They're Home!

After 4 1/2 months in Sierra Leone/Kenya, Silas arrived back home (an engaged man - Congratulations!) on Monday, June 2. All the way to the airport, Christopher kept talking about "Uncle Si Silas." Of course, when he actually saw him, he was more interested in first trying to see the airplanes over his shoulder. He did warm up and talk to him on the way home.
















Mama, Anna, and Si's new fiancee, Ms. Mollie Elizabeth Gingrich also flew back in from Kenya on the 2nd. Christopher is very excited to have his Sho Sho and Aunt Anna home. So are we.

Christopher has enjoyed playing with his blocks a lot lately. He was working very hard at building a tower in the back of "Babu's" truck. His little green pick-up truck looks like Babu's red one.

How many blocks, do you have, Christopher? "Two."
















Four.
















A teetering 6.

















TEN! Great job, Christopher!
















This weekend, Andy and Si met up with 4 other friends and drove to Missouri for Jim's wedding. It took 16 1/2 hours on the way there! Yikes! They left at 1:30 pm, picked people up in Knoxville and Nashville, and drove into Springfield at 4:18 am (5:18 TN time). Fun! They had a wonderful weekend with friends at a beautiful wedding.
Christopher and I decided that drive might be a little far from the hospital should preterm labor occur again - and a little too long of a weekend drive with a baby - so we stayed home and nursed our colds together. Every time Andy travels, Christopher misses him and make it obvious by his behaviors. Nothing was as bad as this time. Andy left Thursday. That night, Christopher asked for Daddy at bedtime to "pray." I told him he was gone in the car to Missouri and would be back in a few days. "Okay..." and off to sleep he went. The next day he asked for him 3-4 times when he woke up, at lunch, and at bedtime...not too bad. He learned to say "Zouri" and would tell me that's where Daddy was. Well. Saturday he asked for Andy a lot. He kept saying "Daddy home." and nodding his head yes. Sunday was a complete meltdown. At one point he asked for Daddy and I said he would come home later that night and he laid down on the floor and cried and screamed uncontrollably for 15-20 minutes. I called Andy on the phone in hopes that talking to him would calm him down, but he just kept screaming "Daddy." I finally convinced him to stop by taking him outside for awhile. Later, I was changing his diaper and he kept yelling "Daddy! Where are you? Daddy! Where are you?" Then he refused to go to bed because "Daddy home." He finally fell asleep a little after 9 when I promised I would wake him up when Daddy came home. The funniest part was when Andy arrived, Christopher went straight to him - but no hugs or kisses - just pointed to the car and wanted to drive and tell Daddy all about the moon and trees. What a weekend! The two of us did have lots of fun and spent some time with Babu, Sho Sho and Aunt Anna too. However, we're both very relieved to have Hubby/Daddy home again.

It was pretty hot while Andy was gone, so Mommy got out the hair-cutting stuff and...

...Christopher's new summer look: a diaper and a buzz cut.
Christopher - what are you doing?






















"Hmm?"






















Are you making another big mess? "Hehe."






















*sigh* I love you, Son!