Belay's First Sentence

50* days and trips to the park in February, I'll take it.

Belay in all his two year oldness, I'll leave it.

Well I guess thats not fair is it? Not when he jsut said his first whole sentence.
"Adi, GO AWAY"!

How do you put him in time out for his first sentence? It took every thing for Andy and I to not bust out laughing as hard as we could.

 See it happened when me and B were having a snuggle in bed. Adi lately has not been ok with missing these snuggles. So she shoved herself right in between to two of us.

So while Belay needs to learn to share mama, sometimes its ok for him to have me all to himself.

big boy's looking sharp

It was time. Bitter sweet as first hair cuts always are. They will inevitably make your baby look like a big kid. First Adi with her bangs and now Belay with his fade.

We made a family event out of it, obviously.  But it may turn into a "boy date" (term coined by Adi) as the trips continue.  We had grand plans of having a dreddy two year old, but this two year old still has some baby fuzzy hair. So he may be a dreddy four year old now?

The process began with tying Belay into the seat with a smock. Then with a threat that if big boy didn't behave his entourage would be banished. Aunt Nikki and honorary big sis Whitney came along for moral support. Lucky we were at the Barbers not a salon because big boy will listen to a man and throw sad help me eyes at a women.

So Baron it was. 
He got picked out, sprayed, buzzed, sheened, and talc'd.

He was a champ. Almost no tears from him, but a lot of snot. His entourage on the other hand didn't fare so well.

Our baby is a big boy and all it took was a fade!

Baron told big boy that when he's 9 we can go ahead and drop him off for the day. Oh my, will that day be here soon?
In the mean time I will chase him around the house trying to get "after shots"

                              

Times are changing

A year ago I was on top of things. I followed blogs, forums, information changes. I knew every bump that every family was going threw in their adoption. But now we're home. Belay is safe in our arms and no one remembers life without him. It's a rare day that I peruse through the agency forum or read the home page news.

Now all that being said, I know things have gotten a lot harder.   Before I broke up with my facebook account, I was noticing all sorts of disheartening updates as far as adoptions go.

We waited for a referral.  It seemed like forever.  From September 11th 2009 until January 11th 2010. So  forever was 4 months. Not 22 months or 30 months. We waited for a court date from Jan 14th (date of official referral acceptance) until Feb 24, our first court date. Just over a month. Then we did not pass court. We were bummed, but sadly it had become the norm to not pass until 2nd or 3rd try.
So we were prepared.
March 10th came, and we passed court and became his parents, 2 weeks later.
April 16th arrived and we tried to hop on a plane but a volcano erupted. REALLY A VOLCANO?

So we were delayed 2 weeks. On April 30th we did get on the plane and on May 1st we held that tiny baby for the first time.

We didn't have to say goodbye, we didn't have to leave him alone in an orphanage while we came back home to wait, again. He was ours. And on May 9th we landed at the Asheville airport and hugged our family, all together, forever.

So lets do the math. Sep 11until may 1st = 8 months. Felt like FOREVER. June, when we first signed on with our agency until May = 11 months. Thats it. Not even a year. Felt like FOREVER.
We had a few hiccups, that volcano being the main one. But in the grand scheme of things, that's a hiccup and a small one at that.

So when I read about families who have waited 20 plus months for a referral, 2 plus for a court date. Who then had to leave their kids in Ethiopia while they cam home to wait for months to go back and bring them home, I get shivers.

My heart pours out to them. But still they remain steadfast.  Their love for these kids, some whom they have not met yet, conquers all these obstacles.

While I am eternally grateful for the minimal pain we endured to bring Belay to our family, I live in fear of doing what these families are doing now.
I dream of a third.  Some times that third has an African mommy too, some times he/she doesn't.
I'm not sure I have the strength to do what I see these amazing people do now.
I have seen the pain of my babies face and not been able to hold him. I've worried about a tiny baby who couldn't gain wait and be able to do nothing about it. I have waited 11 months for you. Could I wait even longer? I don't know. I do know the love that follows is worth it. Maybe I am looking for signs of what's to come. Time will tell.

My birthday girl turns 3

My sweet Adi,

     How can it possibly be true that you were born 3 years ago at 3:20pm on a sunny but cold Sunday afternoon? I never thought we would get past the first hour when I came crawling out of the birthing tub swearing that I would NEVER do that again. Or that second hour of excruciating  placenta birthing? Or that third hour of contractions as I tried to get you to latch on. Or that fourth hour of....well you get the point. Those days were long, those weeks were long. Even that first year when we begged and pleaded you to just sleep, even if it was for an hour on your own. But then 18 months turned into 2 years and we flew you to Africa with us to pick up your brother.  You were a big sister, and no longer our little baby. Now please tell me where the last year has gone?

I could handle 2, It was nice to say I had a 1 and 2 year old. I had babies still. But no, not now. Now I have a 3 year old.  A preschooler, not even a toddler. My fridge is littered with your art work. You don't really like sippy cups anymore (not that I'm complaining). Not only do you dress yourself every morning (well that's been going on for as long as you had the grabbing reflex) but you also dress your brother every morning. You speak fluently,read non stop, play hard, and we are pretty sure you think Belay is actually one of your possessions.  And of course, your first real hair cut, done by yours truely. What is it about 3 year old girls with bangs, does it get any cuter?

Your kindness shines, your love of this life is untouchable. You have grown into this funny little girl whom I can have full conversations with.  When your daddy comes home from work you ask his if he had a fun day at school.  You've also asked him is he gets sad to leave school everyday like you do. There are so many things to write about, sweet Ads. Like how you and your uncle Tim have such a sweet connection, or how important all of your family is to you. Your love is contagious and I am a better person for it.
I love you sweet Adi Kenya.
Happy Birthday.

Maybe I should add that this is the third year in a row you have been sick on your birthday, third year in a row you haven't eaten the cute cake I've made for you, third year in a row you've passed out early on your big night. Here's rootin for #4!!

Love

How do you know love until you see this?

waving bye to Daddy this morning

show me sassy

Wishing for lots more of this love for the rest of these dark, cold, flu infested days.

February

Its a big month around these parts. 7 out of 10 of us (on Andy's side) celebrate birthdays in February. Me and Belay remain out casts. Today Andy turns 32 (but Adi is convinced he's 42 and I let it go:)
and cousin Maya turns 5.
5 years ago we got a phone call at 11:45 pm to let Andy know he now has to share not only with the groundhog, but also with a sweet little girl. How will he even compete with that you ask? He doesn't even try.

I am not only lucky to have married such a dapper man born on this day, but I am also lucky to be sitting on my front porch with a lukewarm cup of " I'm getting sick and  trying desperately not too"concoction, wrapped in a blanket, watching my monsters throw cups of stagnant water scooped from the broken wheel barrel at each other. The sun in shinning, its 45* in February, we are outside for the first time in months.
Oh, wait, now it's 45* in February and the kids are soaking wet, this won't end well.
Happy Birthday and welcome to the birthing month.

On another note, Belay is starting to do things that make sense.  Sense to him and sense to me may not be the same but none the less I am expected to behave. For instance, I walked into his room this evening only to be chased out while"shooshing" me, finger on lip and everything. All I could see was a pile of blankets on the floor but upon closer examination I saw that He had tucked his fire truck into bed and making sure I was quite so as not to wake the truck.

 He is learning,some how some way, we are teaching this sweet boy.  He even sang the "too you" part of Happy birthday, on repeat to Andy.