Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from the Franklin Family!

Catching Up

I was catching up on some work today and responding to emails. In one of the emails, our friend gave me all the information I was needing for a project and then said, "Now go post some pictures of your daughter!" So he lit the fire under me and finally some pictures are getting posted!! Here are a couple more cute pictures of some of Keely's accomplishments (holding her head up and smiling)!

My First Trip to the USA

I have been busy sleeping recovering from our busy trip to America! I had a great trip and did lots of things!

While I was in America:

I posed for lots of pictures.

I was bundled up a lot. (It's colder there than Thailand! Those long sleeves are weird!)

I was held a lot.
(I let Uncle Karl practice before my cousin arrives!)

I was kissed a lot.

And I found lots of new places to sleep.


I was a busy girl! I had lots of fun and glad I was able to meet all of my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends!! I miss all of you! But don't worry I'll keep posting lots of pictures!

Where Have We Been?!?

We went on vacation to the states November 15th. Things got really crazy the week before we left and so even though we had the greatest intentions to post that we were going...it didn't happen. Then we were going to post while we were there and discovered we didn't have the cable to our camera to download pictures! So we apologize for being so tardy and not letting all of you know that we were in the States!

Our trip was very eventful! When we went to check in to leave Chiang Mai, it took over 30 minutes to check in because we had requested the bassinet but they had assigned it to someone else and it hadn't been confirmed like we had thought. In Bangkok, they couldn't fix it but put us in a row where we would have it to ourselves. When we board the plane, we find it's a row where none of the arms will go up on the seats so it wouldn't help us but one of the flight attendants came to meet Keely and moved us to the bassinet seats because it was assigned to a child that was over the 24lb weight limit to use it! We took the nonstop flight from Bangkok to LA and it was great! It was 14 hours, but Keely slept well on the plane and we had more room on this plane than others!

Our time was great in the states and we got to spend a week in Jacksonville visiting Jacob's family and week with mine. We'll post more pictures and stories soon.

Our trip back was too eventful! We started our journey back to Thailand on Wednesday November 29th and got to Thailand Sunday December 3rd! When we checked in at the Springfield airport, our flight was delayed because of thunderstorms in Chicago and they weren't letting flights in and out of Chicago at different points in the day. Our flight was scheduled to leave at 1:18pm...we got on the plane the first time at 3:00pm and then sat on the plane for a couple hours. After the plane that was using our gate finally left, we went back to the gate and got off for a little while and then got back on and waited and finally left around 6:30! Our next flight in Chicago was suppose to leave at 5:00pm. When we got there, it had been delayed until 8:30 and we made the flight. However, we didn't make it to LA until after 11pm and our flight to Thailand left at 10:30. The nonstop flight only operates on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, so United tried to reticket us and put us up in a hotel that night. We arrive back at the airport 3 1/2 hours before that flight was to leave and we were at the counter for over an hour! To make the story a bit shorter, basically we couldn't leave on that flight because our Thai tickets hadn't been released and couldn't be released until their office opened, which wouldn't open until Friday around 7pm for the next nonstop flight. We already knew that flight was full, but Jacob was able to call Thai and get us on that flight. So, we stayed in LA for 48 hours until we could get on the next Thai Airlines flight! We did get to see friends so that was cool! The flight back was 17 1/2 hours but again so great!! Keely fell asleep in my arms about an hour and a half before we left and then slept 8 1/2 hours in the bassinet before waking the first time!! We had been trying to track our bags this whole trip and at each airport were told they were there and following us...even in Bangkok. But when we finally arrived in Chiang Mai they weren't there and we are again hearing lots of stories! So hopefully our bags will arrive soon!!

We'll post pictures soon...but that is where we have been the past few weeks!!

Pumpkin Day

My Grandma Franklin made sure I would be prepared for every occasion before I was even born. So, Mommy pulled out a pumpkin hat for me to wear yesterday. She even took me to the office for a few minutes and I wore it there. Am I cute or what?

2 Months!

Mommy and Daddy say they can't believe I am already 2 months old! I don't know if I'm very excited about being 2 months though, it means I have to get more shots!! Mommy and Daddy say they do things differently here, but I have 3 shots to get and I have to go get one a week for the next 3 weeks! That's not fun at all!

I finally got big enough to sit in my swing. At first I was too light and it went too fast! It still goes fast, but I like it and it puts me to sleep sometimes. Sometimes mom even puts me in it so I can "help" her in the kitchen.

When I get really sleepy and no one has found my pacifier I look for my thumb. Mommy never has the camera when I do, but she finally got a picture.


One Saturday, Mommy thought I just looked so cute in the PJs Mrs. Jamie, Mr. Scott and Hannah had sent me and decided to make me a model. Mommy had me lay on the quilt she had when she was my age. Socks the doggy woke Daddy, so he got in on the fun of taking pictures too!

Franklin Family Picture

This past weekend we had a team planning retreat. Keely had fun being held by our friends and seeing all kinds of new things. However, it also meant nap time was often interrupted and meant we had an overtired and overstimulated baby. We took this picture right before going home and needless to say Keely was exhausted! We'll try to get a family picture with her awake, but this one will have to work for now!!

1 Month Old!

All of our family and friends have been asking for more pictures, but mom and dad have just been so busy taking care of me that they haven't had a chance. So, I thought I'd take matters into my own hands and post some pictures!I love to sleep in my carrier when mom and dad take me out. Most people think I don't do anything but sleep!!When I am awake, I like to sit in my chair and look at Mr. and Mrs. Giraffe. They make noise and I have even gotten them to make some noise all by myself!
I love to take a bath and I feel so warm and cozy when dad wraps me up in my towel.
Sometimes, mom puts Crazy Duck in front of me to look at. But today I decided I wanted to cuddle with him instead.

Daddy Time

I love my daddy time! When daddy comes home from work for lunch or in the evening, I get daddy time. I love the weekends, because there is lots of daddy time!!
I like to remind dad how big I'm getting, so I stretch out my legs as far as I can! I'm so glad I can stretch so far now, mom's rib kept getting in my way when I was inside her!Dad also makes a good place to sleep!!

Sleeps Like Her Daddy

Like her daddy, Keely doesn't like her feet to be covered up when she sleeps. We lay her down wrapped snuggly in her blanket, and we come back a few hours later to find she has escaped.

Newest Member Of The Franklin Family

More Pictures Of Our Little One

Things are going well, and I think Sara and I are starting to get the hang of things. Below is a picture of the "drawe" Keely called her bed when we returned to our apartment in Bangkok.



We arrived back home from Bangkok yesterday afternoon. Here are some pictures of Keely and Keely with our friends who graciously delivered dinner to us last night.

Out for Lunch

Today we joined our friends Micah and Michelle for lunch. They had their baby boy, Reister, the same day we did but a little over 12 hours after Keely was born. Here are pictures of the 2, crazy how much smaller Keely is, and she is older!

She is Born!

It has been quite an exciting weekend for us. Friday morning, 2:30 to be exact, Sara's water broke, and at 3:00 the contractions started. From the beginning they were 30 seconds long and 1 minute apart. They would stay that way until a little over 5 hours later, at 8:03am, our little girl, Keely Nevaeh, was born. She was 19.3 inches long and 6 lbs. 11 oz. Below are pictures of our little one. She is indeed "beautiful from Heaven".

38 Weeks

Here is my latest belly shot.

The baby had been laying more in the middle and not out, but she has moved! She isn't kicking my ribs anymore either!! When we first got here, no one gave me their seat on the BTS (sky train) and the guard would have Michelle walk through the handicap side instead of the normal automated way but wouldn't bother with me. Then at the beginning of the week all of that changed, and then I realized I was carrying the baby differently. The first day, Jacob says the guard was watching me from quite a ways away and then motioned for me to go through the gate. Now I just go over there automatically. Also, I always have a seat on the train too. Which, in the beginning I didn't care but now that my lower back is starting to hurt I'm really thankful. Watch out for my husband though if you don't offer me a seat! He starts looking at everyone as if to say, "Now who is going to get up for my wife?" and shortly after I have a seat! LOL!

I updated our yahoo album and you can see all of my tummy pictures and compare my "growth."

The Nursery

I finally finished my last project, so now I'm trying to get caught up with updating our photo albums and posting pictures we have been promising!

Here is the nursery theme we went with, Zanzibar.

This is what the nursery looks like from the hallway.

When Jacob's parents came to visit they brought the bedding we had bought with them. The crib is the only "U.S." sized one we could find and we found it in Bangkok and it was shipped up to us on the train. We just happened to see the glider in an home improvement store one day and never saw it there again. (Good thing we had already learned to buy something you like right away and not wait!)
I saw a picture of this changing table and had a duplicate made here at a furniture "factory."

We were really lucky in our decorating because we did everything in pieces and it actually all went together and matches!! We painted the walls and ordered the curtains before we had ever seen the bedding in person! The crib was the only wood colored one they had and it just happened to match the glider pretty well and I just picked out a stain for the changing table hoping it would match slightly! We still need to hang pictures, however, we have a hanging picture/ hole drilling rule in our house. Since the walls are solid concrete and any hole drilled in is a long and difficult job, I'm waiting until I'm POSITIVE to what I want hung. This summer has been so busy that I wasn't able to think about it much so I'm sure it'll eventually get done! We also still need a lamp, possibly a floor lamp. However, decent lamps are hard to fine and lamps in general are really expensive. So who wants to buy an ugly and expensive lamp! So I'm still searching!

Settler's of Catan Game Night

After a great all you can eat Mexican buffet at the Bourban Street Restaraunt, we decided to return to our apartment for game night. Here we are, waiting on the babies to arrive and playing a game. Come on little babies, time for you both to appear.