Time Keeps on Ticking...

As the days of our lives whisk before our eyes, so too do the sands of fun and summer start wrapping to an end... Our LM continues to wow and amaze us with his resilience & humor, and oh, did I mention he is talking up a storm now? It's like he figured out how to do it and now he's making up for lost time.It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere with AUNT JOAN!

Overall, the summer was a fun time but not at all what we expected. Is life ever?
We started the summer with and unexpected and seemingly joyful opportunity and were packing and planning to go to South Carolina for a domestic adoption that appeared to be happening... This followed shortly with LMs medical issues and literally 90 days of virtually sleepless nights. We felt awful that our poor little man was clearly under duress and by about night 70, I had had enough - My gut said it was not normal development the behaviors he was showing by day, and the lack of sleep we were all getting at night... And it turns out my gut was right and his gut was out of whack. I am still working on the post about my mental where with all during that, but let's just say that Jeff, once again, wins the prize for being the calm and steady one, and that I simply put do not do well without no sleep. And I feel so bad for my faults as a mom as LM deserves someone who can function on no sleep for 90 days if that is wht it takes - he had no mommy for 17 months, and I feel like we lost another 3 months with him and he lost 3 months of me in a lot of ways. But enough of that for now -- the bottom line is that with meds and time, we are slowly getting better. We have even had a handful of nights in the last 2 weeks where he slept from 8:30pm until 5:30am.... Clearly the adoption in S.C. didn't happen, and so, we are ending the summer with completion of our paperwork needed for another adoption -- We know our LB will be a great big brother. This is all we'll say on this topic until something comes to fruition, but prayers are more than welcome.
So, about our LM and the rest of our summer... Here are some of our fun memories...

We got to play with our friends, the Wrights, again in August -- this is a wonderful annual tradition with dear friends who live in CT, and we are truly fortunate to know them and their boys - they are great people who share the love of family through adoption of their boys from Kaz -- and I just feel so lucky to have them in our lives (but of course like all our friends wish there were more gathering times)...

...The Wright Boys trying to figure out if they can fly...
...and LM ready to take lessons...
...Maybe next year buddy...

We also headed to Northbay again for our anniversary - 3 years. Hard to believe 13 together, 3 married. My men are the most amazing boys I know, and we really enjoyed some nice together time, just the 4 of us (don't forget Ashton, the puppy: ) )

...Anything will suffice as a guitar in our LM's world...

A "last year" and "this year" look at our LM....

Northbay, August 2009

Northbay, August 2010

"It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere" On the Deck in Northbay

"It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere" Summer 2010
... and this boy is amazing how much he loves music..
...and truly plays to his own beat...

Our boat, pretty much like we all were, was out of commission for the better part of the summer. It was a bummer as being on the water is always good mental health for all of us -- we love to take it out there, drive up river, and float back... with the radio cranking and us all dancing around on the deck... Likely very good entertainment as the only one of us to hold any beat is LM, but truly -- how often do you dance with your children? We try to crank up the radio and dance many nights each week. And my personal favorite place to do it is on the boat...Thankfully, Jeff got the boat running again in mid-August, and we've had many evening cruises to chill out up river, and then rock and roll on down the river together.

...Mama is always all smiles with her LM in her arms...

...Love you SOO MUCH, LM...

...Papa and LM gettin their sillies on...

...Did we mention that he seems to have a musical side?...

Another family favorite is hiking... We make the best of what we can of the hills and dales here in our area.... LM loved to hike in the woods from the time he came home - a perfect fit in so many ways... Last year it was a lot of hiking just to walk but I don't think he really got it. Now, he runs along the trail, follows Ashton, checks out animals, leaves, rocks -- finds tree limbs down that can be balance beams and just overall seems to love it... We have a great place near us that is a short loop and has a playground at the end of it... A terrific match up for our little gang...

...Our boys walkin in the woods...

LM is talking talking talking... On the hike, silly things that made us smile like:

• Ashton, come out of the water
• Papa, look -- SPIDER WEBS (fascination with them right now...)
• Come here please -- look at THIS...
• Icecream? (this is on the playground -- LM loves to pretend that he is selling icecream)
• Sixty dollars. (the cost of icecream cones, but let me tell you they are YUMMO)

Another "last year, this year" shot -- it amazes me how much he has grown and how all together phenomenal our little man is... and of course, Ashton -- who has been so patient and kind in sharing our attention with his brother...

...Summer, 2009... LM watches "My Ashton doggy get ball"...

...Summer, 2010...This year...
...Clearly both children were so happy to be together romping in the water...
they could actually listen and look and be in the same photo at the same time. lol

We also celebrated Papa's birthday... for his sake, I won't say how many, but ya still look as young as ya did 13 years ago, Babe... (and no, that is not my sleepy blurry eyes talking)....I "surprised" the boys and we headed up to the mountains for an overnight -- played at the lake and it's beach... had a yummy dinner together on the restaurant deck... and then a hike the next am and playing in the hotel indoor pool... While we would love and need a full week (or 5) off, we have been saving up our time again for another adoption since we don't get paid FMLA or anything plus with all the travel and must use all vacation... So, over the years from saving time off for LM's adoptoin, we've become the masters at "overnight" trips -- but they feel like you've been away for a week. I can only imagine what being away for a week with my family would feel like... But we really enjoyed the 24 hour get away... We also got fingerprinted along the way up there as it was literally right on the way and good timing (LOL - Happy birthday, sweetie! - let's check to see if you are a criminal in all your "spare" time)... so not only fun but future family productive... you know, some people go away to try to get pregnant -- we go away and work on our adoption papers.. LOL.

...My boys at the lake...

All the great talking is amazing our speech therapist. He is definitely talking himself right out of therapy and we are completely AOK with that!!
I have a little journal that I try to write down funny things he says and does every few days, in addition to keeping the blog, so he will have some memories -- it's not much, but I figure it is something... Some of the fun things that he has said:

• When I say God Speaks, you say Hello. (we went to vacation bible school and he learned this "chant" -- when I say god, you say speaks - god speaks... and then he added on his own. Which I think is really cute because, really, he is right -- we should be saying hello and welcoming any words from God... And then.. Doobie. Hello, Doobie, that is, is now the proper answer.
  
• So, Doobie. (he starts off so many sentences now with "SO.." .. "Sooo, first we eat dinner, then we take a bath, then we watch ELMO?", etc etc... and DOOBIE is like his "i don't know the word for it so I'll call it doobie. It is hilarious. His future sibling has been dubbed Baby Doobie or Baby Juicy because when we ask him if he is going to be a big brother, he'll say either of these 2 things... The Juicy, inc ase you are wondering, is because in addition to John Denver, he loves Jimmy Buffett... and in particular is into the song "Juicy Fruit..." right now)...
• Mama, where is my guitar, I NEED to play the clap song. (john denver.. aint nothing but a country boy... and, no worries, we are working on him understanding the difference in saying "I need" vs. "I want")...
• Last week, Aunt Joan was here again, and LM woke up and saw her on the couch and said "Brown bear brown bear what do you see? I see Aunt Joan looking at me; Aunt Joan Aunt Joan what do you see?" and then he started rolling laughing when, of course, she picked right on up and said "I see a cute LM looking at me"...
• Mama, that man has a dog on his lap and he is driving. (I asked him - could ashton sit on your lap while you are driving?) and he said "no mama, I can't drive. And, if i drive, ashton too much to sit on my lap, he would give me boo boo on my both knees"...
• Mama, he no honk honk -- he not hear me. Mr. Truck, honk honk please. (I am trying to teach him to give other people the benefit of the doubt and that people DO want to be friendly and giving in this world -- so things that others might think of as "little" -- like if a truck didn't honk saying "well, that wasn't nice" -- intead I am trying to teach him "well, if he didn't honk it wasn't because he was ignoring me, it was because he just didnt' hear me ask him" -- ie: benefit of the doubt. Life is full of criticism -- I want our child to approach the world with respect and love and giving others the benefit of the doubt that they, too, want to play nice in this big old sandbox)... I am constantly amazed by the lack of awareness people have in what and how they say things around their children -- and how even if not talking directly to their child, their child absorbs it and it impacts them and is then reflected in how they (our children) talk to others... I try to be myself, and to ensure that even when tired or grumpy, our LM consistently sees us being friendly, kind, and welcoming to others in our community -- it's how we want him to be and so we need to be sure we act it all the time, too...And it's funny to see things I am trying to depart on him coming through in his words... Rut ro, that is a whole other silly mama mantra.. back to the regularly scheduled post wrap up...

So, he is talking a ton, and we are grateful for our local EI speech therapist who comes every week and works with us and him and gives us new ideas of things to do... He is on his way outta "talking school" so wanted to be sure to capture a mug shot of Ms. Cathie in his 5 O'Clock somewhere album...

"It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere" with Cathie, our awesome SLP!!
I love this photo because they both look like they are about to SAY something. ha ha ha ha

Anyway, there is so much more that he says and does... LM, you are adorable and you melt my heart over and over again...You crack me up with your great attitude and your refreshing approach and observations of this crazy world happening around us. Thank you for being such a wonderful little boy and riding out the summer storm with us -- We know we have a lot of work to do to move beyond all that, and we so love that you are here with us and ready to move on...