One Quarter of a Year...

Three months can seem like a lifetime, or it can go by in a flash. This week, as my friend Pat celebrated her 1 month court date, we celebrated, on the same day, our 3 month, then 2 days later, our official "Family Day". Three months. 12 weeks. 92 days our LM has been officially with us. Either time or situation have pushed him into a new level of development -- motor skills, communication skills, and emotionally (don't worry - I think he will always be a Mama's boy :))...These last 2 weeks instead of blogging, I have been busy being in total awe of our little boy...

It has been a whirlwind couple of weeks, launched by a GREAT evening with my good friends Elton (John), Billy (Joel), and of course, Becca (great pal from college who's couch I slept on a lot in the last few years during the PhD fun!), Kelly (mutual friend of ours from work), and Jeff (Kelly's Jeff, not mine -- someone had to stay home with LM!)... My sweet husband gave me the tickets to get me my first "girls night out" moment. It was a great concert and fun hanging out!
Notice the new song added to the playlist. Oh how true this song rings for all we adoptive families!

The next day, he and I went out to the home of a really sweet friend who has a daughter she adopted from K. as well -- just a really great mom, who has one amazing little girl, and she and some of the other families there have been very supportive of our journey to bring home LM... She was kind enough to have a really nice gathering at her home -- it was really fun to be with really fun families through adoption!! and LM LOVED the horses!! Thanks so much B and M for having us down!!!Inch Worm Inch Worm....

Then, Aunt Joan came to town -- While you were all pining away for pictures and stories of LM, she was here for 7 of the 14 days of "when will we see him again" blogger blues... ha ha ha ha ha...anyway, This was "the" weekend -- the one I've been wondering since before we came home "was it too soon" -- Yup, me needing to be gone for 5 days in a row, teaching up at M.... Joan and I teach the a course together there, and it is always fun -- This year there was added fun because Jeff and LM came up, too, for part of the time! Jeff got to see what full time parenting is like, and I got to dip my toes into full time working (not interested in full fulltime working, in case anyone wanted to know!)... Overall, things went great -- Jeff was, of course, amazing with him and I think the time was really important and helped them get over a bonding hurdle, too!! Overall, the week went well, ok, with the exception of one small problem...LM Really Doesn't Like Aunt Joan at all...

We will need to work on this. Good thing she's coming to town every few months to work on her doctorate, so they'll have plenty of time for him to work out his issues with her.... ha ha ha.

Oh, and another small problem...

Woodstock Meets Mexico Meets Fat Lip

No, he is not just "Shushing" you, he is hiding his new big fat lip.
Don't ask. It is along the lines of the black eye story....
Boys will be boys, and apparently that means black eyes, fat lips, and "mums the word" on how it happened when talking about it around Mama..... LOL.

Our boys, waiting together at the door...

LOVED drinking his milk with a spoon...

Unfortunately, i was not moving quick enough this particular night as he then took his spoon and dug right into hot and spicy salsa, but it sure was entertaining...This kid can find a vacuum anywhere!

Hey, Have you seen my gate?

I keep telling him,
"listen, kid, life ain't just all about being cute"
but, as you can see, he is JUST not getting the point..

and THEN we went to our friend's home on the lake in NJ --- They are great people who adopted 2 great boys from Kz, and I just love both how well they've manage 2 kids so well with a great sense of humor and very clear team parenting... We have had the honor and pleasure of calling Lisa and Chris friends for the last few years, and it was really a great day and so fun to introduce our LM to them and their fun boys!!

Not at all the best angle of any of us -- 3 kids, 2 moms, and 2 dads manning the cameras...you an imagine what the rest of the pictures in the "series" ...

And THEN, came the moment we've all been waiting for... you know, the one you've all been sitting on the edges of your saddles for?? Ok, still not getting it? Well, for starters, here is the "prep" work we did to get him into the idea...Right there, LM, on Page 226 --
The one that it reads "First step: wear helmet"...

What incredible reading comprehension he has --

He walked right in and put it on, all by himself. He even snapped it solo but I insisted it not be snapped. He walked right over, and after a minor rebellion of "I'd rather see the puppies (again)", he got up on the horse with my mom... Here he is...

Hey, Cool.. "Hey, ma, look no hands..
Oh, and HEY, there other horses over there...
Man, you guys sure look small from way up here"

He is learning so much... including:

• In the mornings, when I say "Do you want Cheerios?" (after eating his "superporridge" from the "SUPER BABY FOODS" book (AWESOME book if you dont 'already have it!), he will POINT to the cabinet above the fridge and shake his head yes
• Today, he wanted something -- SPONTANEOUSLY he did the "more" sign with the sound "mo", then pointed at what he wanted, and then went to his chest and did his "Please" move.
• Trying to make new 2 syllable sounds. Ok, so it sounds like he i saying "knock knock" all the time....
• Names body parts: head, ears, eyes, mouth, teeth, nose, belly, knees, toes (my brother wanted to know today when we were going to teach him "butt" word -- hilarious)
• Engaging with us, and I mean full on, for examples ----- staring me down for a kissing fest, and jumping on us to "rough house" with him
• "Street Performance Artist practice - the "find it under the cup" game has become quite popular here -- he now takes my hands, puts an toy or food in them,and flips it over then pretends to "find" it in my hand... hilarious!
• The list goes on, but let me just say, if you can't see the changes in him over the last 2 weeks in the next photo, then please scroll back to posts from the past. This was the first week I "Saw" what others have been saying are changes -- and they are all good, and he just keeps getting sweeter and smarter and sensible and silly :)
  

"It's 5'Oclock Somewhere" Home 12 weeks

3 months with you, Little Man...We so love you, and are inspired by you and your resilience and your enthusiasm for enjoying every single day. You are so smart, and you are super silly!!! Thank you for coming into our lives. How wonderful life is, now that you are in our world....