Turkey trip...part 2

     Now before moving on, I must continue John's adventure to Turkey:

This is classic for John...he is trying to escape our hotel room with my shoes on his feet.  My shoes made a loud "clunk" on the marble floor and echoed through the narrow building. 

Slow and deliberate concentration has he makes his way to the marble stair case.

He must be thinking..."ah, victory at last, not sure where my parents are but it looks like I'm going to get away with this".

John had a great time with Mommy's friends

Our family was able to stay one extra day to see sights in Istanbul.  We toured the Basilica Cistern, an underground structure that held water and was built in 532 AD.   My disconnect with the ancient nature of the cistern happened as we exited the structure and saw the following advertisement for refreshments: 

And speaking of culture, no overseas trip is complete without a visit to the "neighborhood Starbucks!"  A little comfort of "home" on a cooler day in Istanbul. 

We did not have time to visit the famous Blue Mosque, but were fascinated by the "Hagia Sophia, which is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, and now a museum in Istanbul. From the date of its dedication in 360 until 1453, it served as the cathedral of Constantinople. The building was a mosque from 1453 until 1931, when it was secularized. It was opened as a museum in 1935 (from Wikipedia)".    This feat of architecture was the largest single enclosed space for 1,000 years.

Barely preserved is this beautiful mosaic of Jesus, his mother Mary and John the Baptist.  

Fast Forward...John's BIG trip to Istanbul, Turkey

On Saturday, April 9th, Ron, Laurie and John flew to Istanbul, Turkey for a CCC conference (SLI) that Laurie was directing.  Due to John's tendency to run FAST toward whatever he is interested in, I did what I never thought that I would do and used a Teddy Bear backpack/harness to try to keep him safely in reach.  He ended up liking the bear but not being tied to one of his parents...can't say that I blame him.  This photo was taken in Chicago, O'Hare airport during our layover.  John was interested in a long flight of stairs and sticking his head through the railing. 

(See photo explanation above)

 

 

 

 

 

Ever so curious...and very sweet...although not pictured here, instead of waving "good-bye" during the entire trip, he blew kisses at people.  Even the TSA agents in Chicago were charmed by this small Chinese boy blowing kisses at them!

Always thinking...

John made the trip just fine (answer to prayers since he was recovering from a sinus infection) and seemed  adapt to being in a new place as we put him to bed at midnight.  However, he woke up at 4:00 a.m. wide awake and ready to play.  After showing him it was "dark time" (this phrase comes from a Besonen nephew who used to refer to time as "day time" and "dark time").  We tried to convince him that his inflatable beach ball had gone "nite-nite", etc.  Thinking we had done our job, he laid down in our bed.  Then at 4:30 a.m. he begins for the first time ever blowing raspberries on my checks...It cracked me up and I was so proud of him for his new trick that I woke up with him for another hour or so.  The bummer was that he got to sleep in and I had to get up early in order to begin the conference...smile!

The Grand Bazaar

As part of a team building exercise for the conference, participants had to find things in Turkey's famous Grand Bazaar.  According to the Wikipedia, "it  is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with more than 58 covered streets and over 4,000 shops which attract between 250,000 and half a million visitors daily."  What surprised us is how popular our son John was to the Turkish people.  Turns out that they love small children. We would stroll John in the bazaar or on the streets and men would come out from their shops to interact with him and women who were shopping would stoop down to play with him.  He was approached at least 50 times in this way - people wanting to know his name, how old his is, etc.  A dozen people took photos of him as we were passing them on the streets.  It was amazing the positive attention that he received. 

This hotel worker liked to pick John up whenever we were in the lobby of the hotel...In this photo, he is showing John what is behind the small lobby bar.

We were able to hire a friend of a friend to watch John for some time during the days so we both could work.

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Ron, working in the lobby on his computer in a big "Sultan-like" chair. 

  She took him in the stroller and he loved being outside...

 

 

The weather was wonderful and the flowers were blooming in all the parks.  Ron took these pictures of the Tulips

John in his PJ's trying to convince us to let him take his stroller for a walk...

Although he doesn't talk yet, he sure knows how to communicate what he wants...

Like all of us, he prefers things HIS way...

And he effectively also communicates his anger when he doesn't get his way...it hard to be a child.

More to come including John's first ER visit...

A day of firsts...

Feb. 25^th, I dropped our son off at the Mother’s Morning Out program at a local church.  It was harder for me than I expected.  It is not the first time that we have left John.  But is the first time I have packed a lunch for him and a change of clothes (just in case) and left him.  It feels too much like he is going to school for the first time.   And after an hour had past, I already missed him.  Monday through Thursday, we have someone come to our home to watch John so at least I hear him during the day. 

My favorite times with John are early in the mornings when he first wakes up.  We have a routine of snuggle –time on the couch as he sucks his fingers and wipes the sleep from his eyes.  I usually use this time to sing to him…songs like “Jesus Loves John”; “Jesus Loves the Little Children” and then I venture either into old hymns that I remember from childhood or pop songs with word changes so they are personal to John.   Karen Carpenter’s “Close to You” is a fun one to personalize.  

I find it interesting that for over 30 years I have been in at least a weekly setting where I sing contemporary praise songs yet what comes back to me in the middle of the night or in the mornings to sing to John are the old hymns.  I grew up in a Methodist church that liked to sing.  I used to love the Sunday night service hymn sings where the congregation got to choose what we sang.   Even as a young person I would boldly call out my favorite hymn hoping that the person leading the singing would hear me.

Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”    I am so grateful to have been “trained-up” with a hefty dose of traditional hymns that are now stored in my reserve.  

A funny thing about singing during snuggle-time…although John does not talk, he wants his “voice” to be heard and followed (but who doesn’t, right?).   Usually during the first bit of silence as I finish one of the morning songs, John will “eah” for another one.  As long as I keep singing, he lays contently next to me, sucking his fingers.   What cracked me up the other morning is that when I started to sing, he put his little hand gently over my mouth.  Just to be sure I understood his non- verbal’s, I started up another song and sure enough his little hand repeated the gesture.   At that point I had to question whether I actually sing for him or for me in the mornings.   Singing the hymns reminds me that John is in God’s hands; it gives me a foundation of strength when we hit rough patches during the day.  

Another growing up activity that John did today was that he got his first US hair cut.  He did very well sitting on my lap with Ron taking the photos.  

  

John's MN Adverturnes...

John's MN adventures included: 

1)      In the pool for the first time surrounded by his cousins  –which he liked very much until his little body with no fat got too cold.

   

2)      First time visiting a farm – Ron’s very good friend, Mark let us visit during milking.  John wanted to pet the cows

  and since they were not cooperating, his attention was captured by the dogs instead.

3)      Finding Grandma B’s cookie jar – not sure how he found this as I don’t think he saw anyone in this jar.  But he might never be the same…

4)      Playing the piano for the first time – Ok…maybe not actually playing but he looks like it…

               

John's Big Trip...

     Our family made our first trip since coming home from China to meet John's Besonen side of the family.   We used our new "Sit and Stroll" (car seat and stroller combo) given to us by friends in Orlando at a baby shower (thanks wonderful friends!).  It was surprising to me how quickly John latched onto it as his.  He seemed almost protective of it throughout the trip - interested in us taking it with us, etc.

     We continue to be amazed at all the ways God is pouring out his love on John.   Our visit to Litchfield, MN began with John’s Grandparents greeting him with open arms and hearts. 

   

 

     His youngest Besonen cousin, Lauryn, who joyously anticipated yielding her position as “the youngest”, delivered John his first balloon bouquet. 

 

      John’s favorite of the bunch was the Elmo balloon but he got a lot of millage out of the whole bouquet, especially as he pounced on them as if there were made of heavy plastic like a large ball.  

     Another very special gift that awaited John was bought at the urging of Lauryn.  She found it by herself at Once Upon a Child when she and her mother Katie went shopping for a high chair for John’s visit. 

You can see why John and Lauryn became fast friends. 

Stay tuned for an peak at John's adventures with his Besonen cousins in an upcoming post...

Wordless Wednesday...almost...

     These pictures were taken after John's first time in a swimming pool with his Besonen cousins in MN (more on that soon).  He is wearing his swim diaper and a shirt that says "Grandpa's Top Draft Pick". His older cousins were still in the pool and so he watches with rapt attention...