Week 10 Adventures -- The Many Faces of Little Man

Week 10?? How? Ok, who knows how, but it is. For those reading who are waiting for their kids, or recently home with their kids, while overall LM is doing really great, don't think that doesn't mean that we haven't experienced the expected transition "Hiccups".... He has had tantrums, serious food insecurities and transition challenges, and sleeping issues... But, we knew all that was part of that, and it has been so great to learn to co-parent with Jeff (ok, and incredibly stressful, I admit, as we try to navigate how to parent a very active, smart, read manipulative, independent little boy to understand he is part of a family now, not the "sole survivor" and he can drop that attitude and control and simply enjoy being "the baby"...) LM is catching on...he had a pretty good week this week -- he continues to have fewer tantrums, he is trying to communicate with us more, and he is initiating smiling and laughing and doing activities with us that make us all giggle (versus smiling and laughing after we do things to him).... So, anyway, for this week -- Wanted to share some photos of... The many faces of our little man... The "LM Art" Look by Papa

The "LM Boy in the Humid Bubble Art" Look, also by Papa

The "Eye Art" Look and/or "Coy Smile Look" Art Look...

If you look closely at his left eye, you can see a healing black eye and a little cut... He is definitely "our" kid-- it truly didn't even phase him.... In fact, I think I even caught him "using" the look for extra flirty attention from the ladies in the neighborhood...

The "This is SOO Nutty" look...
did you know Life Jackets are Fun Inside, Too!!

The "I'm not so sure about this" Face...
Gamma's Birthday - First Close Up to Cake --

A little worried about how he is going to get around those massive flames to chow down the cake...

It has been a really hot summer since it stopped raining -- and we are eternally grateful for friends willing to share their pools with us!! LM LOVES to swim!! Here are a few shots from our time at Grandmom Judy's friend's house...

My Boys Cooling Off!!!

The "Ah, Cute Lil' Waitress/Pool Girl...
Can you please bring me a cool shake and some fries?" Look

"Here, Grandmom Judy -- ANOTHER really cool rock/acorn/etc I found for you!"

The "Potty Time" Look
-- Playing Only --

The kids in the orphanage are "potty trained" very early. When we picked him up in May, he wasn't wearing diapers at all... They all sit on their little potties at certain intervals during the day, for long periods of time. Many would think "wonderful, this is great, saves me in diapers".. Aha. That would be nice... However, just let me know if you'd like to see the pictures of LM's wrist and arm from that visit -- the little boy who sat next to him the day prior decided while they were all sitting for who knows how long, that he would take a chunk out of LM's arm with a couple of good bites...Clearly, potty time was very stressful and it has taken weeks of playing around the potty -- every time we go in, offering him to sit on it -- giving him toys to put in the little hat; encouraging him to disect the potty (taking off hat, putting things "under" to hide, pushing it around the bathroom, etc) while we are doing our own thing in the BR.... He is just now able to sit on the potty (diapers or pants on) without blanching and getting a look of terror on his face... Needless to say, we will hold off on potty training until he tells us he's ready...

I have been having a lot of fun finding new places for us to go with LM.... the local library has great activities for little guys -- and a great playground to boot -- So, we can go to storytime, etc, and then have a romp on the playground. He gets REALLY excited when we pull into the parking lot. It is hilarious -- I swear he is starting to learn his way around!!! Here are a few photos from a recent jaunt over there -- They had a puppet show! SO, we went into the storytime room to play with the animals while waiting and then went into the puppet show, which he LOVED...

The "Paparazzi, will you just give me privacy and talk to the hand" Look

LM and I went to a his very first "show" this week -- It was a puppet show at the local library -- and it was SO FUN to see his amazement at it all -- he alternated between staring in sheer wonderment and dancing, clapping, smiling, and pointing excitedly at all the action!

The "WOA, what is that??" Look...
Puppet show wonderment...

Poor guy, has inherited my terrible profile... just a little joke there! Will try to not get too many of them and go for full frontal shots in the future! But, I was solo (poor Jeff had to work so missed the fun!) and this was the best I could do -- reaching around to the side and flash! In all "how can it be?" tho re: the adoption joke of his profile -- while he looks nothing like either of us, even tho his photo profile is not that great like mine isn't, let me tell you -- it is just incredible how much we have found that we all have in common... you know, adoption is building a new relationship with someone, and discovering all the wonderful things about them -- while we completely respect and love all that LM brings with him from his past and who he is and all he adds to our lives together, sometimes it's pretty cool, too, to learn things that we all have in common!! :)
We took him to the local family fun center for Friday Happy Hour on Week 10 -- It is amazing how much he also has interest in other "family" hobbies... :)

The 'Happy Trails" Look

The "Roger Roger" (ok, what movie??) Look

The "list" of his "YAHOO Moments" In Week 10 include:

• The "DOG" book re-surfaced (don't ask -- it was "put into doggie hibernation, mainly b/c if we read it 1 more time, I am not sure who was going to throw it across the room next)... anyway, he took one look at the page with the big Mastiff, looked at me, and panted. Seriously. It has been at least 3 weeks since he saw this thing. that is like 3 years in kid -time. I wish I had his memory.
• Seeing 'frog" in real life and making the "jump jump" motion I have been makng for weeks when reading him his "Dear Zoo" book.... crazy. His "generalizing" concepts spontaneously from one locale to another just stuns me!
• Going to bed, he has learned that if he sticks his foot far enough into the rails, it looks (and maybe is) "stuck" -- then rather than go to sleep, you can figure out what he does...
• Playing ball with Ashton, who will drop the ball immediately for him so LM can throw it to him... he's got a pretty good distance going for his 19 months!
• Opening and closing doors. Rut ro.
• Loves loves loves playing with papa... when Jeff comes home from work, LM goes running and has this little waggle hello he does with his hand by his eyes -- with a HUGE grin.. it is SO CUTE.
• Throwing his llego cart. I know. All boy. It drives me nuts, but I've asked several moms now. There are just some things I need to let go of. On the "mom wins" side, he does then help clean up the llegos now, which makes the throwing a wee bit more tolerable!
• Using the sign for "drink" -- he learned it in one meal. Man this kid is SMART...
  

"It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere" Home 10 Weeks Photo...

The many faces of little man -- each and every one of them oohed and aahhed at by his adoring parents!! Thanks for enjoying them with us this week :)