Truly we have been blessed....

This was another week of blessings full of friends and family fun....

A very special event for me was Sunday --- For the last few years, I've been watching "children's time" at church, praying for the day that our time would come we'd have a little person to go up for it.... Interestingly, 2 new families were joining the church that day, and a baby being baptized... so the children's time was about welcoming new people, and the goodness brought to us all... Coincidence? I think not.... To me, it was more of the puzzle fitting together... just the way it should be..

First church visit

As life also works, we had Cathy, Kelley, Betsy, and their families and little Jude and his parents over to play on a beautiful afternoon... LM loved playing with Jamie, Kelsey, Jude, and Julia and goofing on the deck with Mike and Chris!! We are fortunate to have shared friends from work -- these women I worked with for my first few years there, and they are amazing women and nurses -- i was so happy when Jeff started working with them and, now they are all friends!! it's great how life circles around!!

Moon Bounce Fun... THANKS Kelly!!

We also went to Keeley's 5th Birthday Party! First kids birthday party! We think he had fun... and not just because of the keg access....Little Bartender in Action....

We also tried our first "playdate road trip" and headed to New Hope to play with my college roommate and her great kids!! It was definitely a lesson for me in getting up, getting him fed, getting out of the house and drive to get there in enough time to play before naptime! Kuddos to those of you with many kids who also pack everyone up to school/work every morning.. I think I've gotten very spoiled -- after years of juggling many jobs and getting up and out of the house by 5:30 or so am, I must admit, I have been enjoying our leisurely morning routine!!! (and working naps and evenings vs. early mornings!).... But, it was great fun -- we went to the swim club there -- it had an awesome pool and playground, and it was really heartwarming to watch LM play with (ok, around, but don't be picky!) Lauren and Braeden... and of course, get some time to chat with Jess over splashes and giggles...

Swim Club Fun!!

Other fun things from this week...

• Imitating sounds majorly -- we can play with him and get him to change it up from baba to lala to mama to papa to dada to gege etc -- you do it, he does it --- we better be careful what we say!
  
• Waking up smiling!!!! for so many days and weeks, LM woke up with a stunned look on his face --- slowly I have noticed the stunned is paired with a wonderment like "yup, still here, haven't left Oz yet" expression.... but, this week, naps and morning wake up times have been all out smiles... and, on most times, even some silly games where he calls out, I go in, and he smiles, jumps around making noise, then grabs his lion (which he now INSISTS sleeps with him), and lays back down and pretends to sleep... I joke back and say "LM still sleeping" and pretend to walk out and he pops up and just laughs and laughs...
• Alligators go SNAP ---repetition and structure is so important for kids after adoption (all the time, but for us, it's after adoption).... he has this "good night animal kisses" book that we read at least 50x/day (ok, possibly slight exaggeration)... this week he started doing the "snap" motion when he sees the alligators.. And, then, when at my mom's, I said "LM, what do alligators do?" and don't you know, he snapped his fingers. Telling Jeff the story a few nights later, LM repeated his "alligator cocktail party trick" and added to it -- Gorilla's go "hug hug hug" (and he makes a hugging motion w/ his arms then twists his trunk from side to side!)...
• Getting new shoes! It dawned on me that I was starting to push my lack of fashion sense on this kid... he's been wearing the same pair of shoes every day since we got him... do you know how long that is in "kid years"? that is almost as bad as me wearing the circa de 1992 scarf to court in May!! So, off we went to get not 1, but 2 pairs of new shoes... cute brown sneaks and really cool shark sandals!!! He thought it was hilarious to take off 1 of his "old" shoes and put on a new shoe, then walk around the store with it with the 2nd shoe attached and dragging...
  
• Oh, so much more.. it seems like every day he is changing, growing up in so many ways in terms of motor skills, and really starting to show some to the core eat away at our hearts emotional changes -- like adding to his "kissing" skills an interest in physical affection, like diving all over us, laying on our chests on his belly, and, when holding him, digging his head in our shoulders and completely snuggling...after, of course, getting direct face time, giving us a big smile...
  
• Another blessing this week was granted to our friends....A HUGE Congratulations Shout out to Pat and Trey on the successful trip to pick up their boys, P. and J.H. -- P. and LM, we think, were "old roommates"! Peter and John Henry are beautiful little boys, and their 4 sisters at home are going to be great at showing them the ropes while their parents provide an amazing home for all 6 of their kids!!
  

This week also marks TWO MONTHS as LM official parents -- May 13 - July 13 -- what a pleasure and honor --- LM, you are one amazing little person, and most adults would not have been able to do what you have done -- new parents, new routine, new house, new bed, new food, new language, new rules, new big puppy -- and yet, you have come up smiling.... you warm our hearts and fill our days with smiles and such joy!!! how incredibly blessed we were on May 13 to become your parents....

"It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere" Been Home 8 Weeks!!