Funny faces

Is it just me or are huge cheeks like huge? I suppose all kids have huge cheeks that they have to grow into. When I was like 1 I think, my parents took a picture of me where I was making a very similar face to the one she is making below. It's like she's saying "come on guys, how much longer do I have to sit like this?" I wonder if the faces they make really do represent what is going on in their heads.

Meet the family

Today I will go to the airport to pick up my parents, Robb, Katie and Nic (my brother-in-law).  I am so stoked to see them all.  The last time they were all here was for our wedding which was 4 years ago on the 26th.  Giovy is the first grandchild, the first great-grandchild and the first niece/nephew so we're all pretty excited.

Meet my friends

I don't think Giovy is fully aware of the type of friends she has just yet, but that's ok. You can, however, tell that she is very excited about the day when she'll meet the real Mickey Mouse. So are we! She will be taking her first trip on a plane in November when we travel home for the holidays. 

First Disney movie

She is so excited about her new DVD "The Little Mermaid" that she asked me to help her make her "excited" face.  I suppose if we try and conquer the "Disney DVD Collection" one at a time we might just make it by the time she'll even care.  

Friend's adorable daughter

I absolutely had to show you guys how cute one of my best friend's daughter is. His name is Gaby and her name is Amalia. She is like 3 I think and couldn't be more adorable. What's so cool about her is that she is like totally mature and outgoing yet in this little body. Anyway, just thought I'd introduce you guys to her.

See you in the funny papers

That's a quote from the movie "John Q" with Denzel Washington. I think that's what Giovy was trying to communicate here.  I don't know how I even got this shot because we've never seen this face before.  It looks like the picture has been manipulated but no, this is actually her, being Giovy.  This is so fun!

The Father's love

Something that just hit me like a ton of bricks during this first week was how much love Emma and I have for this little girl even though she has done nothing except exist. This is exactly how God is with us. When I go into town for a few hours to get some work done I totally miss Giovanna; I wonder if God is like that too...I have a feeling that I am going to get hit with a ton of new revelations during fatherhood.

Giovy's room

We finally finished little Giovanna's room and wanted to show you. I had a blast with it because our "handy-man" friend Dan started his own business and was not able to come to do the room, so I had to do it all myself. I learned a ton and had fun doing it. Last night I was up until 1:00 am sewing part of her drapes. The things daddys will do for their little girls.

We have a few questions...

We would love your feedback regarding a few things: What measures should we be taking to assure that she eats enough at each meal? For example, some days we think she eats more and then she seems to sleep in longer increments but other days she only sleeps for about 2 hours at a time and wakes up hungry. Any suggestions?
What food products have you found cause stomach issues? Thanks for your help.

First "rough" day

Well we finally had our first "rough" day and it was pretty rough. I don't know who cried more, Giovy or us. We think that due to some apple juice that Emma drank, Giovy had stomach pains. We just signed up with a local family doctor and thankfully she was able to pay us a visit and help us know what to do. We didn't really get any sleep last night nor did we get any rest during the day; we're hoping it will pass and we will all be ok tomorrow.

Totally unique

What I can't seem to fully grasp is that this little girl already has character traits, personality and temperament. I find myself staring at her trying to figure out what she is thinking about. One of the things that she does that just cracks me up is when she is eating she will just conk out all of the sudden, then she will wake up and remember that she was hungry and start crying. Also, when she sleeps she has this twitch thing that she does with her arms and legs. I hope she's not having a bad dream or something.

Many faces, same lovable girl

"The Yawn" - Her yawn is absolutely adorable. It is totally Emma's. She also sleeps with her hand under her face like Emma. We know what this face means, it's pretty self-explanatory, unlike some of the ones to follow.

"Don't bug me, I'm sleeping" - We have been anxious about this facet of having a baby, not knowing what to expect. Will she sleep on a schedule? Will she sleep small or large increments of time? Thankfully, she has been sleeping fairly well each night in 3 hour increments. We like this. Keep it up Giovy-belle!

"I'm lovin' it!" - Every time she busts out one of these it just makes everything worth it. She has that kind of smile where one side of her lip goes up and she kind of smirks a little. I had that same exact smirk when I was young and so did my dad and so did my grandpa. I'm glad that I was able to pass that down the chain. We hope and pray that she will be a happy child, with no health problems and that she will always get the most out of life.

"Who are you again?" - She gives me this one every once in a while when I pick her up to stare at her. It's kind of funny because I will turn her around and hold her facing me sometimes to try and stop her from crying. It usually works and this is how. I will turn her around, she opens her eyes periodically while crying, she will catch my eye, she will slow her crying, she will give me that look, then she will just stare into my eyes. It's so cool. This lasts until she realizes the reason she was crying and then she starts again since I can't cure hunger with my stare, though that would be cool.

"I'm starving" - This one happens a lot! This girl totally has my appetite. But she is so much like a guy in this regard. If you feed her well, she is so content. She sleeps like a baby when she eats well. I wonder what her favorite foods will be. I wonder if she will prefer Romanian or American food. We'll see, but for we'll keep it simple with the white juice.

"ooga booga shmooga" - This one doesn't yet have a literal translation since it can be interpreted various ways. Scholars are still trying to dig up original manuscripts which could help us formulate an exact translation. Until then, we have to rely on the other accompanying factors. We look forward to the day when she learns English...or Romanain...even Spanish would be fine...but Ooga Booga is what we've got so we'll do our best to interpret.

Check out the size of my arm

Check out the size of my arm. I mean seriously, have been going to the gym?...Or maybe it's cause she's a week old. We'll let the reader decide. Anyhow, I absolutely love to hold her. It's such a cool feeling to hold a small human being in one arm.

Sleeping like a baby

So far so good in the sleeping department. Or at least we think so. She sleeps for 3 to 4 hours at a time making little sounds every once in a while. When she wakes, she chills for a little bit and then wants to eat. After she eats she chills again for a little after she is burped and then hits the sack again. For you mommies and daddies out there, is it normal for her to make sounds during sleep and is it normal for her to sleep so much? We'd love to hear your feedback. Thanks

She's a hungry one

We have quickly discovered that little Giovy takes after her daddy when it comes to eating and her mommy when it comes to sleeping. It is so cute to watch her scramble around when she gets hungry. She is so desperate to eat, that's all she can think about. (I can relate) When she sleeps, however, she sleeps!

Home sweet home

After 3 days in the hospital, we're finally home. It felt so good to walk through the front door and lay little Giovy in her crib. The adventure begins!

As ready as we tried to be for her, there was no way to completely prepare. We read the books and asked for advice and yet that first night with her at home was such an uncertain event. I cannot explain the mixed emotions that consume you when your new treasure is laying in the next room and you know at any moment she might start crying.

Thankfully, her first night at home was uneventful. She went to bed around 10:00, woke up around 12:30, 3:30 and 6:30. It couldn't have been more perfect. We hope for more nights like that one.

Pastor's Blessing

In the 41 hours that she's been on this earth Giovanna has several special visits from friends and family. Here in this picture is our Pastor Mihai and his wife Eliza. He said a prayer for her as we all have that God would protect her and keep her near to Him. We greatly appreciate your prayers as well.

Parent / Daughter connection

There is such an automatic connection between Giovy and Emma that actually started the moment Giovy started kicking. With me it really happened when I held her for the first time.
Since Emma had to have a C-section, she was still in recovery when I first got to spend some time with Giovy. The nurses left me alone with her for about a half an hour and it was the most special time I've ever had. I can't express what was going on through my mind as she stared into my eyes and just lay there. I am a truly blessed man.

She's already a model

Her first photoshoot went very well. Photographers from all around came to catch this rare beauty of a baby. Giovanna will be going on tour later this year and will make appearances in Clovis, San Francisco and Los Angeles in November; tickets go on sale soon!

Yawns like mommy

We are so happy to have Giovy in our life now. Only 48 hours have passed and we already feel like we know her so well. It is amazing how unique each child is and yet how similar she is to mommy and daddy as well. She yawns like Emma and has Chad's mouth. We can't wait to discover more and more of her little habits and characteristics.

She's got my hair!

It's official. She has my hair! Giovanna Bella Wilkinson has made her debut!
As you can see in the pictures she is as cute as ever.
She was born on June 11, 2008 at 11:30 pm weighing in at 8 lbs 7 oz measuring 20.5 inches
We are so blessed to have her and we appreiciate your prayers.
We will send more pictures ASAP, God bless

Personal Testimony

One of the greatest things in the world is when someone falls in love with Jesus and with His Word. That very thing happened for young Marius last week. He came up to me and said, “Chad, I want to read through the New Testament with you. I said, “Great! Let’s do it!” He then went on to say that he already started and that he finished Acts in a week and wants to continue reading 5 chapters a week because he can’t get enough. He came back the next week and said, “Where are you at? I’m in 2 Corinthians; I never knew how much this book changes your life when you are reading it all the time; I find myself acting more like a Christian without even trying” I was filled with joy and encouraged him. The truth is, I’m the one whose really encouraged here.

Education Department

Since taking on the Educational Department earlier this year I have really begun to acquire a passion for this side of the ministry. One of the most exciting responsibilities that I have now is our 2-year Bible College called “ISOM.” (The International School of Ministry) This October we will graduate our first 15 students. Many of them are already involved in some type of ministry. Each month I will write an article about a different graduate to keep you posted on the outcome of this wonderful ministry. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the ISOM Bible College, please visit the link above. We will start a new class in October this year. Please help by praying with us for the future students whom God is calling into ministry.

Singing the Vision

As we’ve mentioned in previous newsletters, our church’s worship team, led by Emma, has begun to write it’s own songs. Emma has been working with 4 other songwriters other than her and together has 12 finished songs. We sing them in church and they have really encouraged the congregation because we are “singing the vision” of the church. Here are some of the lyrics translated from Romanian to the right. In Romanian they rhyme and flow much better.

"“We all sing with a shout, “we promise to love the lost!”
United in prayer, we won’t stop ‘till we’ve won Romania
Together as an army we’ll equip ourselves to fight!
Yes, Lord, we have a mission, directly from You!”

Any day now!

As you can see, Emma and I are ready (well, relatively) and waiting for little Giovy. Her room is officially finished and anxious for her arrival. Emma has entered her 40th week and is about to pop.
We cannot tell you how excited we are to have our first child. We also want to express how grateful we are to you for your prayers and financial support as we enter this new season of our lives.