A Trip To The ER... And Trusting God

We had a very eventful past weekend to say the least. It started with our bathroom flooding on Friday (which Jonny has already fixed - he's become quite the DIY person!) and then with Daniel having a very bad fall, exactly on the day we were celebrating his 19 months...

I can finally sit down and write about it... but until recently, I was just too upset. This is what happened: It was Saturday evening and we were going to eat out. Jonny was inside the restaurant ordering food and I was with Daniel outside playing close to some cement stairs. I was right next to Daniel and he was climbing a step next to the stairs when suddenly, he tripped, fell on his left side and started to roll down the stairs! Fortunately, I grabbed him after his third roll but was shocked to discover when I picked him up that the left side of his face was covered in blood! I had never seen so much of his blood before! He was crying loudly and I quickly called Jonny who immediately said we had to go to the ER as it looked like the wound by his left eyebrow needed stitches...

So, off we went to the ER, arriving there at about 7 pm but were only seen by a doctor at 10:30 pm... In the meantime, we were surrounded by lots of sick people wearing masks and the nurse confirmed that "yes, swine flu is now everywhere!" Anyway, we tried our best to keep ourselves from getting the flu and literally kept cleaning our hands every 2 minutes... So far, we are all fine...

After recovering from the initial shock of falling and getting a numbing medicine on his wound, Daniel had a blast at the hospital, as if nothing had happened. It didn't even bother him that it was way past his bedtime... Until of course, he had to get the stitches done, which was quite upsetting for us all since he was swaddled like a little baby (to help him stay still) which he did not enjoy... The actual procedure was I think more scary for him than painful but thankfully, we got a very good doctor and nurse who did a great job. After 5 stitches, a popsicle (his first ever) and a new teddy, we were ready to go back home...

Daniel slept well the whole night and woke up the next day happy, as if nothing had happened. His wounds were quite red and sore but as long as we didn't touch them, it did not bother him. For us, having to see the wounds every time we looked at him I think was the hardest... and all the guilt I was feeling for not preventing the fall... All I can say is, it's so hard to be parents at times, especially when you see your little baby hurting!!! And it's not rational. We know that Daniel will fall and that this is probably not the last time; that it is impossible to prevent him from falling at all times; that it is not our fault, that he is actually doing very well, etc. But emotionally, both Jonny and I were just feeling so sad the last few days... Thankfully, we are all now doing a lot better. Daniel's wounds have been healing very quickly and are already looking so much better.

This experience has taught us more about our dear son. He is such a strong little boy, as long as it's not hurting, he couldn't care less if his face looks different, if he has bandaid across his eye lid, if his eye is swollen and smaller, etc. And if he is anywhere close to those stairs again (which we don't even ever want to see!), I know he would not think twice about climbing it again! That's what he does each time he falls, he goes straight back to the same place and tries again, even with tears in his eyes! So far, the bad things in life just don't seem to affect him for long... And for this, we are very grateful; he has a spirit to keep going, to try again, that is not easily discouraged. We have a lot to learn from him and he has already taught us much in his short life...

We are so appreciative of the prayers we have received and all the encouraging e-mails! There were two particular comments/questions from friends that I really needed to hear:

1. One friend really encouraged me to focus on being grateful instead of focusing on the "what might have been." I needed to hear that. Choosing to have an attitude of gratitude has indeed been very helpful and when I decided to focus on that instead, I could see so many things to be grateful for.

2. Another friend asked me a very important question which Jonny and I had been talking about: "I know you trusted God with Jonathan David's life, but do you actively trust God with Daniel's life?" Wow, this question really got me thinking about what it means to trust God... A complete answer to this is very long... But here is an abridged version:

I need to grow in trusting God with Daniel's life too. I need to grow in trusting God, period. My trust of God for Daniel's life, for example, should not be based on whether he experiences any suffering or not, since I know that in this world, we will all experience suffering, that is a given. Instead, my trust in God should be based on the fact that His son Jesus died on the cross for me, so that my relationship with God could be restored. By this, He proved that He loves me so much and therefore, can be trusted. Because of my restored relationship with God, through Christ's death on the Cross, I can be confident that all He allows me to experience, good and bad, even through Daniel's life, has a greater purpose which is ultimately for my good and His glory. So my trust in God should not be based in what I experience or what I feel. My trust in God should be based in the Cross of Christ. Only by living in light of the Cross can I learn to trust God with Daniel's life completely. I need to therefore focus in understanding the Cross of Christ more and more... It's amazing, I have now been a follower of Jesus for 11 years, and yet I feel like I'm just starting to have a better understanding of the Cross...


Thank You Lord for Daniel. Thank You for the medical care we got and that he is healing so well. Thank You that it was not worse and that we were able to help him immediately. Thank you for comforting us and for all the support we have received. Thank You that we are able to be grateful and learn from this experience. But above all, thank you Lord for the Cross; that because of the death of your son Jesus for us, we can have total confidence in your love for us and your good and perfect plans for our life. Please help us understand your Cross more and trust you always. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

*****

Here are some photos of Daniel and his wounds... Now looking at the photos, it really doesn't look as bad as I described, right? I guess when you are the parent, it just seems a lot worse! :-) You can also see how quickly the wounds are healing and it's only been 3 days!

The 2 first photos are of pictures I took from my cell phone at the hospital, after Daniel got the numbing medicine under the transparent plaster...

Sunday morning at breakfast, wearing the bandaid over the stitches and close to his new teddy...

Happy eating some grapes on Sunday afternoon... Bandaid came off during nap.

Close-up of wounds one day later...

Monday morning (2 days later) and looking less red and drier...

Tuesday morning (3 days later) before I left for work - even drier and more brown. Sweet Rashell was playing in the background...

It's A Girl!

No, I'm not pregnant! :-)

But yes, we are excited because we recently found out that Daniel's first cousin, due in February 2010, is a GIRL!!! Peter and Jenny, we are thrilled and eagerly waiting for the arrival of your baby girl, our precious niece! Congratulations! Of course we would also be thrilled if your baby was a boy, but this is extra special because girls are rare in the Koh family!

To the baby girl whose name is still to be determined: One day you may read this blog and so we want you to know that as soon as we found out about you, we have loved you and are eagerly waiting to meet you! We are planning to visit you next summer in Brussels (that's where you will be born!) and we can't wait to take photos of you with your cousin Daniel. He will be so excited to hold you too!

Peter and Jenny on their wedding day

September 8th, 2007

Daniel Has A Little Sister!

No, I'm not pregnant! :-)

But yes, Daniel now has a little sister with him at home 3 days a week! We are very pleased that from this week onwards, Maria (Daniel's nanny, his second mother) will be bringing her daughter, Rashell, with her to our home the 3 days that I'm working. Rashell is currently 9 months old, so they are both at a much easier age and can even play together. Daniel and Rashell are like "Irish twins", since they are only 9 months apart!

It is a "win-win" situation for us all, since Daniel will have the opportunity to learn very important lessons such as: that he is not the center of attention, that he has to share his toys, how to be gentle with a smaller child, etc. And for Maria, she gets to be with her daughter while working and Rashell, will also have fun learning from Daniel (Maria said Rashell has already started imitating things Daniel does with the toys). She is almost crawling and the more mobile she gets, the more fun it will be for them.

So far, it's working out very well. Maria has even managed to coordinate their afternoon naps, so she gets a needed break too.

Here are some photos of the two of them this week. Every time I have taken photos they have both been very serious, but they are generally happy together!

Getting ready to go for a walk together...

Our Japanese neighbor lent us this double stroller, which we are very grateful for! Daniel barely fits but it will work for now...

Neither of them would look at the camera...


This is them this morning getting ready to leave for the Library...

Rashell looked so cute in her Peruvian poncho! She is still in the oral phase too...

Remembering My Dear Vovó

Today is exactly one year since my maternal grandmother passed away at age 94. I have been thinking about her a lot recently and all that her life has meant to me. I really look forward to telling Daniel about her in the future. I just re-read the blog that I wrote about a year ago as a tribute to her (click on the link to read) and saw her photos, which also brought back lots of special memories...

Coincidentally, my own mother is today in Mozambique for work, at the exact same hotel that she was one year ago when she heard about her mother's passing. I was happy to get a message from my mother today saying that despite being on her own, she is also well and at peace remembering my grandmother. Thanks for letting me know maezinha, I was comforted by that! And thank you maezinha, that despite us living so far away from your mother for most of my life, you taught me to love and appreciate her. I truly hope that Daniel will have the same love for you, and his other grandparents, in the future...be sure that we will do our best. Beijos!

Hyperactivity At Its Best!

Every evening before bath time, Daniel becomes very hyperactive. It's such a joy watching him run, squeal, laugh and use up the last bit of his energy before he goes to sleep. Tonight, his hyperactivity almost outdid itself and I caught it on camera! The grandparents are going to love this one because the video is 9 and a half minutes long and if you keep watching, there is a special treat that is just, "oh so cute!" Enjoy!

What Would YOU Like To Know?

Dear Loved Ones,

I have been thinking recently that I would like to have more of your input on what I should blog about. You may sometimes wonder and have questions about something particular that you would like to know about our family. For example, recently, I've received some questions like: Ana, how is your job going? What are you working on now? Where are you working now after Jonny started his new job? These kind of questions are really helpful and due to these recent ones, I'm planning to write an update on my work soon.

So, if you have any questions on your mind (they could be general to more personal - you know I love sharing!), or just would like to have an update on a particular topic or area of our life, please feel free to either e-mail either of us or leave a comment on the blog. The more interactive this blog is, the more fun it is!

Thanks so much for your interest!

Recent September Highlights

Hi loved ones, we're back! Here are some recent highlights and photos:

1. Jonny is already going to start his 4th week at his new job and it has been going very well. Though there is still a lot to learn, he started doing some lab work last week which he enjoyed. We have all adjusted very well to the new schedule, thank God.

2. Daniel had his 18th month check-up this past week. For the first time, he showed that he remembered the doctor's office because he started crying as soon as we walked in. He calmed down quickly but cried each time the nurse entered the room or the doctor. Thankfully he recovered quickly after getting 3 shots and did not experience any side effects. His latest stats are: Height: 35 inches (95th percentile); Weight: 29 pounds (80th percentile); and Head Circumference: 19 inches (70th percentile). In the doctors own words: "You've got a giant!" He grew 2 inches in the last 3 months (though I think they may have measured him wrong, he's more like 34 1/2 inches); no wonder he has been eating sooo much recently!

3. I was so excited recently to discover that one of our neighbors, who lives on our street, not only went to college with but is best friends with a very close friend of mine from when I lived in Sri-Lanka! What a small world! We are planning to get together soon to share photos and memories of this dear friend!

4. Our church has started serving us in a most wonderful way! The singles ministry have started to babysit for us married couples with small children twice a month in our homes so that we can go out and meet together with the other couples. So this past Friday, we had our first outing together as a couple and had so much fun! Jonny and I hadn't been out together at night since Jonny's mother visited us when Daniel was 7 months old, so you can imagine how excited we were. And the babysitting worked really well - we just put Daniel to bed before we left and he had no idea we were even gone! We feel so blessed by this, thank You Lord for Your church!

5. Daniel is currently obsessed with watching videos of himself on the computer. As soon as he sees our laptop he says over and over again: "Baba? Baba?" (That's how he calls himself, "baby"). He likes to sit on one of the dinning room chairs and focuses intently, smiling and clapping his hands with excitement! The funny thing is that I didn't realize that the person to enjoy the videos of Daniel the most would actually be him! So it's wonderful to see that all our efforts to document his development has been bringing him so much joy.

And here are some photos showing more highlights:

Dinner with the Simms - we hadn't seen them in a while so it was so nice catching up!

Matthew and Daniel played really well together even though Matthew is 2 years older. Daniel loved wearing the fireman's hat!

Matthew and Daniel


Morning run!




Devesh and Daniel having fun running! Devesh is the son of my neighbor who is the best college friend of my close friend from Sri-Lanka. Who would have thought that one day, these two little guys would meet? Small world!



It is so cute to see them holding hands together; they love each other!



Devesh hugging Daniel - Daniel loves it but doesn't know what to do so just stays still! :-)


Snack time during another recent walk...


Daniel watching videos of himself on our laptop. Did I say obsessed? And look at him sitting so well on our dinning room chair! Such a big boy now!

The boys playing at a recent cook out with friends

We're very thankful for this group of friends that we are getting to know more and more from our church. The amazing thing is that most of us have boys around the same age! So much fun for Daniel too!

So until next time loved ones! In the meantime, wishing each of you a wonderful week ahead!

August Memories

Sometimes I just don't have much to blog about and at other times, I have too much! This past August was definitely the latter; we had so many special moments that I would have loved to blog individually about but just didn't have the time... So instead, I've decided to post a slide show of some "August memories" that we would like to remember and share. Enjoy! (To see larger or download, click on the slide show.)

The Words Are Coming Out!

Hi loved ones, have you been missing us? :-) It hasn't been that long really, but I haven't blogged as much this week because either Jonny or I have been sick (me first, this past weekend, and now Jonny - thankfully he is getting better and Daniel does not seem to have caught it so far...), but mostly, because I just finished reading one of my favorite novels ever! It's called "The Help" By Kathryn Stockett and it was just wonderful; I highly recommend it! I was so sad it ended and I'm missing those characters so much - that's how good it is! Peter and Jenny sent this novel as a birthday gift for Jonny but since he was reading something else, I just decided to read it first and couldn't stop! Thanks so much Peter and Jenny! Jonny is now going to read it and I can't wait to talk to him about it...

Anyway, I thought I would update you today on Daniel's language development because just in the last couple of weeks, the words have started to come out! Most of the time he just says one syllable of a particular word but he is starting to put two syllables together for a few words and these are:

1. Mama - His favorite word for sure, he says it all the time (and of course I love hearing it! :-)). The cutest thing now is that when he wakes up in the morning or after his nap, he calls out "Mama? Mama?" And now before asking me a question or for something he will say: "Mama? Papa?" (Meaning, Mamae, where is Papai?")

2. Papa - He has started using Papa with other words, referring to what his Papai is doing. So for example, if he sees Jonny in the car, he will say: "Papa, Ka!" Meaning, Papai is in the car!"

3. Bubble - This is probably his first full "word" (other that mama and papa). The funny thing is that no matter how many times I say "bolha" to him (bubble in Portuguese) he keeps saying "bubble!"

4. Teddy - This sounds more like "Deddy". He just loves his Teddy, it's the cutest thing seeing his smile when they reunite before nap or bedtime!

5. Baby/Bebe: This one he still says "Baba". And he still uses "Baba" for balls.

6. Buffy (our cat): It sounds like "Buppy" and he just loves her. Poor Buffy, she has to often run away from a very excited toddler who just loves to pull her paws and tail! We're working on the concept of "gentle" and being affectionate with Buffy but Daniel hasn't grasped that yet!:-)

7. Abri (Open, in Portuguese): This sounds like "Abi" and he uses it when he wants us to open a door, a box, bottle, etc.

8. Agua (Water): This sounds like "Wawa" and he will say it when he wants a drink or whenever he sees water, including the rain.

Here is a list of words that he is trying to say but is only using one syllable for:

Carro (Car) or Caminhao (Truck): Ka
Deck: De
Pao (Bread): Pa
Garfo (Fork): Ga
Uva (Grape): U
Escada (Stairs): Ca

He has also been imitating our words a lot more. Tonight, for example, when we said "Kiwi" he said something that sounded like it!

So as you can see, Daniel is now really trying to talk! And not just in his own language which he has been doing for a while, but in our languages! This is so exciting because we are finally able to understand a little bit more about what he is thinking and/or wanting. At the same time though, it's another reminder of how fast he is growing up...

Here are some recent photos of the boy wonder:

Daniel LOVES when we let him play in the front car seat!

This is how I found him the other day when I was not looking!

We've had some cooler days recently...but he doesn't seem to mind!


He is now really good at this game...

This will always keep him entertained on the deck...

Daniel loved sitting in these different cars at the mall!

Till next time!

Jonny's First Week At His New Job

Jonny started his new job this past week and despite getting lost the first few times during the commute, it all went very well, praise God! It's a big change for us all, but we continue to be thankful and excited about this new opportunity.

Jonny's boss was actually away in Germany this week, but he got to talk to different people in the lab and started the steep learning curve of learning a completely new area of research. He's now studying, in his own words "how all the different proteins of various bacteria interact with one another; the aim of this work is to get a better understanding of how bacteria work." He said it feels strange to not know much both in terms of the area of research as well as his new environment, but is trusting that with time this will get better.

The actual Institute feels a lot more like a company than an University and Jonny is excited about the nice perks that come with the job like the free wonderful coffee. It's also very "chique" compared to Hopkins and Jonny said: "Ana, you've got to see the bathrooms!" :-) Jonny has been assigned a very nice cubicle next to a window with a great view. He's got lots of storage space so hopefully, this will help him keep organized and neat (well, at least that's my hope! :-)) It's a lot more formal than Hopkins was, he can't wear shorts to work anymore (though jeans and a T-shirt are fine, still the typical scientific community in that sense) and has to wear a lab coat when he is doing experiments. He says he feels a lot more grown up now!

Jonny's been leaving home at around 6:30 am so it is very strange for Daniel and I not to have him with us in the morning when we wake up. Every time I walk in to pick Daniel up from his crib, he immediately says "Pa-pa?" and continues to do so several times during our morning routine. And I have to say, "Papai has gone to work, but you will see him later today." The first 2 days were the hardest for me not having him there but by the end of the week, I was already a lot more used to it. But, I'm just so thankful that it's a holiday weekend here and we have Papai at home for 3 whole days in a row (it's Labor Day here in the US on Monday for those of you who don't live here)!

Anyway, Jonny took some photos of his new work environment so you can know exactly where he is when he is at work. Doesn't it look really nice?

Side of Building

Front of Building
Entrance/Foyer

Jonny's cubicle with his own personal phone line.

(He wanted to take photos of the actual lab too but he hasn't started experiments there yet... right now, mainly reading and planning)

View from window next to cubicle

View of shops and restaurants closeby - our friend Marlon is a manager at the Panera there and Jonny got a free lunch on Wednesday (thanks Marlon!)

Despite the nice environment and perks, our greatest desire is that Jonny will glorify God in all that he does and experiences in his new job.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for this new opportunity! Please guide Jonny and give him the knowledge and wisdom that he needs to succeed in this new job for Your glory. And please help our family adjust quickly to this big change. In Your name we pray. Amen.