Love you

Last night might have been my favorite moment since bringing our little guy home. I got him ready for bed, pulled back his blankets and laid him down. I was putting some stuff away in his room and I told him I loved him. While laying there he replied with love you...My heart melted...I lost it. I ran downstairs to grab Caleb. I took him into our little guy's room and then our little guy said it again to Caleb. I was bawling as we walked out of his room for the night. I am one happy mommy this morning. It is amazing how two little words can make you feel on top of the world.

Two months home

I cannot believe we have been home with him for two months. Our two month anniversary as a family and it is Christmas day. Honestly....I didn't think he would be home for Christmas this year. This post will be about how he has grown and changed over the last month. The next post will be about Christmas.


Food-
Loves: Milk, yogurt, crackers, grab and go fruit, fruit snacks, Jello, pasta, PB&J sandwiches, toast
Dislikes: Cheese, most meats


Toys-
Loves: Cars (beep beeps), balls, teddy bear, books, mimi (baby girl doll)


New words he says-
Teeth (says it as he points to his)
More (he signs more as he says it) 
Ho Ho Ho (for what Santa says)
Bea (Bear)
Bi (Bird)
Na (No)
Peeee (Please)
BA (Bath)
Bapa (grandpa)
Bu (Bud - his uncle)
Ka (for something hot)
Ow (ouch)
Bye
Quack (for a duck)
Moo (for a cow)
Neigh (for a horse...this has to be the cutest thing we have seen.)


New words he understands-
Eyes
Ears
Music

Coat


Other-
He likes to walk around with any device held to his ear as if he were on the phone. He paces and talks all around the house. He loves to open and close everything...any door, drawer, or bottle have been untouched. His personality gets better and better. It is amazing how many people tell us how beautiful he is...not just handsome but beautiful. I always agree with them. He smiles with his eyes and it will make any persons heart skip a beat.

First hot dog

Over the weekend we decided to try our first restaurant as a family of three. Overall our little guy did great. He had his first hot dog. He would only eat it if there was bun in the bite. He was not a fan of just hot dog.  He didn't eat the whole thing but I was impressed that he ate as much as he did. We decided to give him a fry with fry sauce on it. He couldn't get enough of the sauce. He just wanted to lick the sauce off the fry. Since we don't double dip we went through a lot of fries. Based on our experience I think there could be more restaurants in our future, which is great....that means less cooking. Ha ha. not that I did a lot of it anyway.

*** Next post will be about a shopping experience over the weekend.

Word of the week

We decided that we wanted to start a word of the week with our little guy. We give him a word to say and point out. Two weeks ago we chose the word teeth. He now points to his teeth and says teeth. Last weeks word was nose. He points to his nose and says no. This plan is working out pretty good.

One month home

I cannot believe we have already been home with our little guy for a month. I have to admit jumping into parenthood with a toddler is not easy. It gets better and better everyday. We continue to build our bond as a family of three. I want to start keeping a list of the big/little things as our little guy grows.


Food-
Loves: bread, animal crackers, oatmeal, hash browns, eggs, pasta
Dislikes: meat, Jello, peaches, pears, corn


Toys-
Loves: Cars (beep beeps), balls


New words he says-
Kitty kitty kitty (diddle diddle dee)
Doggy
Diaper (biaper)
Caca (his nose, hair, dirty diaper or messy hands)
Bye (in a sweet innocent voice)
Mommy
Daddy


New words he understands-
Mommy & daddy
Kiss
Bath (he loves the bath)
Coat
Shoes
Food
Get you (when mommy or daddy is chasing him)
Milk
More
Open & close


Other-
He loves to dance
He loves music (he has two favorite music videos from Madagascar Escape to Africa)
He loves to watch his friends (a video Caleb made on our trip to pick him up.)
He loves to be in the car
He loves to laugh (he has the cutest giggle in the world.)
He has a new molar

We are so in love with this little guy. He has changed our lives forever and we could not be more happy and excited for what our future holds. I am head over heels in love with his smile and his dashing good looks.

Happy Thanksgiving

We have so much to be thankful for this year. 

The fact that our little guy is home is truly amazing. 

Ohhh...how can you not love him???

We are home and we are a family of 3

It has taken me a week or so to get our blog updated. Caleb and I left for Ethiopia on Friday October 21st to go get our little guy. We landed on Sunday the 23rd. That day we went to the care center and had a birthday party for one of the the little girls. We spent a couple of hours with our little guy and the rest of the waiting children. It was great to see all of the little kids and some new faces. Monday we went with the other family that was there to pick up there kids. We sat in the van while they had their embassy interview. After that we went back to the care center and spent more time with all of the kids. We took some video and measurements of the kids. We wanted to get these to the parents. Who would think something so small would mean so much? We had our Embassy interview on Tuesday the 25th. This will be our Gotcha day. This is the day that we got to keep him with us forever. We had to say goodbye to the nannies. They all seemed to really love our little guy. We pretty much spent the rest of the week at the guest house hanging out. We met some pretty special people who were also staying at the house. There were so many people there doing different service projects. Wednesday night we did get out of the house and go to the Hilton for dinner. We all were dying for American food. We packed up and headed home on Saturday the 29th. We landed in Utah on the 30th. After 28hours of flying/airport time we had had enough. There was a huge group of people waiting or us at the airport. Having our friends and family there to see our new little family meant the world to me. Here are a few pics from our trip.

(Gotta love the girlie warm up suit he is sporting.)

*** next post will be about our first week home.

We are cleared

Today we got the news we have been waiting for. The US Embassy emailed us that we are cleared to go get our little guy. We are trying to work out all of the details...hoping to leave ASAP. One minor glitch is in our way... I am working on that in the meantime. I have to admit that knowing that we can be on a plane going to get him is the best feeling in the world.

This wasn't the week....

So, this wasn't the week...but it looks like next week could be it. 

We are still keeping our fingers crossed.

Until then....it has been 325 days since we first held and met him.

This could be the week...

We are keeping our fingers crossed that when we wake up Thursday morning we are cleared to go get our little guy. There is a very important meeting this Thursday. It will really take place while we sleep Wednesday night. This is all I can think about and it is only Monday.

We are in the 300's

Days since we first held him.  

I have been counting the days since we  first held him rather then the last time. It is too hard for me to think about the last time. I remember the joy, tears, love and emotions I felt the first time I laid eyes on our little guy. Standing in a dark room that was only lit by three small candles. Picking him up and being immediately filled with an overwhelming feeling of love. Ohhh I wait for the day we get to hold him again.

How many days since we first held him?

It has been 285 days since we first held our little guy. 

This number better not reach 365 before we get to hold him again.

It's getting good around here

All I can say keep your fingers crossed that 

everything continues on the right path.

Looking back

The other day I decided to stop and look back at all the pictures we have received since our referral. Our little guy is out of the baby stage. He is growing into quite the little man. He is too cute for words. I cannot wait to show all of the pictures we have been collecting. I have been saving up a lot of kisses for his cute little cheeks. Sooner than later he will be smothered in them and I cannot wait for that day.

The little things

Last night before I climbed into bed I had this overwhelming feeling. I kept telling myself to watch a couple of the short videos we took while we were in Ethiopia last November. I watched one of him crawling over to Caleb, one of him giggling from being tickled and one of him talking. Melted my heart. We had also put a small video together for the work shower we had back in January. I watched that one too. Not being bias here but he has to be the cutest little guy I have ever seen. Just looking at pictures and videos of him makes my heart flutter with so much love. I cannot wait for the day we get to share him with the world. Today was a great day for this girl and I am going to try and keep them coming.

Patience?

It seems like this word gets brought up all the time. Our agency both present and past have asked us to have patience through all of this. People always tell me they cannot believe how long this process has/is taking and that they wouldn't be as patient. If you can please reference the picture to the right. It's Caleb and me....focus closely on my hair....here is where you notice it is red. One thing red heads are not known for is patience. Trust me when I say this journey is hard. I want results....NOW. See what I mean? I think in the adoption world I am a pretty patient person....but ask the people I work with. There is no patience left. NONE...Zip...Zero....Zilch...I guess it is good to release my stress somewhere but I feel bad for the people at work.

We did receive a small update this week that our little guy is growing. He has teeth, walks on his own, shares his toys, is taller and fatter. The updates are great but also hard. I like to hear he is doing well but it also reminds me of everything we are missing. It has been months since we have seen an updated picture. I can only imagine how much older he looks. Trying to keep good thoughts but they are running low at this point. We are over two years into this and I am ready to wrap it up, but not without our little guy.

How many days since we first held him?

Happy Daddy Day

To my husband,
I know that our little guy isn't in our arms yet, but I want to thank you for being such a great example. You are an amazing man and I cannot wait to see you with our son. He is one lucky little guy to have you as his dad. Love you.

6 months

It was 6 months ago today we held our little guy for the first time.

A note to a mother....

To a mother that I have yet to meet. I am not sure if I will ever get the opportunity to thank you in person but I cannot express my gratitude for your brave decision to want the best for your baby. I hope that you have been able to find comfort and peace. In my heart I know that you are a strong and beautiful woman. I know that I will never be his birth mom but I hope that he will be proud to call me mom. I have loved him from the moment I saw his picture and the little info we were provided. He melts my heart every time I think about him. The overwhelming feeling I felt the first time I saw him I knew he was my son. I have never felt my heart so full of love. If there is anything I can do it is to promise to love him, take care of him and provide all that I  can as his mom.

Praying for good news Monday

Because I am tired of this....

HaPPy Easter

I never thought....

I never thought I would cringe at the word Tomorrow. Day after day we hear that something should happen tomorrow. How many more tomorrows do we have to go through to get to the answer today? Not sure how I feel...angry...hopeless...sad...all while still trying to stay positive.

April

April....

please shower us with good news this month.

130....

It has been 130 days since we first held our little guy.

Yep...

Yesterday we received three new pictures of our little guy. He looks a lot older than when we left him in November. He looks a little moody in the pic which fits according to the last update we had. He has two bottom teeth that we can see. Not sure if he has any others. He is sooooo handsome. Love him tons and can't wait until we have him in our arms forever. (not sure when that will happen....I hope before he is 18.)

Hoping for an update

We are hoping to get a new pic of our little guy and maybe an update on how he is doing this week or next. There are a couple of things I want to know...is he walking now? Does he have teeth and how many? How big are his feet? (We have not bought any shoes for our little guy. In every picture his feet look huge and I just want to know if once he comes home if he will be able to share shoes with Caleb.) We keep joking that he will be 16 before we ever get him home. For the most part Caleb and I are keeping our chins up and hoping everything keeps moving forward. We still have no idea when we will get to go get him but we are keeping our fingers crossed it is soon.

Already making BiRtHdAy wishes

A week from today is my Birthday. I am ready to make my Birthday wish. I really want some good news that gives us a reason to celebrate. So cross your fingers, wish on a shooting star, find a four leaf clover or come across a lucky penny. I am asking everyone to pull out all the stops.

oh how I can't wait for the day when I can.....

- Post daily, weekly and monthly updates about our little guy.

- Share all of the little things that will surprise us as parents. 

                            (and there will be things)

- Let pictures of our little guy speak for themselves.

Strength

I could use a little strength. I decided Sunday night that I was going to have a positive attitude this week about everything that is causing our little guy to stay half way around the world. I have noticed a difference in finding the positive but I am done. We get emails that seem to make us think things are finally moving in the right direction only to get one that makes me feel sunk. I am not sure where to turn...I am upset and angry.

90 days

It has been 90 days since we first held our little guy.

An update on our little guy.

Yesterday we received an email with an updated picture and info of our little guy. He is looking more like a little boy than a baby. They say he still loves milk and veges. We are guessing this is veggies but who knows what kind. They also gave us his personality characteristics: Moody at times. 
There are a couple of things that I think might make him moody.
1. It looks like they woke him up to take his picture they sent us. He looks moody and who wouldn't be upset to be woken up to have a picture taken?
2. He is always in girl clothes
3. He is always wearing clothes that are too small for him. (we all have "Fat" days and know how tight clothes make us feel moody.)

and the real reason I think he can be moody....
4. He wants to be home with his mom and dad.

What do we have today??? A.....

We wish our little guy was home to 

celebrate his first birthday with friends and family.

Trying to think outside the box....

Remember the movie field of dreams? The famous line "If you build it they will come". I am open to anything at this point to get our little guy home. So...if I pack it he will come. I am going to start packing our little guys suitcase. I have had everything piled in his room so I could start packing once we knew when we were leaving. Since we have no idea when that is, maybe we will get a date once it's packed.

Emotional mess

Ok, I don't get on here to vent very often so please make an exception for this post. Adoption is full of highs and lows. You honestly have no idea what to expect or when to expect it. Lately I feel like I am a mess of emotions. I try not to let this process get to me and I try to tell myself this is a process. I can honestly say I never would have guessed or known how this process impacts adoptive parents. I am so thankful for this journey but I am ready for it to be over. I know our time will come. I think one of the hardest parts of this is having everyone ask us what is going on. What makes this hard is we have no idea...believe me if we knew when we were going to go get him we would be shouting it from the roof. I understand that people are excited for us and just want to know what's going on. I think of it like this....when you are around someone who is always negative you seem to become more negative. When I am always repeating that we have no news or the news I have I don't want to share...I feel defeated.

Something to think about

An adoption friend had posted this on Facebook. Ever since reading it I have been thinking about it.


"Waiting isn’t just about what you are hoping for at the end of the wait, but also about what you will become as you wait."


What have I become on this adoption journey? 


A mom and sooooo much more.

60 days

It has been 60 days since we first held our little guy.

Dreaming of a miracle

At night I Dream.....

......for a Miracle in the morning

A couple of things

Jan. 6th - We received an email that our agency has received our court decree. So this means paperwork can be translated, work on getting his birth certificate. Once everything is read to go we should be sent an electronic copy of everything. This was great news. We were told the agency only received a couple and we were one of the families. So thankful to be one of the few families. The other families that traveled with us should get theirs soon. Keeping our fingers crossed.

Jan. 14th - We received an email from our agency that the embassy has changed. Before the change we were only able to attend embassy appointments every other Thursday which was limiting the number of embassy dates each month. The change with the embassy is now they will take weekly appointments and our new day is Wednesdays.

Overall a good step forward and nice change in the embassy.

Still keeping our fingers crossed that the rest of this process moves fast.