It's Fall Y'all!

It's my favorite time of the year! The leaves are changing and falling (all over our driveway and yard, I might add), the weather is cool (and rainy), and everywhere you look there are pumpkins and mums galore! I love it! We've turned off the A/C and have been cracking the windows for fresh air. The coming of Fall also means Grayson's birthday! We are gearing up for a Handy Manny-themed party in a couple of weeks! I can't wait...I get so excited for birthday parties!

Here are a few pictures of what we've been doing to enjoy this wonderful season!

We're painting pumpkins!

Wearing our fall/winter jammies!

Playing soccer.

And, picking out pumpkins!

A little over 2 months....

...and we are seeing HUGE progress in this family! We've had some tough times in last couple of months, but we are seeing so much positive change. It is such a testament to God's work in our hearts and in Abram's.

For starters, nap time and bedtime are finally getting easy! I lay Abram right down for his nap with no protesting! Occasionally, he's not quite ready and I have to go back in, lay him down, cover him up, but that's pretty rare. Bedtime is about the same. We got through our routine, I lay him down, and Aaron usually has to go in a couple of times to cover him up. We figured out that he would go to sleep much faster if Aaron went in versus me. I think he's so attached to me, that it became difficult for him to fall asleep if I kept coming in when he cried.

Abram is getting more and more comfortable with Aaron. He enjoys playing with him, will let Aaron feed and bathe him, and let him hold him. Now, if he has a choice, he wants me. And, he still gets upset sometimes when I walk out of the room and leave him with Aaron. He's my little "cling-on." But, we did make huge progress last week when I left the house for an hour to volunteer at Matrix. Aaron said he never even acted like anything was "off."

And the really fun stuff; we're starting to see Abram communicate with us more and more. He waves and says, "bye-bye." He puts up his hands and says, "all gone." And this week, he started using his signs for "please" and "thank you." I'm so proud of him! He is really starting to come out of his shell and show us that wonderful little personality. The greatest thing is just seeing him have fun and laugh...God is so good.

Such a beautiful smile and spirit!

Kisses from big brother.

Two happy, little boys!

Brothers

Many times in the last couple of months I've kind of questioned our choice to have two boys so close in age. It's not so much that they are close in age, but the fact that we brought one toddler into a house where another toddler was already living (and was master of his domain, might I add). We've had a lot of rough moments where I'm changing a diaper and Grayson has to go potty, NOW! Or, the times when they both fall and get hurt and both come crying, wanting to be picked up and comforted at the same time. Or, the seemingly constant battle over toys.

But, in the last couple of weeks, I've really started to get a glimpse of what life will be like for these two brothers. I've already started to see hints of the type of bond I had/have with my younger sister. Grayson absolutely adores Abram. It may sound strange, but it's almost like a younger sibling looking up to an older sibling. He may talk tough at times, but at the end of the day he just wants Abram to love him as much as he loves Abram. He reminds me so much of myself when he tries to hug and kiss Abram all the time. I was affectionate with my sister to a fault...it drove her nuts! When Abram is in the right mood, it's magical. To see them giving each other kisses and squealing as they hug/wrestle on the floor. But, more often than not, Abram is a little sensitive and grouchy and the affection sends him into a fit! Or, their newest thing, sitting next to each other on the bathroom rug as I get ready in the mornings. If Abram sits on the rug and doesn't land close enough to Grayson, he inches over...so cute.

But what warms my heart the most is Grayson's compassion for his little brother. When he hears him crying his ears perk up and he runs to his rescue. When he sees Abram get hurt, he hangs his head and says, "poor Abram." I can remember my sister getting in trouble and I would be the one in the other room, crying, feeling sorry for her. I can say from experience, Abram will never go a day without an ally ready to stand up for him at a moment's notice. At dinner just the other night, Abram was crying about something (mealtime fits are not uncommon). Just as Aaron and I were getting a little frustrated, Grayson got out of his chair, went to Abram and said, "no more tears Abram, no more tears," as he wiped Abram's tears with a napkin. My heart melted! I am so excited to see what the future brings for these two, and I am so glad they will always have a best friend.

Finally a post about our trip!

So, lately I've been feeling I was remiss in not posting about our trip. But, for the longest time, I just didn't have anything to say, or maybe I had too much to say? It was as if I couldn't sit back and reflect on the trip because in some weird way I felt like I was still on the trip...like I had never gotten home. I mean, we came home, but nothing was the same...I still felt like I was in a foreign land because this whole two toddlers thing was definitely uncharted territory. But, now we're finally in a routine, and things are starting to feel familiar again. Now, I feel like I can step back and recall details from our trip...I feel like I've finally returned home.

For starters, the flight was grueling. Our flight out of Indy left so early that we got very little sleep (plus, who can sleep when you're so close to meeting your son)! We then spent a night on the plane, so, by the time we arrived in Addis Ababa, we had 2 nights of nearly no sleep. The airport was a breeze and we were soon off to the guest house. But, no sleep, hunger, bumpy roads, and high altitudes left us both feeling pretty crummy by the time we got to our guest house! We took a nap and waited for that long-awaited moment of meeting Abram! It ended up taking Travis, the Gladney representative, longer than expected to bring Abram to us. But, honestly, we needed the extra couple hours to sleep and shower! When Travis called saying he was downstairs I was so excited, but so nervous. I was bracing myself for the fact that Abram may not want to come to us. But, he did fine. Though, Travis said he did have a very tough time leaving the care center. He had a deer-in-the-headlights look, but no tears. My first impression was that he was so much pudgier than I had imagined...I hoped the clothes we brought would fit!! Our first day together went very well. Aaron ended up being gone with our driver for a couple hours to get dinner and Abram and I played. I got all kinds of laughs and smiles. He eventually fell asleep on the bed, exhausted from a tough day.

Our first heart-wrenching moment came later that night when Abram woke up. He sat up in his crib crying. I went over to pick him up and he started crying harder, backing himself into the corner of the crib to get away from me. Oh, my heart was breaking for this little guy! I picked him up, rocked him, and he went back to sleep. How scared he must have been...hoping I was just a bad dream and he would wake up in the morning to the sound of his special mother's voice.

The next day, Tuesday, was spent hanging out at the guest house with Abram. He seemed a little unsure of us that morning, but warmed up to us quickly. Aaron was starting to get things figured out with our driver who would run and get us food when we needed. Aaron usually tagged along and by the end of the week, we were great friends with Biniam. We had a couple of frustrating moments with the language barrier (he had only been speaking English for 6 mos...amazing how much he knew) but quickly learned to go with the flow and if we couldn't understand or he couldn't understand, we just laughed and tried again! I was absolutely floored by Biniam's compassion for Abram. He would hold him, talk to him, coo his name...it was heart-warming to witness.

Wednesday was a big day. In the morning, we visited the Gladney care center that Abram had been staying in. When we got there, his special mother (caregiver) came to get him and took him to dress him in traditional clothing. It was obvious how much Abram loved her by his reaction when he saw her...he wanted her NOW! It was such an amazing experience to tour the care center and see the children of your blogging buddies back home. What an honor it was to hold them and take pictures of them! We had a coffee ceremony and then the children were brought back to us. When Abram's special mother said goodbye to him, my heart broke into a million more pieces. She cried and he WAILED. I held him and just broke down. I just felt like this couldn't possibly be what was best for this precious child. I already loved him and I didn't want him hurting. But, I pulled it together once again, tucking those emotions away for another time and we went on with our day.

We grabbed some lunch as a group and then went to the U.S. Embassy. I was again surprised by the caring nature of a man at the embassy. He was sitting across from Abram and I and he played with Abram, talked to him, and tried holding him (for once, he actually preferred me). I had to wonder what he was thinking. Was he being so kind and playful in hopes that Abram would remember the amazing spirit of the Ethiopian people? Did he feel sorry that Abram would be raised by a white family a half a world away? I was certainly starting to feel that way. I loved him, but so did our driver, Biniam, and the man at the embassy, and his brother...his brother loves him so much.

After waiting a good couple of hours at the embassy, we were called to a window, answered a few questions, and were on our way! Thursday was our day of sight-seeing. Aaron was feeling a little sick in the morning so he stayed behind with Abram. I went with Biniam to the national museum, home of Lucy, the oldest human skeleton, thought to be millions of years old. From there we took a group tour of Holy Trinity church. That evening, we went to a traditional dinner and dance. Luckily, Aaron was feeling better and could attend. His worst fears were realized when he was called out to do a little traditional dancing...let's just say his place is in front of a computer!

We knew Friday would be an emotional day. That morning, we were able to meet with Abram's biological brother. His brother cared for him for several months before making the impossible decision to relinquish him. We got out of the car at the Gladney office and heard someone calling Kembata's name. We knew it must be his brother. Kebede reached for Abram and he didn't want to go to him. It very obviously broke Kebede's heart and mine. I had to bite the inside of my mouth most of the morning to keep from losing it. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to talk to Kebede and video tape our time together. Abram eventually warmed up to him and let him hold him and play with him. I was so glad they had that time together. I pray it's not the last time they see each other.

After the morning meeting, we toured 3 government-run orphanages. I've seen similar orphanages in South Africa and even more desperate situations in Zimbabwe, so I was prepared for the hard things I would see. But, it was Aaron's first time in an orphanage and was difficult for him. But, we were encouraged by the resilient spirit of the children and by the great things Gladney is doing in each of these orphanages. Before we knew it, it was time to head to our guest house, pack our things, and head to the airport.

After waiting several hours, we finally boarded the plane. I have to say, as much as I loved Ethiopia, it was good to be getting on the plane. I felt like after a tough week of bouncing from us to caregivers to birth family, back to us, this was what Abram needed to really begin bonding with us. The return flight was very difficult. There wasn't much room and Aaron was in the middle of 3 seats. I had to be on the end because Abram required me to get up and down a lot. He just wasn't happy for the majority of the flight. It was really, really, tough to say the least. I've never been so happy to get off of an airplane in my entire life!

The walk from the plane to where our family was waiting seemed to take forever! But, eventually I saw Grayson! He immediately came to us and said, "ABRAM'S HOME!" I have to say that the meeting at the airport was like a dream! Abram was very friendly with all of our family and Grayson was just ecstatic to finally meet him. Grayson looked like he had aged 2 years in one week...he just suddenly seemed so much older! And, I find myself treating him much older....sometimes I have to adjust my expectations and remind myself he is only 3.

Well, that's it...that's our trip in a very small nutshell. It was amazing. And like with Guatemala, I find myself wanting to go back! I can't wait to take the kids to their birth countries. However, Aaron and I agreed that we would be waiting until we could afford first class before returning to Ethiopia!

Abram and Samrawit

The Gladney Foster Care Center

Clothes drying on the line!

Us with Abram's brother, Kebede

My sister and nephew met us at Dulles!

So many things happening!

This has been a very exciting week in our household! After much thought and prayer, I decided I was not going to be able to teach bible study this year. It meant leaving Abram with other caregivers 2 mornings each week and we know he is just not ready for that. So, with our days wide open, I began looking for a preschool that had openings for children just barely missing the "3 years old by Sept. 1" cut-off. I found a preschool in West Lafayette that has a 2.5-3 year old classroom! Their afternoon program had openings. We went to visit and Grayson got very excited about "his school!" So, yesterday was his first day of preschool! I can't believe how big he has gotten. He really needed something to look forward to each week that was just his and not something he had to share with Abram! From what I can gather, he had a great time and looks forward to next week! And, an added bonus, the school is very diverse! Of the 6 kids in his class only 2 are white! I have nothing against white people (obviously), but sometimes there are just so darn many of them! We know that Grayson is getting to an age where he notices differences in people and things and I was so excited to see that he will not be the only non-white child in his class!

And, if preschool was not exciting enough, we signed Grayson up for soccer! He starts next Saturday. It's a 6-week program that meets on Saturday mornings for 30 minutes. I can only imagine what it will be like! I'm sure the kids will be doing about everything BUT playing soccer! I'm envisioning somersaults in the grass (he's been practicing these).

As far as Abram is concerned, he seems to do a little better each day. He still gets pretty cranky and clingy when we spend the night away from the house, but is settling into a routine here at home. I still have not tried leaving him with anyone, including Aaron. If I'm in another room of the house he will be okay for a little bit, but then will start crying and looking for me. We're a little afraid to test him to see if he would eventually calm down. I don't really want to put him through that or Aaron for that matter!

Breakthrough!

Today has been a good day. I hope it's not a fluke! Abram has been letting Aaron hold him as we run our errands today. I' ve been getting Grayson out of the car and carrying him in so my arms are full. Aaron gets Abram. As recent as last night, this would cause Abram to throw a full-fledged tantrum. He even cries if Aaron is pushing the cart he's sitting in! Today, Aaron pushed the boys around all morning with no protesting from Abram! AND, I just went to lay Abram down for his nap and he let me walk out of the room with NO crying! Now, he may still be awake, but he's not throwing a fit! Woohoo! Praise God! Please continue to pray for our transition...that Abram would continue to feel safer and more secure in our home each and every day and that he would begin to bond with Aaron.

Now, here are some pics!

Still not too much to say...

Every time I try to post about our trip, it just doesn't come out the way I want it. It's impossible to put into words the range of emotions we experienced, so I'm going to quit trying and just continue to process.

But, what I can put into words is how we're doing. Each day is getting better and better. Abram is really starting to feel more comfortable here at home. And, he does really well getting out of the house and going to the store, out to eat, or to play at a park. He just doesn't let me get very far. He still sobs every time I walk out of the room (unless I can sneak out really quick while he's busy playing). So, I've learned to do A LOT with 23 extra lbs. on my left hip (it certainly provides incentive to never gain 23 lbs.). Our lifesaver around here has been going outside to play. There are some days we are outside playing by 8 a.m. (3 weeks ago, this is what time Grayson woke up). The kids love being outside swinging, riding bikes, pushing bubble mowers, playing in the pool, you name it. Grayson seems to be a little better about not taking things away from Abram when we're outside or at a park where nothing is "his." Grayson is doing really well considering how tough it must be to see me constantly tending to every one of Abram's needs. We're doing our best to do special little things for Grayson, but what he wants most is our attention and that can sometimes be really hard since they don't play too well together, yet (Abram is a little sensitive about Grayson getting too close or too touchy...it's hard to predict what he likes/dislikes).

Nap time and bed time are getting much better. Grayson is such a trooper and has totally been a lifesaver. I have to sit with Abram at both nap time and bed time until he falls asleep. Thankfully, Grayson will wait downstairs and watch a show while I lay Abram down for a nap. Grayson will then go upstairs and lay in bed with a book until he falls asleep (we used to read books, rock, it was a 20 min. ordeal). Abram is also doing better through the night. Most nights he will sleep through the night or wake up once. He is quickly comforted and goes right back to sleep. A good night's sleep makes all the difference in the world with these two, energetic toddlers!

Now, what you really want...pictures:)

Quick update!

I wanted to check in briefly to let everyone know that we are still alive! Aaron and I are both healthy and with the help of antibiotics, Abram seems to be kicking a "touch" of pneumonia.

Adjustment-wise, we seem to be making a little progress each day. The last couple of days, Abram has been pretty good about letting me put him down. He's beginning to venture out on his own a little more, exploring the house and toys. All things considered, Grayson has done remarkably well. He, of course, just happens to want to play with everything Abram does at the exact moment Abram does but, that's to be expected. When he's not wanting to be held, Abram is an extremely happy, playful little guy! He has the brightest smile and a beautiful laugh.

Now, we just have to get bedtime figured out. We were a bit spoiled in Ethiopia. Abram would fall right off to sleep on our bed and we would move him to the crib where he would sleep most of the night. If he did wake up, I got him out and he would fall right back to sleep. For the first couple of nights at home, this same tactic worked. I knew it wouldn't be permanent, but it let us get some sleep right after getting home. Well, within a couple of nights, Abram became very sensitive to us laying him in the crib and would wake up screaming as I laid him down. So, we decided it was time to go straight to the crib. We've been doing pretty well laying him in the crib and then sitting on the floor right by the crib holding his hand, etc. Each day is getting a little better, but tonight it took over an hour for him to go to sleep. He also tends to wake up 3 times a night. I'm exhausted. I don't think it helps that he appears to have about 4 teeth coming in. This type of thing is so hard because there is no letting him "cry it out." I can't even imagine letting this little child think that we've walked off and forgotten about him. As hard as it is, we have to build trust. He has to feel safe in his crib and I don't think he does just yet. But, as with everything else, we'll get there.

Here are a few pictures from our time at home!

I promise I'll update everyone at some point!

Right now, we're a little overwhelmed:) I don't feel that great and Aaron woke up with a temperature of 102! All of this on top of trying to keep up with 2 toddlers...one of which will NOT let me put him down! Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to hold him, but it makes it really hard to care for Grayson. This too shall pass! I'll give the full update once we're all healthy and rested! Here are a few pics.

We're home!

We're home! We are exhausted, emotionally drained, and completely in love with our life as a family of four! I'll be updating and posting pictures soon! For those of you I took packages for...they made it! I'll be emailing pictures soon!


Okay, here are a couple of pics to hold you over:)

Off to Ethiopia!

Well, today is our last night at home for awhile. We leave tomorrow for Liberty to take Grayson to his grandparents. We will then leave from there in the wee hours of the morning on Sunday to head to the airport!

I still can't believe it's really here. I have a feeling the whole week will seem surreal. Tonight we switched the extra carseat (in Aaron's car) over to the van. Aaron's vehicle all of the sudden looks bigger, quieter, and, let's face it, boring. The van, on the other hand, looks smaller, much more chaotic, and absolutely blissful! I've been waiting over a year to look over my shoulder and see both of my boys in their carseats...that day is only a week away!!!

The guest house we are staying in has dial-up internet. So, I'm hoping to update the blog with a picture or two at least once while we're gone.

And now, I leave you with a very short video of the precious little boy I am going to miss so dearly while we are away (have I mentioned we've only been away from Grayson one time and it was for a couple of days).

On the home stretch!

Wow, I can't believe it's finally here! The week we have been waiting over a year for is finally here. This week we leave for Ethiopia to hold our youngest son in our arms for the first time. Even as I type it, I can hardly believe it. It's the strangest feeling in the world. All this time you guard your heart saying, "It's never going to be here." And then, when it is finally here, you still don't believe it. Sure, I'm going through the motions, packing, planning, cleaning...but I don't know if I'm really convinced this is happening. And then, in this really strange, strange, you-can-only-understand-if-you've-been-there sort of way, it's almost kind of sad. Crazy enough, you almost feel a little sad that this process is coming to an end. Sure, the best part is yet to come. The end of this process is what you've been praying for every day since you started...but, you're still a little sad to see it go. No, you don't wish to go through the stress of waiting again, but you wouldn't mind reliving the elation that comes with "the call" or the updates or the "you passed court" or any other number of really exciting things throughout this amazing journey. Weird, I know. But, at least this time I wasn't surprised by the feelings...I went through this with Grayson's adoption as well.

I'm also finding it really difficult to control my neat-freakishness this week. This tends to happen when something big is coming up. No matter how picked up my house is, I feel the need to do more, clean more, straighten more bedspreads, fix more couch pillows, dust more corners, and on and on. I think I'm feeling as if I may never accomplish another thing with 2 toddler boys. And, while things will be a little harder during our transition, I know life will find a "new normal" and in no time I'll be cleaning with the best of them again. But, even those thoughts can't stop me this week! I'm telling you, don't sit still too long, you may get swept up around here!

Okay, okay, enough rambling. I'm taking a much needed break tomorrow and going to the Children's Museum with Rita and Toby. I'm trying to enjoy this last week with Grayson as much as possible!

Here are a few pictures from one of the fountains on Purdue's campus.

10 days until departure:)

Well, I don't have too much to say, other than we are getting everything together for the trip and are trying to take plenty of breaks to have some fun before life gets a little more complicated (and joyful)!

We had a great 4th of July at Dale Hollow, knowing that it may be a little bit before we get brave enough to take 2 toddlers out on a lake! Grayson had a great time with his cousin Ellie.

Today, we went to Monkey Joe's with Rita and Toby. Monkey Joe's is a place filled with bouncy houses, mazes, and slides. The boys had a blast!!! And, the best part is, parents are allowed to "assist" children under 4. So, I of course decided Grayson needed a lot of help on some of the really big slides:) Needless to say, Rita and I had as much fun as the boys!

There was some disappointing news in Ethiopian adoptions today. An agency will be closed for the next two weeks and will not issue opinions for court cases scheduled during this time. This means that those cases will be reassigned. However, we are coming up on the rainy season, so there is not a lot of time left for cases to be heard before court closes for a couple of months. Please pray for the families that this effects!

Here are a few pictures from Monkey Joe's.

A nice visit with family!

Grayson and I got home last night after spending a couple of days in Liberty, IN. My sister, who moved to Virginia in March, was in town with my niece and nephews. It had been a few months since Grayson had seen his cousins and he needed his fix! He and Coleson (7) became buddies the instant Grayson came home from Guatemala. Coleson took one look at Grayson and said, "He's brown....I LOVE brown!" And, they've been friends ever since. Grayson is also great friends with Ellie (3). Their closeness in age makes them great playmates. Ellie and Grayson are great at sharing and he gets so concerned when she cries. Grayson and his new-found vocabulary loved tattling on Coleson this visit. He would run to me and say, "Ellie cry...Coleson hit Ellie....Mommy, come see Ellie." And, he got to get a little taste of what it will be like to have Abram home. Cooper is 10.5 months old and is crawling and pulling up. Grayson was quite annoyed by the fact that Cooper is teething and Grayson's face often looked like the perfect teether!

We spent a couple of hours on Monday at my sister's boyfriend's farm. The kids loved playing with the goats, dogs, and cats (with the exception of Ellie who was a little unsure). Coleson ran through the pastures herding the goats from one pen to another. Grayson preferred the little kitties and couldn't understand why they kept running from him.

Here are a few pictures from our visit!

Trying to hang the kitty on the fence.

Holding the kitty.

Being silly.

Cooper and Ellie

Herding the goats.

Another update!

We received another update on Abram. This update included detailed measurements. They measured his little feet...4.75 inches long! This comes in handy as I am really unsure what size shoes to bring. And, of course, there was another picture! He just gets cuter every time we see him! I can't say enough for Gladney! The provide so many wonderful updates. I just know they love each child that comes into their care. I'm so grateful God lead us to Gladney and ultimately, Abram! Only 23 more days (22 not counting today...it's 10 p.m.)!

Oh, and for those of you who may be traveling soon, we used Susan Parr. We didn't think we would use a travel agent BUT, she was able to get us better rates (including her very minimal fee) and was able to get us seats on a flight that even the airline was telling us was booked! So, it's worth a call!

Holding our son in 27 days!

Well, we're back in Lafayette after a wonderful Father's Day weekend spent in Liberty with family. To back up a couple of days, we were literally walking out the door on Friday at about 11:40 when my cell phone rang. I didn't think too much of it because I wasn't expecting Jessica to call for another hour at least. When I saw the 817 area code my heart started racing. Jessica immediately said she had wonderful news for us (they cut right to the chase so as not to induce stress-related heart attacks, strokes, etc.)!!! She had gotten an email from Belay saying we passed court! She then wished Aaron a Happy Father's Day times two! I of course couldn't just jump in the car and drive 2 hours to Liberty. I had to run back inside and update my blog! I've been reading blogs for over a year and was looking forward to the moment I got to introduce our newest son to all my blogging buddies...it simply couldn't wait another couple of hours!

So, we are leaving Indy on July 19th and will be returning to Indy on July 26th. If anyone would like us to take a small care package and/or photos, please let us know.

On Sunday, we went to Day out with Thomas in Connersville, IN. It was extremely hot, but Grayson had a wonderful time seeing Thomas, riding Thomas, and buying a few new Thomas items:) Here are a few pictures of our day with Thomas.

Grayson and Daddy with Thomas.

Junior Engineer certificate.

And, a little mini-golf.