Joshua's Empire: 2007

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Josh on the move!

Since we don't have a new digital video camera, we still have a 8mm, we can't put video up of Josh walking. I decided to take a series of shot with my camera as he walked across the living room.

Ready, Set, Go!!!

For the big finish, a quick turn ...

Another few steps ...

A dive to the pillows!

I love to dive onto the pillows!!

Everyday Josh is walking more and he is getting better at walking. We think that by Christmas it will be a flat out run. He'll need to be running when his cousin Marianna comes down.

Love to all,
M, J, and J

Friday, December 07, 2007

Here comes Santa

Hi everyone! It's been a busy couple of weeks. Josh had his one year appointment with the doctor and he is now having only one bottle at night. We decided to keep the bottle until after his surgery so that he has it for comfort. The process of Josh's readoption or as Indiana calls it "Registering an Immigrant Adoption" has been started. The paperwork will be filed with the court sometime next week probably. It will take six to eight weeks for completion.

Since Josh has turned one he is learning in leaps and bounds. He has learned some new tricks, like climbing.

Here Josh climbed from the pillows on the floor unto the top of the coffee table. He can't walk on his own very well yet, but he is already climbing. Lord help us.

Here Comes Santa Claus!!!!

For the past several years Matt has played Santa for the Moose Lodge when they have the Christmas party for the mentally handicapped adults. Each year is a little different, but many of the same people are there from year to year. Matt enjoys playing Santa a lot. This year there were more people then ever, plus it was Josh's first time of meeting Santa.

Josh meets Santa (aka Daddy) for the first time. He was not to sure what to make of this funny looking guy with the long white beard.

I'm not crying, but I'm definitely not happy.

After a couple of times sitting on Santa's (Matt's) lap and a couple of tosses up in the air Josh was all smiles.

I love Santa!

More Josh tidbits:

Josh is learning so quickly now. He has started stacking his cups inside one another. He is initiating walking all by himself. He isn't very steady yet, but he is working on it. We are currently working on learning some body parts like nose and tummy.

Here Josh is feeding himself with a fork. I would stab the food and give him the fork. He would then put the fork to his mouth.

Yum Yum!!

We have been working on coloring since his birthday with his new crayons. He is coloring on his own here for the first time. I did have to stop him from eating the crayon just after I snapped the picture though.

Look I'm ambidextrous! I can also color with my left hand.

Love, Matt, Jenny and Josh

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Josh turns 1 year old!

Well, the last ten days have been incredibly busy with Josh's birthday and Thanksgiving. We do have a few Josh updates. He is now waving, rolling the ball back to you, giving high five, he will hand you something if you ask for it, he will go get his ball if you ask him to, and he is working on coloring. He just started doing all these things in the last week. Unfortunately, in the last week he has also stopped taking a morning nap everyday, which makes him very grumpy by the time his afternoon nap rolls around.

We have another busy week this week. Josh has his one year appointment with the pediatrician on Monday. Thursday we meet with the attorney to begin his readoption. Basically, that will give Josh a U.S. birth certificate. Plus, Matt and I work too.

Now let's get to all the new pictures!

Happy First Birthday Josh!!!!!

Josh had his birthday party on Saturday Nov. 17th. All the grandparents and great-grandpa were there as well as his aunt and two cousins. The kids has such a good time playing together. We had lots of food and two cakes. Plus, loads of presents.

Opening presents with the help of mom and cousin Marianna.

More presents!

Great something that makes lots of noise

Bring on the cake! Don't I look cute in my hat too.

The candle on the chocolate was from China. It was like a firework. I had to make a special cake because I was afraid that the ice cream cake would melt.

Chocolate!

We had to get an ice cream cake since ice cream is Josh's favorite.

More ice cream cake!

This is just a funny picture of Josh I took looking like a pig.

It's Christmas Time! Time to put up the tree!

Sure, I can help put the tree stand together.

Look a new place to hide

It's a Partain family tradition from when Matt was little boy to make candy cane ornaments from beads and pipe cleaners. This is one from when Matt was a kid. When it comes time to put it on the tree you simply throw it on the tree and where it lands is where it stays.

Here is Josh and Matt preparing for the toss.

If you look carefully you can see it mid-flight.

All the stockings are hung from the mantel. We all have panda stocking holders, I just hadn't got them out before I snapped the picture.

Look I can touch the ornament!

After a busy afternoon of putting up the tree, we got the koosh ball out for Josh to play with. He absolutely goes crazy for them. He will throw them on the table and then turn around and fall onto the pillows next to the table.

Here Josh is falling on the pillows. The he would then stand back up and put the koosh balls back on the table and then fall down again. He did this over and over again.

After awhile he decided to do the same thing on the step in the living room. He would toss them onto the kitchen floor, climb up and get them, toss them onto the living room floor and then go down the step to get the balls. He did this over and over again. Of course, when bathtime came around that still took precedence over the koosh balls.