Little Bits of Info

Today (Saturday), we went to a mall near our house. It has no department stores, just little shops- mainly electronic stuff in this one, and a food court on the fourth floor. We walked around and looked at all the restaurant (about 7). Dougle got some Sharuma (chicken grilled and wrapped in pita bread with veggies and sauce- very tasty), while I chose good 'ole McDonalds. Part of me is embarrassed to say that (b/c it is so unhealthy!), but part of me is unashamed. There is something about eating McDonalds burgers and fries that is comforting when you are in a foreign place.I enjoyed every bite. Canaan has decided he likes fries too. So the 3 of us shared our fries, while Canaan also partook of some other yummy food I brought him (like yogurt).

It was colder today and yesterday than it has been. The temperatures are getting more 'normal' for here in Moscow at this time of year. We got up to 40 degrees and everyone said it felt like March or April. Now it is back down to about 12 degrees with a wind chill -3 degrees. Needless to say, our noses and cheeks were a bit cold. But we enjoyed walking around our neighborhood. We found a place where we think we can develop photos and the post office (where we will pick up any packages). So, that is good.

Also, I wanted to tell you just a tad more about Canaan. I don't know if you caught it in a previous blog, but Canaan has grown 6 new teeth in the past 2 weeks!He's had diaper galore and has been chewing on everything, including a book in the bookstore. I was trying to choose a new book to buy him and gave him a book to look out while I browsed. I should have known better, but the next time I looked down, he had chewed part of a page away! So, we bought that book! Oops! He's been such a trooper, though, through all the pain that comes with it! He loves eating crackers and chewing on his fingers to relieve the pain. So, he is up to 16 teeth- 8 on top and 8 on the bottom!
Another thing I forgot to mention is that he has been working on trying to feed himself. Once he gets through half of his food, he starts taking the spoon and feeding himself. I have to help him get the food on his spoon, but he is slowly getting better!
And, he loves going outside and playing in the snow. We bought a little shovel for him to play with (something we've noticed that many kids play with), but he really can't hold onto it. His gloves are a bit big for him, so his thumb doesn't fit into the thumb hole. This means he can't grab the shovel. But, he does go around pretending to shovel things up in the house!
One more thing- Canaan loves teddy bears. I brought two with us (one is actually an Eeyore, but he thinks it is a bear). He loves to say "BoooR!" He runs over, picks them up, hugs them, and gives them a big kiss on the nose. It is super sweet! My sweet parents hid small little Valentines gifts in our suitcases before we left. They got Canaan a small little bear; needless to say, he loves it!
I was going to post 10 things I love about Moscow on this blog, but Dougle said if it was all about Moscow, I needed to put it on our Moscow Missions blog. So, I did. Hope you all are doing wonderful!

Upper Teeth and Upper Thoughts

If you can get over staring at those beautiful eyes and the charming smile, you will be able to see Canaan's upper teeth. He has three on top that are large enough to see. The one to the left of the middle two is still not fully through. Every time I look at my boy (and pictures of my baby boy), I can't get over how precious and perfect God's creation is. I can't believe God has entrusted us with such a tremendous task of raising a little boy. It seems overwhelming at times, but yet so very wonderful. I know we won't be accountable for Canaan's actions and choices as an adult, but raising him to know God and to come to love God as a child is something Dougle and I take very seriously. We pray every night that we can teach and model God's love to him. Our biggest dream is not that he graduate college or be successful in the world's eyes, but that he becomes a faithful follower of Christ. I don't know how long God has given us Canaan, but I am extremely grateful and thankful for every moment with him, and with my other favorite sweety, Dougle.

Soothing the Teething Pain

On May 2nd, Canaan sprouted his first tooth! We were visiting his MeMaw and Grandpa in California when she discovered a sharp protrusion coming through his bottom gums. Canaan had been a little grumpy for the ten days prior, but we thought it had to do with traveling and other changes. Then we found out it was all because of teething! About 10 days later, on May 12th, we felt his second tooth coming in right next to the first one. Canaan doesn't like his mouth being touched right now, but both teeth seem to be coming in wonderfully. I guess I never realized that the teeth took so long to fully come through the gums, but they are still taking their time cutting all the way through. One thing we learned really quickly is that they are very sharp, so we try to keep our fingers away from his mouth now!