Phillip and Rebecca Mefford

Evdeki hesap çarşıya uymadı It Didn’t Turn Out as Planned In the Turkish-English dictionary the first word listed for “plan” is “plan.” Yes there are other more indigenous words to describe thoughts and intentions, but most common is the word plan borrowed from English. This, we think, is very telling of the culture. In other words, the idea of planning is a foreign concept. Now, as Americans it’s easy to put a judgment call on this. We might think, “He doesn’t value me because he changed plans last minute,” or “she is wishy-washy because she couldn’t commit to a time,” or “they are unorganized because they didn’t plan their family vacation until a few days in advance.” But wait…maybe those ideas are more cultural than universal. Maybe the social consciousness of Eurasian peoples is concerned with something other than the little second hand of a clock. We are amazed at what a difficult paradigm shift this is for us. And yet we have to admit that even when we do our best to make our v

A day in Rebecca's life . Many people ask us, “What does your typical day look like?” This is a difficult question to answer because it seems like we are in an ebb and flowing tide—constant and yet ever-changing. Since Lincoln’s birth we’ve settled into a somewhat stereotypical lifestyle of Phillip going out to work and me staying at home with the baby. This doesn’t quite mesh with my personality, so we try to find creative ways of getting out of the house. In a typical morning I get up, somewhat sleepy-eyed, and feed Lincoln. He sits in his bouncer while I have my breakfast. Then we pick up the house a bit. Lincoln might have some “tummy time” or a nap while I do Pilates. We await ‘Daddy’s’ return for lunch. In the afternoons I shoot for some type of outing, maybe the park or tea at a neighbor’s. Sometimes Lincoln times it just right so that after he eats he has a super-poop, the diaper change during which he pees on his clothes and we have to change his entire outfit. This com

Auntie Ayşe’s Cookbook Şehriye Çorbası Vermicelli Soup Description : Our first memory of şehriye çorbası is from our first Ramadan here in Turkey. In the midst of a cornucopia of Turkish delicacies, this simple but delicious soup stood out, agreeable to the palette whether it’s holiday time or just an ordinary afternoon meal. Ingredients : 1 Tbsp Butter 1 carrot, finely grated 2 peeled tomatos, blended (or 1 Tbsp Tomato Paste) 6 Cups Chicken Broth (or Water with Chicken Bouillon) 1 Cup Vermicelli Noodles Salt to taste Fresh Parsley Lemon Baguette style bread, sliced Directions : Sautee the carrots and tomatoes with butter in a heated pot. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the vermicelli noodles. Simmer until noodles are cooked. Salt to taste and garnish with fresh parsley and lemon. Serve with bread on the side.

Age : Three Months Quotes : Gerçek bebek mi, oyuncak bebek mi? “Is he a real baby, or a doll?” a lady on the street asked us the other day. In other words, our little guy is too cute to be true. As parents, it’s impossible to disagree! Although…the poopy diapers are a pretty good clue that he’s a real boy. Height : 57 cm (about 22 ½ inches) Weight : 5.1 kilos (about 11.3 pounds) Eating : Lincoln hasn’t really gained weight since his last check up, so we’ve gone to a regime of more frequent feedings—strictly every two hours-- followed up by an ounce or two of formula. Our doctor explained that babies aren’t like predictable little machines, gaining exact amounts of weight per ounces of milk fed to him. He may just ‘play catch-up’ and gain a sufficient amount of weight by the next check up. Sleeping : He was getting some stretches of four and five hours at night, but now we’re waking him up to eat. Skills : Sitting up and sometimes even standing with (a lot of) help ; starting to grasp t