Have you seen the story...

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/10/30/netherlands.baby.boom/index.html

This is the best story I've read in a while. Forget politics, conflicts, crime, and celebrities for 5 minutes and READ THIS! It's so fun....

A Day

I wish I knew how to send photos taken with my cell phone to my email account so I can also post them on this blog. (anyone? anyone?) But I don't so you'll have to use your imagination. After work today, I took Fazal outside - well, he usually leads the way - onto the driveway. Fazal has been enjoying the piles of leaves that have been collecting around the edges of the stone walls and driveway as the trees are almost bare and the wind blows them into interesting patterns on the ground. I grabbed the rake and started raking the leaves into a pile. Fazal, attracted by the loud scraping noise and the leaves being swept up higher than his head, came running to see what is this?!?!? We were laughing and having a great time and then I realized that if I wanted to be constructive, I could just think of this as fun and continue long enough to actually clear the driveway and get all the leaves in one pile. I am not much of a follow-through person, but I did it anyway because the air was a bit warm and fresh. Fazal ran back and forth through the piles, sitting in the larger ones when he realized they were kind of soft, and played with them in his hands. He only ran for the roadway once and my heart raced as I realized how fast he moves on his short little legs toward el danger zone...

Later, we came inside and I realized that I felt like I had been punched in the stomach. Not that woman almost 6 months pregnant shouldn't rake leaves, but perhaps not quite so vigorously when one has not given ones belly any exercise in the memorable past. I lay very still moaning a bit on the couch while Fazal looked at me sort of sympathetically, and then picked up a 5 pound pumpkin that his grandfather had given him yesterday and proceeded to make me laugh (ouch) by lifting it up with Olympic weightlifter grunting noises, taking big stocky steps towards me, and dropping it off on the floor with a loud "thud" before picking it up and placing it under one of my knees...For a few minutes he entertained himself (and me) by doing something he started to do a few days ago - picking objects he often bangs his head on by mistake (table legs, the wall, etc), and gently bumping his head against them as if to reassure himself that it isn't so bad after all. Like someone practicing the "stop, drop, and roll" fire drill, only someone who is less than 3 feet tall and only 25 lbs. I only dragged myself off the couch 15 minutes later when I realized that the consequences of not feeding Fazal soon were much worse than the pain of getting vertical again. The kidney beans were in front of him for 10 minutes before he decided to pop one in his mouth, but once he did, the sprinkle became a rain storm - he must have eaten at least 50 red kidney beans, one after the next. (Luckily, we have not found this type of bean to cause much "pollution" unlike some other kinds) ooh-la-la enough about our day...

We have lost a few people recently and so have been reminded of our mortality. The incredible quote by Baha'u'llah, "I have made death a messenger of joy to thee. Wherefore dost thou grieve?" is some consolation, but we feel deeply that we will only know how this can be so after we too pass on to the next world.

Otherwise, we want to send special greetings to Vahid, Jafred's brother now serving at the BWC in Haifa. We are so proud of you and know that you will grow immeasurably while you are there.

To all our other friends, good night.

New one...

Congrats to new parents Melissa and Balbir, on the birth of their very sweet son, Nevyn!!! We wish you many happy days ahead...

Dressed for Winter

Finally a photo of father and son!!

It was cold today, so Fazal had to dress in his warmest to take a walk outside.

Moments of Joy

I had one of those moments of joy today. You know, those ones that you long for during your day to day, doing what needs to be done, trying to stay positive and keeping up your energy. You wait for that feeling, welling up from your insides, of real happiness, the kind that makes your chest feel warm and your throat full.

After work, during which Fazal had been remarkably well-behaved and patient, we went outside for some fresh air. It was cool, but not uncomfortably so, especially for Fazal who naturally has a high body temp, and for me, who currently has a high body temp, thanks to the itty-bitty I am carrying.

The wind was blowing and hundreds of colored leaves were being blown off the trees all over the yard. Fazal laughed and smiled, cocked his head up toward the sky, and pointed at the show going on above our heads. He looked truly amazed. And why wouldn't he be? Then I picked up big hand fulls of leaves that were already on the ground and threw them up above Fazal's head. He figured out what the game was, and would put his hands up and run, laughing, away from the shower. That was my moment of joy today. Seeing his enjoyment of something so simple, and so beautiful and so fun. The photo above is a sampling of the leaves we found....shades of red, pink, orange, yellow and green.

AND...

We would like to congratulate Maura and Phillipe on the birth of their handsome son, Douglass!

Over Colombus Day Weekend

We had Monday off from work as a federal holiday. I could say we have come back refreshed, but I'd be lying. We had a very nice time in a beautiful place (the beach in Maine) and did get some rest, quiet, a feeling of being away from the busy world. But refreshed is a feeling I don't expect we'll feel for another few years :-)

If he looks a little sick here, he has had a bad cold, all stuffy and coughing, poor guy. We tried to avoid it, but everyone here was catching it (except for me, haha!) and alas, so did he. But still trying to have fun with mommy's sunglasses.
A view from the back of the house toward the marshes (Rachel Carson preservation land)
Same view in the evening....

On the run....

I mean this is many different ways.

Wearing these "magic shoes" that are soft have nice flexible soles, Fazal runs everywhere - up and down the hallway, towards the door when he thinks it's open, to the kitchen when he's hungry, after the animals he finds wandering around outside. Yesterday, he even ran down a small hill without falling! It's a lot of fun to watch him explore his world in this new way. Of course, we can't really keep up.

Just about able to reach the door handles...the next reality to face. Oh, and our family would make good product testers for child safety products, durability, etc. Only about 1 in 3 products actually survive a Fazal-test more than one day.
HELLO!
Fazal's parents are pretty busy these days too. So this is my best attempt at a photo of myself so ya'll can see how the Lil'Mato is growing. Hopefully we can take some better photos over the next couple of months, but for now, here's what we can do. And yes, Jafred is doing fine! He is the most busy of us all, so we haven't had a photo of him in a while :-)

News

We have seen the ultrasound and it's official...another member of the Mato family due to join us in February...so far so good....healthy, kicking, and a cutie as far as we can see...Fazal is getting prepared to be a big brother....thank you for your prayers and good wishes....

Congrats to some new parents!

Today, we want to congratulate some new parents!!!

~~

Leila and Daniel have welcomed their daughter, Keilani

&

Chris and Amy have welcomed their little girl, Erika!

~

We wish you all the best....