three months home!

Three months ago, we arrived home with our sweet boy in tow.  The time has flown by!!
Here's where we are at three months home:
~Sam's vocabulary continues to increase at lightening speed.
~Speech is coming along and has really picked up in the last month and a half.  There are about 50 words that he uses spontaneously.  Most of these words are nouns and adjectives, so maybe right now he won't be seen as a great conversationalist ...but just wait until he learns more verbs ;).
~The nightmares that he suffered when we first brought him home are completely gone!  He sleeps through the night in his own bed.....(yet I still have dark circles under my eyes???)
~He continues to be a good eater and will try anything we put in front of him.  Lately, some of his favorite words to hear are "macaroni and cheese."
~Wearing different shoes is not a big deal anymore.  He chooses between his old, trusty black ones and the gray ones we bought him.  Apparently, his rubber boots are for when we go outside to play or feed the donkeys.  We tried to get him to wear them to town one day, but he said, "No. Shoes."
~He rides in the buggy at WalMart.  That may sound silly, but it was really a big deal at first.  We'd go to put him in it, and he would freak out--no thanks to people staring while he freaks out, so I'll just carry him.  It wasn't until he rode in a smaller buggy at the fabric store that he did so without freaking out.  Ever since then, he'll ride in the WalMart buggies, too--for which, my back is truly thankful.
~Potty training is underway!  Ever since we brought him home, we would have him stand at the potty and "tee-tee" in between diaper changes.  But, last Saturday, he started spending the afternoons and evenings in underwear.  I use a timer to help myself remember to make him go, and thankfully, it's working--the cool, Elmo potty seat also helped quite a bit ;).
~He continues to have a fondness for little blonde girls!  And, it just so happens that he can spot them everywhere.
~Finally, even after three months of parenting, I continue to learn something new everyday.  Parenting is not a job for the faint of heart, but it's the best job in the world!

For your continued prayers and encouragement, THANK YOU!  You bless my heart more than I can say.

 And, to the One who has blessed us with Sam, my heart is overwhelmed by Your gift.  May You be honored in the way we cherish and love him.

edible advice for sam

The list below is for a certain little black-haired boy...here's to hoping he'll follow it!

Things You Shouldn't Eat:

1.  Grass--the bright green color may be appealing and make you think it'll taste good, but don't be fooled.  There's a reason you don't see people eating salads made with the stuff.  Besides, grass is not on the list of vegetables that I feed you.

2.  Scraps of food set aside for Pepper--just because the food was on your plate the night before, this doesn't mean you still have a claim to it.  All food left on plates at the end of meals will be set aside for Pepper.  Knowing this, please, keep from sneaking bites of food scraps as we carry them to Pepper.

3.  Sidewalk Chalk--it's used to make lovely artwork on the concrete slab in our backyard and provides us with hours of entertainment.  However, it does not double as a handy snack to eat while outside and will only leave you feeling thirsty if you eat it.

4.  Butter by the spoonful--butter is so tasty and makes everything better when added to the pot, but it's not meant to be eaten alone.  Your waistline and arteries will thank me for this decades from now.

5.  Food off the floor--if you drop or *throw* food on the floor, you know by now that you'll have to pick it up.  When we tell you to pick it up, we don't mean eat it after getting it off the floor.  Pick it up and throw it in the trash or in Pepper's scrap bowl.  (We'll talk about the 5 Second Rule when you {and your immune system} are a little older...)

6.  Peanut Butter with a straw--eating peanut butter out of the jar makes for a much better snack than sidewalk chalk.  Eating peanut butter with a straw will get you no where and cause your hungry stomach to start wishing for anything to fill it, even chalk.  Save yourself some time and frustration by always using a spoon when eating peanut butter.

7.  Money--feeding your piggy bank coins you find around the house is great; putting a penny in your mouth is far, far, far from great.  Because I learned this lesson the hard way, I have a story that starts with, "When I was a little girl..." and I will make you listen to the telling of it until you wish you never found that penny if I catch you trying to eat money again.

As always, love your totally cool and awesome mama

the cat speaks

Sam,
Over the past couple of months, we've inched closer and closer to becoming friends.  You learning how to behave properly around cats has really helped this.  However, there are still some things standing in the way of true friendship.  I will lay them out as clearly as I can and wait for you to address the issues.
-My being soft and extra fluffy around the middle does not mean that I'm a pillow for you to lay on.  So, stick to those (useless) throw pillows your mama keeps on the couch if you want to lay your head down for a little siesta.
-I am 100% cat; there's not one ounce of me that resembles a rabbit.  That being said, please, stop comparing my ears to those of a rabbit.  It's offensive being compared to vermin such as rabbits.
-My tail is not for pulling and is completely and totally off limits.  Always, always remember this.
-It's a well known fact that cats sleep most of the day.  But, my 16 hours of napping are threatened when you take it upon yourself to wake me up whenever you see me sleeping.  You are not an alarm clock, so stop waking me up.  Let me sleep.
-Last but certainly not least, the faint stripes in my fur may resemble a train track to you; however, they are not train tracks!  Keep your trains, especially the motorized ones with the moving wheels, far from me and my striped fur.

Well, that's it--the issues standing in the way of our friendship.  It's your call, tiny human, as to what you want to do about them.

Sincerely,
Roux the Cat

road trip ready

The suitcases are packed and loaded into the car.  The bag holding Sam's snacks is located nearby, so I can get to it easily.  There's nothing else to do but get on the road and head toward the homeland!  While I am so excited for Sam to meet our friends and family, I'm also a little nervous.  Since having him home these past two months, we've worked to make his world stable and predictable.  Now, we'll put that to the test as we take our first road trip with him, sleeping somewhere else and meeting a lot of new people--all of whom want to see him :).

The challenge is going to be making sure that he feels safe and secure, even though he's experiencing so many different things.  It's natural for any person to be anxious in new situations and to wonder what's coming next.  However, because of what Sam has experienced, his interpretation of new situations may be different than most people's.  He'll definitely be wondering what's coming next, but he'll also probably be wondering if he's going to have to go with any of the new people he's meeting.  {The previous new people-us- he met and played with did end up "taking him."}

We've prepared him as much as we could and stressed over and over that "mama, uppa, and Sam" are going here and coming back, etc.  The only thing left is for him to experience this and see that he's still with us.  All this may sound a little crazy to some, but it's just another example of how things are done differently when your child is a toddler when he comes home.

If you have an extra spot on your prayer list, pray for us this week.  Pray for our sweet boy to know that Jeremy and I aren't going anywhere without him and for him to have a great time meeting his extended family!

the rug in sam's room

By day, it's where block towers are built and train tracks are laid.  It's the place where books are read and Lincoln Log cabins are constructed.  It's where laughter can be heard and imagination runs free.  And, when a certain little boy {read: cat chaser} is no where to be seen, it's the favorite spot of one fluffy cat named Lucy.

But, when night arrives, it becomes something else entirely.  When night arrives, it's the place where one tired mama finds herself on her knees, praying to the Father.  It's where a mama's heart is poured out for the child of her heart.  It's the place where much needed wisdom is asked for.  It's a place of thanksgiving and praise to the One who has blessed her beyond all measure and given her the sweet boy who is sleeping so soundly that he's unaware of the conversation taking place.

"Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin; pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord; lift up your hands to Him for the lives of your children.." Lamentations 2:19

rainy days & rubber boots

Today marks TWO months home for our sweet boy!  And, Sam and I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate than playing in the rain :).  Thanks to the rubber boots gifted to him by his Aunt Andy (and to the fact that he actually allowed them on his feet), the puddles left by the rain were no obstacle for Sam.  In fact, the rubber boots were a magnet, pulling him to every drop of water he saw.  Before we came inside, we stomped in every puddle we could find and even fed a donkey or two.

A wonderful two months and a wonderful day with my sweet Sam--my heart is overwhelmed with gratitude to the Giver of every good and perfect gift!

the Mother's Day I've been waiting for

Two Mother's Days came and went during the 21 months that we waited for Sam.  On these days, I often felt that I would always be a mother by heart only--carrying Sam only in my heart but never in my arms. (I know that sounds dramatic and illogical to say, "never," but feelings often aren't logical, are they?)  It was hard to know where I fit on those days, too.  With every fiber in me, I felt like Sam's mom, but legally, I had not been declared his mother; not to mention the fact, that he was half a world away--too far for me to mother him in the typical sense.  These were days that I would cling, often white knuckled, to the hope I had in the One who created Sam and knew he'd be our son.

So, with all of that, you can imagine the excitement that I have felt about this Mother's Day!  On this morning and every morning, I am so thankful to hear a tiny voice calling for, "mama" although it usually is a tad on the early side.  I am so thankful for the little boy who wants to hold my hand as we go down the road, even if my arm goes numb.  I am so thankful that my sweet Sam was sitting beside me on the pew this Mother's Day morning, even though he had no idea what all the fuss was about as mothers were recognized.

Sam,

What a blessing it is being your mama!  You are a precious gift from God, and I will cherish you always and forever.  Your sense of humor and outlook on life makes me laugh, and your sweet spirit fills my heart with joy.  You are the child of my heart, and I'll always thank God for you.

{Join with me in praying for those mothers who carry children in their hearts; may their children come home sooner rather than later, and may they press into their Creator as they wait.}