7 month update

Okay, so I haven't been the best blogger since bringing home Mason. In fact, I have no idea if anyone will even see this, but I can't stand it any longer. I have to show off my beautiful children. I hope at least one person will see it!!

Mason

Paige on her first day of kindergarten

My two sweet angels.

I am so proud of both of them!!

What a Difference One Month Makes!!!

The little boy we brought home four weeks ago, is a totally different little boy than we have now. It is amazing how a few short weeks can make such a difference. First of all, he has two new teeth, and several that look like they could come in anyday. He has gained three pounds, and is becoming more and more mobile and vocal everyday. He loves to sing and move his little body to music and is smiling and laughing so much more. He is starting to crawl on his hands and knees, as opposed to an army crawl, is pulling up on most everything, and is beginning to cruise around the furniture. Most importantly, he has learned to trust that I am not going anywhere and that Daddy is not so bad, afterall. We are so proud of the progress he has made and can't wait to see what's in store for us in another month.

Here are some new pictures I took of him, which are much easier to get these days. Now, I should be able to get a good one of him and Paige. That will be my goal in the next post. Enjoy!!

Finally Some Pictures!!

Everyone has been asking for pictures, so here they are. However, let me add that it is VERY difficult to get a good picture of a baby who cries every time I set him down. He is beginning to do better though. Enjoy!!

My wonderful neighbor brought us over some stuffed pasta shells, and he LOVED them!

We are trying to decide if he is part Italian or part Mexican, because he equally loves Mexican food.


First "official" haircut

What you did not see, is that I had to take about 100 pictures, just to get a few good ones, and Paige is running around behind me acting crazy to get him to smile.

Everyday we drop sister off at school and then head home for a nap, but we never make it all the way home before falling asleep.

So Sweet

Last night, when I was giving Mason his bottle before bed, he let me hold it for him for the first time. I know it seems like such a small thing, but to me it meant so much more. To me, it meant that he was letting go of a little of his independence and relying on me a little more. That is exactly what I want. I want him to put his little guard down and allow me to take care of him 100%. I think we are getting there, one step at a time.

On another note, Monday night he pulled himself up to a standing position by himself. Again, this seems like such a small step, but we were so excited for him. His little muscles are so weak, but are getting stronger everyday. Robbie and I make him work so hard, and it wears him out. He gets frustrated sometimes, but we can see how strong he is becoming. We are very proud of him and the progress he is making. We know there are going to be many more exciting "firsts" to come, and we are looking forward to each and every one of them.

We are Home!!!

We have been home for a week, and I am just now getting a chance to blog. It has been nonstop around here, and I think it will probably be that way for awhile. I think in all of the adoption paperwork and travel plans, I forgot to plan to bring home a baby, because I forgot how much time and energy they require!

Things are going very good now, but we definitely had it rough last week. Paige and I both got the stomach bug on the flight from Dubai to New York. She recovered quickly and was feeling fine by the time we made it to New York, but I was very sick all the way to San Antonio. I have never been so happy to see my house and my bed. On Sunday, Paige came down with double pink eye, and we both had horrible coughs the entire week. I think the coughs were from all of the pollution in Ethiopia. Mason has a double ear infection and his TB skin test had a reaction. We had to have a chest xray done, but it came back negative. Thank God!! The reaction was probably because he was exposed to it somewhere along the way.

Mason is doing wonderful. He is sleeping about 12-13 hours a night and eating like a champ. He has attached beautifully to me, which is exactly what we prayed for. The only negative is that he wants to be held by me all of the time. Unfortunately, I cannot do that , so there is a lot of crying right now. I think it is just going to take some time for him to learn to trust that I am not going anywhere. I have to remind myself that he has lost so many people in his little life, that he is probably terrified of losing again. It is so tragic.

It is truly amazing watching him change everyday. The first three days we had him, he did not smile one time. He was a very sad little baby. Slowly, he began smiling at me and Paige, and now he is beginning to smile at strangers. He also did not move much the first week, but now he is beginning to crawl on his elbows and knees, and gaining strength in his legs. The doctor in San Antonio thinks he is between 12-14 months old, but we are taking him to Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, to their International Adoption Clinic, in two weeks. We should learn a lot more about his age, developmental level, and health at that point.

We could not have asked for a more precious little boy, and are blessed to have him in our lives. We can only hope that we are making him as happy as he is making us .

I will try to blog more about our trip. It was definitely a trip of a lifetime!!

We're Off

The big day has finally arrived. I cannot believe it is here, after waiting for so long. I am filled with a million different emotions! Our trip starts in about 12 hours as we board a plane headed for Houston. We will have a layover for a few hours and then we will be on our way to Dubai where we will spend the weekend before heading to Ethiopia. I will try to blog while I am there, but I cannot make any promises, as the internet there is not reliable. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we travel and meet our little Mason for the first time.

Now, I have to get to bed!!!

It's Confirmed

Our Embassy Date has been confirmed for January 27, 2010. Exactly 6 weeks from today. The Embassy appointment is on a Wednesday, but we will arrive in Ethiopia on the Monday before. This is the day that we will go to the care center to pick up Mason. I can't believe we will be holding him in 40 days. It seems so close, yet so far away. I know it is going to sneak up on me though, with all of the things I have to prepare for between now and then.

I am really excited because we have already booked our room, and we are staying with two, maybe three other families who are traveling at the same time. They are adopting from the same agency as we are, so we have become friends over the past few months. It will be so nice to have the support and company of the other families. I cannot wait!!