Blog Reboot

I haven’t done a great job this past year with keeping the blog updated so I’ve decided to reboot by blogging. I’ve also decided to retire this blog (this will be my last post) and create some new ones. I’m going to have separate family and "random thoughts" blogs. This will allow our readers to pick the content they’re interested in. My goal is to update the family blog once a week. Sometimes it may just be a short paragraph or a picture, but hopefully it will help our supporters, friends, and family back home to feel more connected to us. The random thoughts blog will be updated, um, randomly.

So if you want to follow our family blog go to:

coreyemilyenoch.blogspot.com

If you want to follow my random thoughts blog go to:

mentalcourse.blogspot.com

If you want to follow both, you’re probably my mother. There’s already new posts up if you want to check them out.

Enoch at 5 Months

Well it's hard to believe, but Enoch will be five months old tomorrow. He can "talk" in his own unique baby language, roll over, and reach for toys. He smiles a lot and is starting to get a sense of humor. Last night I was making tooting noises with my mouth and he thought that was hilarious (from my experience this is a type of humor that he will never out grow - it's a universal male trait).

We often see Emily's dad in Enoch's features, but there is something about this last picture that really reminds me of my dad.

PKMG

Jason and I have spent a good bit of time in the Port Kembla neighborhood lately (shortened to "Port" by most locals). It is a very interesting area. It's a place of contrast. It has some of the best views in the city if you look West towards the mountain escarpment, South towards Lake Illawarra, or East over the ocean. It also has the worst view in the city if you look North towards the steel works (a massive complex that looks like something out of a Mad Max movie). In many ways it's a vibrant community - there is always something going on there - but in other ways it is dead (the main strip looks like it has more boarded up shops and businesses than open ones). The most interesting thing about Port is the people - of all the people I've met in the Wollongong area, Port residents are the most proud of where they live. If you ask people around other parts of the Gong what they think of Port, they usually say it's all drugs, crime, and smog - but Port residents will tell you a different story; Port's the best place in the Gong, who wouldn't want to live here?

Jason and I are both member's of the Port Kembla Men's Group. The Men's Group is a place for local men to come hang out, work on projects, and mentor one another. We meet at the Port Kembla Community Centre every Wednesday. We work on projects (we're in the process of setting up a shop), do a little gardening and yard work, drink heaps of coffee, and make lunch together. Our favourite lunch is homemade pizza cooked in our wood fire oven - mmm! Here's a few pics:

Fourth of July

Even though it is the middle of winter in Australia, we decided to celebrate the fourth of July. Thanks to the Allens for the kids' shirts!

First Bible Class

Enoch had his first Bible class with the big kids yesterday. He has surprisingly good alertness and attention span for a three month old. Nicole did a lesson on the days of creation and he really enjoyed it (she uses lots of props). And I finally got that big open mouthed grin that he does on camera! I had a video, but unfortunately Blogger once again did not work when I tried to load it...I may have to switch blog formats. Anyway, enjoy the pictures.

Enoch has really taken off the last couple of weeks with some new skills. He now sucks his thumb to comfort himself when he goes down for a nap. He's been able to do that for a while, but before it was more a matter of his mouth and hands accidentally coming together - now it is actually a coordinated effort. He's also become really smiley and "talkative." He's got this great big open-mouth grin that he does that is so cute - unfortunately, I have had no luck catching it on camera. The best I've been able to get is kind of a half smile (below). He also has been "talking" to us a good bit lately. He only knows one "word," which sounds like "ugh" - but he says it over and over again. I've tried to get it on film, but like his smiles, no luck. Here's a couple of new pictures (I tried to load a video, but it is not working for some reason):

Enoch is twelve weeks old today. Last night he slept through the night for the first time ever!



Here's a video from this morning of Emily singing to him. He really likes it when she sings to him - as you can see from his happy face. (sorry - the video/sound quality isn't the best):