Photos

Last night Abby told me I should blog.  But really all anyone really wants is to see pictures....

First Sucker.  In Church.  With Flash from iPhone.  Classy.

Ready for First Day of School.

Typical reaction three-minutes after being picked up from school. 

Looking for Pumpkins and rocking his "dirty" jeans and new kicks.

Asking for "more" rides on his Tractor.

(Notice the broom handle - we have to use that to hold the gas down....for now)

He's like Vanna White -- rarely in the same outfit twice!

What's New???

A LOT!!!!!!  So sorry for the MIA blog status lately.  I think about blogging ALL THE TIME but can never seem to get around to doing it.  We've been really busy around here lately.  Roger has been busy for the past few weeks moving their business to a different location.  Wonderful change for the company, but a lot of work!!  So now that the "moving" work is basically done, he's in the process of trying to get caught up with his "real" work.  Which fortunately for us he seems to have plenty of!!  I am staying busy with court reporting and trying to manage being at home with Ari while still working part time.  Let me just say, having the luxury of working from home as a mom is AWESOME!!  I wouldn't have it any other way.  The challenging part is actually getting the work done with a toddler in the house.....who only wants to nap less than two hours a day.  Challenging it is.  I am wanting to increase my work schedule to taking depos two days a week consistently rather than just one, so that has contributed to a particularly terrifying/exciting/panic-inducing decision on my part:  Ari is starting Montessori school on Monday!  I know, I know, he's only 1; right?  How can he be going to school already?  He will be attending a toddler program each morning for three hours and will then spend the rest of the day at home with me or one of his grandmas if I'm taking depos.  I really feel this is going to be the best of both worlds for him and me and Roger, but holy cow it's been a heart-wrenching decision for me.  I always wanted to work part time, and although I wasn't planning on starting Ari in preschool until next fall, I really feel that this year is a better choice -- for all of us.  I've visited the school twice, both times with Ari, and feel really great about his two teachers and the overall classroom environment.  He is going to learn so much and have a wonderful outlet for all that curiosity, energy, and intelligence he has.  I had looked into a couple other daycare/preschool options earlier this summer and had walked out going "H***, no, am I taking him there!"  I got such a different feeling with the Montessori school.  The first day we visited I almost cried I liked it so much.  But then two days later I'm crying, wondering if this is the very best thing for him.  It is just such a huge contradiction of feelings to love being a mother and yet choosing not to stay at home full time. 

In other really exciting news, we have started the process for our second adoption!!  We actually have completed much of it and are getting close to officially "waiting."  Our homestudy and dossier is already complete.  Right now we are waiting on our USCIS fingerprint appointment.  Slow, slow, slow.  Does it seem like we're rushing it a bit?  Well, it may seem that way, but it is so very, very important to us for Ari to have a sibling who shares his heritage, and with international adoption being so unpredictable, we really didn't want to push our luck by dragging our feet.  We have no reason to believe that the Ethiopian adoption program is in any jeopardy in any way, shape, or form, but, like I said, it is very unpredictable and things can change quickly.  We are using Holt International as our agency this time around and couldn't be happier.  So professional.  Competent.  Helpful.  So different than our agency experience with Ari's adoption.  We expect the time frame to be about the same as Ari's -- somewhere around 18 months give or take from start to finish.  Roger has been a saint in putting up with my OCD attitude when it comes to getting all things done "adoption related."  Truly, a saint.  My Type A personality has been in overdrive lately.  We may or may not have a second crib in our house.  I'm just sayin'.  But we feel so at peace with how this adoption is progressing.  I'm not in a constant state of angst over it like I was with Ari's.  The fact that we have a beautiful, smart, funny, busy little boy in our house definitely has something to do with it!!  I can't wait to see Ari as an older brother.  He is going to be phenomenal, I just know it.

Our handsome little man.

Lookin' like a big brother already.

Below are some pictures of Ari's new playroom.  Once again, meant to post these about a month ago, but better late than never, I guess.  This room had previously sat basically empty for the last five years -- ever since we moved into our house -- just waiting to become a playroom.  It's a big hit with the little man and his friends.

And in case you were wondering about the gender of our second baby.......

We are starting to see pink around here!!!

A Year Ago Yesterday......

It's hard to believe it's been a year since we laid eyes on our little boy's picture for the first time -- August 20th.  That was such an awesome day!!  I still remember exactly where I was driving in the car when our agency called my cell phone, how I told Roger we had a referral while standing in the parking lot of the Cooper ballfields before watching our nephew's baseball game and he didn't believe me, how we came home and looked at his picture together with nervous excitement.  Oh, what a wonderful, unbelievable feeling that was.  And here we are one year later.  These pictures are just priceless.  And he's sick too.  But still happy.  Later yesterday evening we took our first trip to urgent care where we ended up getting a chest x-ray and a breathing treatment.  Apparently he has perihilar pneumonitis, plus an ear infection which I'm pretty sure he lives with on a daily basis, and is now taking three different medicines.  Yuck. 

Something Worth Reading

Please take the time to read this. 

Happy Birthday to Me

Today was my......ahem......30th birthday, but what a wonderful one it was.  It was also Ari's day in court for his readoption finalization!!  I remember wishing and hoping and praying that we would get a referral on my birthday last year.  Well, that came only three weeks later on August 20th, the day my mom had predicted (really amazing, I know).  But I just LOVE that Ari's court date was today -- on my birthday.  No, we did not plan that.  God planned that because I think He knew just how much I woud appreciate that little gift.  I love when God speaks directly to you -- just plain as day.  Don't you?

For anyone out there who doesn't know and wants to know, in the state of Missouri you have to do a readoption when you adopt internationally.  It is really just a formality, but it is required and it is also the time to do a legal name change.  Up to this point Ari's legal name has been Madegiya Roger Wasson because that is how the Ethiopian government listed it on his Ethiopian birth certificate.  So now he can get his Social Security number/card with the proper name and we can also now file for his N600, which is his Certificate of Citizenship.  Right now he is a permanent resident.  Blah, blah, blah.  Enough of that.  The details and paperwork are never-ending.  The important thing is we are nearly complete with Ari's adoption paperwork/hoops.  

Below is a beautiful picture of two very happy parents, one very kind judge, and one very sleepy little boy who was asleep during the entire court proceedings and then was woken up abruptly when the courtroom started clapping as soon as the judge officially approved our adoption!  And he received a little blue bunny as a gift from the court clerk.  How sweet is that?!?    

A Most Traumatic Day

This past Sunday Roger and I put Ari in the church nursery for the first time ever while we attended church service.  And let me preface this by saying that was the first time Ari has been without us anywhere except in our own home.  Up until Sunday he had only been left alone with one of his grandmas or his babysitter Caitlin, and that has always been at our house.  And only one day a week at the very most since April  Yes, we take adoption attachment very seriously, and it is so worth it because it seems to be working well.  For all you soon-to-be adoptive parents other there, YOU CANNOT TAKE ATTACHMENT TOO SERIOUSLY!!  It is so important.  You may be exhausted.  You may want a  break.  But do not leave the childcare duties up to someone else.  If someone wants to help out, let them do your laundry.  If they want to bring you a meal, fine.  But other than that, do the parenting yourself.  You literally signed up to adopt.  Take it seriously.  Okay.  I'll get off my soapbox now. 

So, anyway, back to Sunday.  We dropped him off at the nursery.  I walked him into the room, sat him down, pointed out all the fun toys, and did a quick but cheerful good-bye.  No tears were shed.  At least on Ari's part.  I, on the other hand, fought tears through the first 20 minutes of church.  And not so successfully either.  Wow, that sucked!!!!!  It was really going against my comfort zone and instinct to leave him in the nursery.  But I kept telling myself, "He's been home six months.  He's a year old.  Our attachment has gone wonderfully.  It will be okay."  Well, I think it was kind of okay.  I don't think any permanent damage was done, but when we went to pick him up, I peeked in the window before he saw me to see what he was up to.  He was one of the last children picked up (even though we went straight to the nursery as soon as church was over) and he was sitting in the middle of the room by himself, watching forlornly as another mother came to the doorway to pick up her little girl.  He wasn't crying, but he definitely wasn't having the time of his life either.  I peeked my head into the room and said, "Hi, Ari!!"  He immediately stood up and made a beeline for my arms.  Once he got to me he started sniffling and then the crocodile tears came.  Apparently he had held it together until he saw us again.  That kind of broke my heart.  More than kind of.  Obviously he was stressed and worried that we had left him in an unfamiliar place with an unfamiliar caregiver because he has never had that reaction to my return home when he's been left with his babysitter or grandma.  And I know he's at that separation anxiety age, but I know my little boy, and that was hard on him.  I don't think we'll be doing the church nursery again anytime soon.  And even if it's not too soon for Ari (although I think it is), it is definitely too soon for mommy.

In other news, Ari has entered toddlerhood!!  His independence is becoming quite fierce.  Meals and sleep are a  little bit different (read: harder) than they used to be.  My baby boy who used to eat perfectly-balanced meals that I prepared for him is now sharing with us he has his own mealtime agenda.  And the sleeping that used to come so easily is now fought for at least a good 20 minutes before he gives in.  He is still what I would consider an "easy baby," but the baby part is definitely slipping away and being replaced by a little boy who has his own mind and ideas.  I am working on my patience and creativity.  Two characteristics a mommy can never have enough of, I don't think.

Check back to our blog soon to see pictures of a fun project recently completed!

Ari loves Water

Will You -- or, better yet, can you -- Do Something??

I know this is the second recent post I've done about helping Ethiopia, but my heart just aches for this country.  I have a very real and physical reaction to the suffering that goes on there, and I can't help but try to bring awareness through this blog.  And I know not every family is called to adopt, obviously.  But there's SOOOOOO much difference one person/family can make in other ways.  And I guess I should state this:  Roger and I did not choose to adopt a child from Ethiopia knowing the extent of suffering and despair that exists over there.  We really just wanted to be parents and this was a way to do it.  We, like most Americans, had no idea how bad it really is.  I mean, sure, we all know it's a third-world country, but it's comfortably on the other side of the world and not something we thought about a whole lot.  But once you've seen it, brought a child home from it, it is increasingly difficult to turn your back and pretend it doesn't exist.  The cliche out of sight, out of mind does not apply here.  And maybe your heart isn't called to help Ethiopia.  Maybe it's someone or somewhere else.  But how can we be so selfish, so ignorant to all the suffering that exists in this world?  We are so ridiculously blessed beyond measure in this country, we don't even have a real concept of how privileged we are.  And if we all committed to do something, anything, what a huge difference it would be.  It's not hard.  In some instances it is a case of clicking a PayPal button and you've changed someone's life -- increased their chance for a better future.  Here is a wonderful opportunity to make a difference and also open your eyes.