Cara is four months old!

Things seem to now be getting back in order for us. Cara has been doing well socializing with her new friends in day care. Cara's latest trick is that along with a lot of cooing she likes to touch her toes. Here are some pictures that may give you an idea of how big she is getting. Last Friday she just had a check-up:

13 lb 1 oz (50th percentile)

25.25 inches (70th percentile)

Looks like she is still growing.

We're home... and we have power!

We have been back home since last Sunday Sept 21. Our area was hit pretty hard (trees and power lines down) as it appears the eye of the storm passed over our house. However, other than some roof and fence repair we really came out of this rather well.


Link to storm history -> http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/at20089.asp?feature=radar

Fortunately the worst of the surge just missed getting up into Galveston Bay. It looks like the water level rose up into our yard, but didn't rise above the slab... it doesn't get any closer than that. The scene in the Seabrook area is not a pretty one (beached boats on the side of the road, colapsed coastal homes a mile or two from our house).

There really are many stories to tell, so for now I'm just going to post a couple of my favorite pictures of the moment Passa first found that we had power restored last Tuesday (I got her good):


"Passa, hold up Cara for a picture of her after her first day from daycare..."


...notice Passa's reaction to the lights.


Yeah!


"Cara, are you happy we have power?"

Evacuated: family update

Our family is safe and sound. Thank you all for your prayers.

Many are aware that we were forced to leave our city of El Lago, Tx due to Hurricane Ike. On Thursday Sept 11, we moved to a hotel in The Woodlands, Tx (north of Houston) to "shelter in place" away from the storm surge. Unfortunately the hotel took a hit (lost power/phone/roof shingles and was deemed unsafe by hotel management) and we were forced to leave after the storm passed on Saturday Sept 13. It was a nervous trip out of town as we didn't have cell phone service or any gas stations in sight (no power in Houston = no gas stations).

We are currently in the small town of Seguin, Tx (just outside of San Antonio). Our current plans are to move to a hotel in San Antonio soon (likely Tuesday). Hearing various rumors that some locations in Houston are beginning to have power restored though the community is still being told to boil their drinking water.

For now there are still more questions than answers and we don't plan to return to Houston until we know there is power restored there and that we will be able to secure a place to stay near work/home in the interim. Also we are considering making arrangements for Passa's mother (she has been helping us take care of Cara) to return to Thailand... she has been a real help to our family these past several months.

Cara has really seemed to enjoy her "vacation". Last night we took her for a stroll through the Alamo and on the San Antonio Riverwalk. We have some pictures of her laughing as she lay in a pile of pillows in the hotel room.

God bless,
Evan, Passa, Cara, and Kun-Yai (grandma)

We've made it a month!

Well six weeks actually... Cara is now up to about 9 lb 3 oz. This sweetheart occasionally flashes us a smile from time to time.


Here are some pictures that her Thai grandma ("kun yai" -- maternal grandmother) took:

And another with grandma:

Baby Doll

The Piland Grandparents arrive for July 4th weekend. Her grandma's loved to dress her up in her new clothes. More pictures coming from their camera later...

Let's see that smile

Cara has more time awake this week and she likes to look around. Her Dad can't help but snap picture after picture...

Here's a good yawn...

Cara can't wait for her Ohio grandparents to come visit her this week!

Action Shots from Week 1

You want an action shot?...
we didn't have to wait long to shoot this one.

... she has her peaceful moments too.

Here is Cara getting her first checkup right after she was born.

And out the door we go...