him. It is nearly as wide as his shoulders, but hey, it makes his butt look small.
Blowing raspberries continues to be Tate's favorite thing to do all it takes is a little suggestion to get him going. Last week we took him to an IU soccer game. The trombones set Tate off on a raspberry streak. I think he's destined to be a brass player - alas.

Tate turned 1! . . . He also turned 13 months :-)

Tate's first birthday came quite quickly. They sure do sneak up on you when you start at 8 months. We had a party at our apartment and Tate received the traditional dose of sugar, gifts, and attention. He wasn't quite sure what to think of the flaming cake coming toward him.

He also got some great gifts and filled up his toy box. He loves reading books. His favorite is Dinosaur Roar, which starts out with a bang. He likes doing a little baby roar, but it just comes out as a throaty 'daaaaaaa.' He also likes kissing the green dinosaur - I don't know.

Tate wasn't quite sure what to think of the whole evening and was pretty chill for all of it. I think the highlight for him was just getting to crawl around in the grass.

New House, New Life

So, we bought a house, or at least almost. We are supposed to close on October 30th and if all goes well with re-finishing the floors, we'll move in the first weekend of November. But buying a house isn't the main thing we are doing. Primarily, Joseph is starting a church, as Church of the Good Shepherd's first church-plant in Indianapolis. The end of this year marks some big changes for us and fulfillment of many hopes deferred. We waited for a baby for 5 years, specifically for our adoption to be completed for almost 2. We waited for God's calling on planting a church or going into an existing church. We waited to move to Indianapolis until our adoption was completed and now, suddenly everything is fulfilled! God has been good and we trust He will continue to be good. We do covet your prayers though, especially that Tate will transition well.

In Tate's one year of life, he has already moved more than I did in my first eighteen years. Transitioning to a new country, new language, new parents is pretty serious business and now it's time for another change. So, pray that we are faithful parents and to see his needs. If that means it takes me two months to unpack, so be it.

Our house is a pretty typical three bedroom brick ranch with some serious character in the basement. I unfortunately do not have any pictures of the exterior, but if you've seen a brick ranch, you've pretty much seen our house :-) Here are some pictures for you though.

Yes, that is fake brick in the kitchen. I think it looks kind of cool, but will eventually paint it and the cabinets white. We're also working on getting appliances.
This is the basement. The original owners were apparently big fans of fake stone. They used this fake limestone in the basement.

Ah, and here we have the lovely shag carpeting on the wall. It's a good half inch shag and I'm a little scared to touch it. Right now I'm weighing whether it is better to leave it up, or rip it down and have just a bare concrete wall. What do you think?

Growing, growing

Tate has put on 5 pounds in the last three months and is having a blast standing up. He's also pretty excited about learning to walk. He frequently stands up at the coffee table and gives speeches about "da da." There are loads of facial expressions that go with it, but I haven't a clue what he's talking about.

Life has gone and become quite busy, thus the lack of posts, but here are some pictures to keep it interesting.

This toy always puts him in a good mood. This is actually a face of sheer delight.

Why has life gotten busy? . . . Something about house hunting in a town an hour away, new baby, and church planting. So, keep us in your prayers.

Tate is a joy and his first birthday is quickly approaching. It goes by fast when you start at 8 months!