Happy Birthday, Caleb!

October 5, 2008 Mommy and newborn baby Caleb
October 5, 2011 Mommy and 3 year old Caleb...Time does fly!

Recent Happenings with the Cerna Kids

Joshua and Caleb look like they are going to be best buddies. Already, Caleb is finding ways to play with his little blob of a brother who is just starting to interact with him. Unfortunately, this typically involves sitting on him because Caleb needs him to be a horse. Or standing on him, or grabbing his head to make him read a book...ahhh the joys of having to keep your infant in your line of vision 24/7!

Joshua started eating rice cereal earlier than any of my other babies. They waited until they were 6 months old, totally satisfied with mama's milk. But Joshua's appetite is insatiable! Since starting to eat at 4.5 months, he has been happier and sleeping better.

And this little update wouldn't be complete without a classic Rosa expression. She is our crazy one! She is very proud that her adult tooth has finally come through. Some of her friends at school scared her into thinking that it would never come in and she would always have a hole in her mouth. Needless to say, she is quite relieved that they were wrong!

A normal Tuesday in the life of a missionary/mommy/wife

4:30ish Joshua's first feeding of the day.
5:30ish My devotions
6:15 Rosa up and ready for school, breakfast with Caleb and Rosa, Bible reading and prayer for Rosa's day.

7:00 Joshua eats again while Steve takes Rosa to school. Joshua has a bath while Caleb plays.

He smells so good...for a little while.

7:45 Joshua plays in his playpen until he gets grumpy for nap time while Mommy and Caleb get working.

While Joshua plays, Caleb helps Mommy with food prep for the day. A good amount of time is put into preparing food since most things need to be made from scratch (sauces, salsas, certain kinds of bread, and all vegetables and fruits need to be treated in a solution before eaten.) Today we made a pie since butternut squash is very cheap right now. If you've never had butternut squash pie, you are missing out...its delicious.

8:00 Joshua's first nap of the day, in his swing. He's a good sleeper. I do my discipling in this time frame since he sleeps so well and is full. I do not have to worry about him, and this is also Caleb's time with Daddy.

8:00 I get Caleb dressed and ready for his day. He spends 8:30-10:00 with his Daddy running errands, going to the park, or whatever. This is their time together almost every day. This time also happens to be Joshua's nap time. Its amazing what I can get done in that time frame with no children!

8:30-10:00 If I am not discipling (one-on-one teaching) a lady in this time frame, I get laundry washed and hung on the line, dishes washed, floors swept and mopped, you name it, it gets done. Three mornings a week I also add exercising on the spinning machine for half an hour.

10:00ish Caleb comes back from his time with Daddy, starving! He has a juicebox and some ham...which ends up on his knee. Today he and Daddy went and got results from the lab which told us that Caleb has no parasites or ameobas. We are so relieved! This has been a constant struggle with him. Actually, a normal struggle for a third world country.

10:00 Joshua wakes up starving! We cuddle and he nurses while Caleb plays with Thomas the tank engine toys.

10:30 Joshua's happiest time is after napping and eating. He laughs and smiles so much. I probably have about a hundred pictures of him smiling after eating!

10:30-11:00 is play time with my boys! I can't resist kissing all over my chubby Joshua,

and we make a mess of the living room! Toys are everywhere but Caleb is happy.
11:00 I start lunch while Caleb watches a DVD. This is the only way I can cook! Otherwise, he is underfoot.

12:00 Steve picks up Rosa and comes home for lunch. Today we had tortilla soup and mini chimichangas. Rosa was thrilled, this is one of her favorite meals.

12:30ish Dessert and Rosa clears the table with me. Rosa does her homework with Mommy's help.

11:00ish to 1:00 Joshua is asleep during lunch and homework time. And Caleb goes down for his nap around 1.

While Caleb is asleep, Rosa has "quiet time". She plays alone in her room for an hour, usually from 1:00 to 2:00, depending on how long her homework takes.

1:00 Joshua wakes up starving. We snuggle in my bed, with the help of the fan (it was around 100 degrees today) and Mommy doses off while Joshua eats. Joshua plays for a while, then is ready to sleep again. I normally study for a class I am teaching during this time some days.

2:30ish Joshua sleeps in Mommy and Daddy's room, in the bassinette that is really too small for him now. Mommy and Rosa have "Rosa Time". We read books, color, play dollhouse, bake, or do whatever Rosa wants.3:30 or 4:00 Caleb awakens, normally pretty grumpy until he is all the way awake. At 4, Joshua eats again.

4:00 If we do not have something to do at the church, we decide what we are going to do. Today we decide its a beautiful day for the park.

This time of year, there are tons of mangoes falling from the trees at the park. It is dangerous (you don't want one landing on your head!) so we sit at the far end of the park where we are far from the mango trees. I sit under the almond tree while Rosa and Caleb run.

Rosa and Caleb have great imaginations and like to play with fruit that has fallen. They play "restaurant" and cook me exquisite dishes out of fruit, rocks, and leaves.

Joshie likes the park too!

Rosa decides she wants me to take a ton of pictures of her. I do.

Then Caleb joins in the photo fun while Joshua watches from his seat.

5:30 Dinner time. Rosa and Caleb request oatmeal for dinner. I suggest chicken nuggets. They turn them down. Okay, oatmeal it is! With fried ham and fruit.

6:00 Leggo time while we wait for Daddy to come home. Rosa builds Rapunzel's tower while Caleb has more fun with the Leggo container

6:15ish Daddy is home! We are all thrilled. Tuesday is one of his longest days working without us with him (like when we are all at the church together).

While Daddy plays with the kids, Mommy finishes up the day's work.

7:00 Bath time! Caleb's least favorite part of the day! Daddy washes Caleb while Mommy helps Rosa, and Joshua sleeps.

7:30ish Good night, all three kids! now its time for Mommy and Daddy to relax :)

Addition to our family!

We are now a family of five, and we love it! I will admit, there is more work, it feels like there is always something that needs to be done. But, at the same time, I wouldn't trade it for anything!

Not the best family shot, but its the only one we have so far. In a few weeks a good photographer (aka Aunt Katie) is coming and we will have a better picture up soon.

And here is the handsome boy! He is a very easy baby. He sleeps when he should, eats well, and smiles a lot. I am so grateful for how well it has been going with him. Now, the next big challenge is having him share a room at night with 2 year old Caleb (yikes!)

About Ants

Rosa and Steve have started an ant farm to have some quality time together. Today, they read something interesting. All of the ants that are the workers are female. There are only a few "princes" who reproduce with the queens of the colony. Soon after reading this fact, Steve read Proverbs 6:6 to Rosa, and explained what it means. But there is one word that impacted me. The verse says "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise." The Bible says HER ways...referring to the working ants as females. The Proverbs were written well over 2000 years ago. How could the author have known such a detail? There is only one explanation. God knows, and He filled Solomon in on such details that could not have been discovered in any other way. Now, when I look at an ant working away, I will think about the fact that the Bible is full of many small details...so many details that we overlook.