Here we are, nearing the end of another year…one that we will always remember as the year our family grew. Much to everyone’s surprise, Caleb Tirian Conley made his grand entrance into the world on February 28, nearly 6 weeks before his due date. The days and weeks that followed are still a blur as we tried to figure out how to care for this helpless little one. We learned the value of sleep and the importance of leaning on each other. We continue to learn the discipline of sacrifice and the capacity of our hearts to love.In the first months of Caleb’s life, we were blessed to receive visitors from down the street and from half way around the world. These visits helped us in the early days of parenthood by providing much needed support in the way of meals, gifts, encouragement, and (best of all) chances to sleep; and also by reminding us that we are not alone in this journey.
Over
the past 9 months our initial panic has subsided and when we think of Caleb the overwhelming emotion we feel is joy. As he grows, we enjoy him more and more. We are constantly surprised by how much excitement we get from the little developments like when Caleb finished his first bowl of rice cereal, giggled from his belly the first time, started sitting up unassisted, put his soother in his mouth by himself, or made his way across the floor to get a toy that caught his eye. We are so thankful for this little one and for how much richer and joyful our lives are because of him.
When he was 4 months old, we took Caleb all over Canada to introduce him to his family and our friends there. First we celebrated with Alaina and Brenton in Edmonton as they got married, and another brother was added to the family. Then we enjoyed a trip to the mountains in B.C. with Larissa’s family – including one of Caleb’s Great Grandmas. This was followed by a month of visiting and catching up with our family and friends in Ontario, something we look forward to each year. In August we held a beautiful and intimate dedication service for Caleb, and we felt so blessed again to be surrounded by wonderful people who committed to helping us raise our son.
As the summer came to a close, we experienced our first (and hopefully last!) true separation as Darren headed back to Doha to work and Larissa and Caleb stayed in Canada to spend some more time with family. Darren took on a leadership position this fall at the college where he has been teaching for 1 ½ years. This job is a great fit for him and he is thriving in the new position.
In September we were reunited in Doha, and a week later we were joined by Larissa’s sister, Leona. Although her main reason for coming was to take care of Caleb, Leona has built a life here in a few short months and we have enjoyed watching it – and her – grow. Larissa returned to work in the middle of October with only a few tears shed. The transition back to the world of work was made easy by the fact that we knew our son was being well cared for by his auntie. Being back at work and away from Caleb has made the mornings, evenings and weekends so much more special. We treasure our time together as a family and try to make the most of it.And that brings us to the present. We continue to enjoy life in the Middle East, especially now that the winter weather has arrived. We are looking forward to a visit from Darren’s sister Lorraine in a few days’ time and celebrating Christmas with her.
We wish you and your families a wonderful holiday. May you experience the peace, hope and joy that is encapsulated in this season. And know that we are thinking of you and missing you from afar.
Love,
Darren, Larissa & Caleb Conley
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