I'm pretty sure I'm back...

So, it turns out Dave returning to work turned me on my head... I didn't think it was going to be that big of a change, turns out I was wrong.


I was living in the dream world of being a "working mom" when Dave was staying at home with Bekila; the laundry was done, meals were planned and made, groceries were bought, the house was clean. So, for the past 3 months, since Dave returned to work, I've been finding a new balance... I don't want to say it too loud, but I think I've almost found it. This means maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to post more on this here blog!


We've done quite a bit in the past few months, but one of the biggest events was a trip to Traverse City, MI for Bekila to meet his great grandparents, great aunt and uncle, and 2nd cousin. We had a wonderful time and Bekila turned on his charm in full force. My Aunt Marita had lots of fun taking pictures of Bekila, for which I'm VERY thankful! Enjoy!

Our sweet boy... turning on his charm.

Beko with his cousin Teddy... Beko was IN LOVE with him!




Beko with one of the neighborhood girls. He had so much fun with all of the "big kids".
4 Generations

Fall "must-have" in the Midwest... pics in the pumpkin patch.

On the beach of Lake Michigan... he was in love with the sand and water dispite the cool temperatures.

Good-bye, sweet Wally

Yesterday we had to say a hard good-bye, one that felt too soon and too sudden.

We had Wallace put to sleep yesterday morning after a large tumor was discovered on his liver that had likely metastasized from his spleen. It all happened so fast… It was just one week from the time we noticed anything was wrong. After a trip to the vet last weekend where nothing was found in blood work or X-rays we thought it was maybe just an injury from running, unfortunately this weekend it became clear that was not what we were dealing with. Dave and I both got to say good-bye and be with him when he passed… He went peacefully and with us whispering “I love you” in his ear; We wouldn’t have wanted it any other way…

Wallace

May 6, 2003 - October 17, 2010

Sweet Wally,
From the first night we brought you home, you were the best dog any family could ask for. We, and so many people, were touched by you; your compassion and perception of people’s emotions seemed human at times and had a way of healing.

My most favorite memories of you are hiking on trail behind our house, seeing you rest your head on Riley’s back, and any time you were in the water. Each of those times was you at your happiest and when you were happy, we couldn’t help but be happy.

Wally, we miss you more than words can express. There is a hole in our hearts that will never be filled, Little Boy.

We love you,
Mom, Dad, Beko and Riley

6 Months

Tomorrow marks 6 months since Bekila was placed in our arms for the first time... I thought it was a good cause to break my 2 month silence on this blog. I've heard a few people say in regards to adoption, "Don't judge anything until you've been home for 6 months." So, I thought this was a good time for reflection...

It has been so remarkable and such a joy to see Beko blossom over the past six months. He has taught us so much. Has made us smile so much. And, made us laugh so much. He's a truly amazing little boy. It's not to say we haven't had our challenges, but I think most of them have to do with Dave and me adjusting to being parents.

Bekila is now 16, almost 17 months old. He and we are so different than we were just 6 moths ago; just look at the difference in the photos.

January 20, 2010

July 19, 2010

A lot of the changes are due to normal child development and some are due to him becoming more comfortable with us and in his new surroundings. Some of the milestones to note are:

1.) He is not just walking but running and climbing. When he first started walking we had several parents say to us, "Your world will never be the same." I thought to myself, "I don't understand how it can be that much different than crawling." Well, now I do.

2.) He now has 5 teeth and a 6th just about to pop through.

3.) He LOVES being outdoors. Honestly, I think this is the number one reason this blogged has been so neglected. When I'm not working, we spend most of our time outside. If he's in a crabby mood, it immediately disappears when we go outside; A boy after my own heart. A lot of time has been spent mastering these steps in our back yard.



4.) He LOVES water. He plays in it at least once a day. His latest has been transferring water from a small cooler to the dog bowl 1/2 cup at a time. Needless to say it keeps him busy for a while. He also loves playing in the hose when he's able to; especially with Zoki. They're a good match for each other.


5.) He uses sign language. About 6 weeks ago, I thought I was going to pull my hair out because he was just following me around whining. We spent most of our time trying to figure out what he wanted and usually all three of us would end up frustrated. So, we decided to introduce sing language to see if it made a difference. First we introduced "more", then "all done", then "help" and "milk". Like magic his whining almost completely stopped and his self-confidence shot through the roof. It was really amazing to watch.

6.) His verbal ability has also started to take off. His words (with his pronunciation) include:

• Daddy = Daddy
• Doggy = Ogdy
• Ball = BAA
• Car = KA (said about 100 times/day anytime he sees anything with wheels)
• Flower = Hour
• Tree = Tee
  
• Hot = Hot (always whispered)
• Water = Wa

No, he does not say Mommy, or anything close to it yet... I'm not trying to take it too personally, but I do hope he says it soon. I think my heart will melt.

7.) He met his four cousins two weeks ago and feel in love. I don't think I've ever seen him laugh so hard, or hug so much. It brought tears to my eyes. Here he is with cousins Gabby and Norah.


8.) Dave's returning to work. He has his forth and hopefully final interview with a company here in the Springs tomorrow. We've found a nanny we're really excited about and think she's the perfect fit for our family. Tomorrow will be her and Beko's first time one on one together... I'm sure they'll do just fine.

I am sure there are a lot more milestones I'm missing and I know there is more reflecting to do, but this is what is top of mind for me right now... Our summer is slowing down now and I'm looking so very forward to spending time as our little family of three and seeing what the next 6 months has in store.

Beko, your dad and I are two of the luckiest people in the world to have you in our lives. Thank you for being who you are and sharing your joy and zest for life. You have taught, and I have no doubt will continue to teach us, so much. We love you very much, Little Man.

Beko and Doggies

Dogs are Beko's favorite thing right now. He started saying a muddled version of "doggie" about two weeks ago and it's the only word he says consistently and in the right context. He hugs Riley several times a day, and if Wallace would let him, he'd hug him too. Zoki, my mom's dog, is quickly becoming a fun playmate given Zoki weighs 5 pounds less than Bekila, it's a fair match. The other day when Dave took Beko with him to the pet store to pick up a new brush for the dogs, he couldn't stop saying "doggie" and pointing at the pictures of them all over the store.

Last night Beko discovered he could chase Zoki with his little scooter car and Zoki would try to bite the tires. You'll see, he thought it was pretty funny, as did we.



It's amazing to think how far we've come in just 4 months. The first night we come home with Bekila, he was terrified of the dogs, particularly Zoki. Now you can just see how much he loves them. Both Riley and Zoki reciprocate the feeling, but Wallace is still trying to figure out how he feels. As soon as Bekila is taller than him and more sturdy on his feet, I have a feeling he'll be in love too.



He as also discovered playing in the dogs' water dish when it's outside is a lot of fun too. On two separate occasions, he has spent 45 minutes on our porch playing in the water. I'm not sure if it provides more entertainment for him, or for us.

In the Moment

There was a point about a month after we got home from Ethiopia when I thought, "Hey, he's not growing and changing nearly as quickly as I thought he would." And just this past week I said, "I can't believe how quickly he's grown and changed!" It goes back to this post. Time really is a funny thing... that's one thing that hasn't changed since Bekila has been home; What has changed is my ability to be in the present moment. I struggled so much during "the wait" with wishing time away; I don't any more, for the most part. I cherish every moment with the Little Man and am much better at not thinking too much about the past or the future.

The only time I find myself struggling with being present in the moment is when I'm away. As I mentioned, I recently returned to work. At the same time, I also started a new job with a new company. This required me being away for 3 nights last week and 4 next week and more in the future. So far I'm really loving my new job, however I discovered being away, especially for this amount of time, makes being present in the moment VERY difficult with Little Man being at home. I'm sure this won't totally go away over time, but I'm hoping I get better at coping with our time away. We'll see what happens. Either way, I can tell my patience with travel delays, etc will be greatly tested and I will cherish our time together even more... If that's possible.

A time that I have cherished since the first night Bekila was in our arms is bath time. He's loved it from the second bath we gave him which I'm sure is part of the reason I love it so much. But, it also has to do with how excited he gets when we walk in to the bathroom, how he tries with all of his might, standing on his tippy-toes to crawl in the tub by himself, the way his eye lashes clump together when they're wet, the grin he gets on his face when I splash in the water or hand him a new toy, they way he smells and how relaxed he is when he's all done an in his jammies; I could go on, but the bottom line is, it's one of my favorite times with my son. It's a time when I think about nothing else besides how lucky we are to have this little boy in our lives...

A New Chapter Begins

Today marked the beginning of a new chapter in our lives as parents; I returned to work and Dave started his new position as Stay-At-Home Dad.

You can follow his new adventure here.

I'm so excited he has decided to document his new job. His first post brought tears to my eyes as I read it this morning (I was in bed asleep by the time he finished it last night). How lucky are Bekila and I to have this amazing man in our lives?!?! It has been such a gift to watch Dave become comfortable in his shoes as a father and to have had the past three months together as a family without either of us having to focus on work has been beyond words.

Last night as I rocked Bekila to sleep I found myself with tears streaming down my face. They were tears of sorrow, joy, and anticipation. I can't believe how fast the last three months have gone...I have cherished every moment and feel I was successful in reaching my goal of being present in the moment. I feel content as this chapter closes and look forward to the change and opportunity this new chapter brings.

Alive and Well

Despite my absence on this blog for the past several weeks, we are alive and doing very well... I think I'm just trying to cherish every minute we have together before I head back to work on Monday.

For two of the past four weeks we were on a little vacation to visit my dad and grandma in Montrose, CO (my home town) and then down in Phoenix to visit Dave's folks. The time away was enjoyed by everyone and our little man proved to be a trooper in the car for a total of 26 hours of diving.

Bekila discovered swimming pools; hot pools in cold weather and cold pools in hot weather... He loved both.


And, Wallace discovered swimming with Bekila can provide quite the entertainment...

We spent 2-3 hours most days for a week in Dave's parent's swimming pool. Each swimming session followed by a food and a nap.

It was amazing how Bekila adapted to being away; Quickly settling in to each new place and sleeping well. I thought for awhile he was just as comfortable away from home as he is at home... That theory was disproved when we arrived home after two weeks away and he was the happiest I've ever seen him. Laughing histerically at everything and chattering up a storm. It was like the time away solidified that this is his home and we are his parents. I think it was really good for everyone.

I have endless posts building in my head and hope that as I return to work, I'll get into a routine and actually get around to getting my thoughts and photos up here. We'll see what happens. My biggest priority right now is enjoying time with my little family. Every day I love it more.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

I can't decide if changes in Bekila are happening more quickly or less quickly than I anticipated... Either way, they're happening! His first two teeth came in about 4 weeks ago. They're finally big enough to see without pulling his lip down. The arrival of his teeth was fairly uneventful. It sort of felt like they just poked through one day; no excessive drooling, crying or chewing. We'll see if the others come in that way...

Here he is showing off his two chompers and new summer hat.

The other big change is his desire to walk. Since we got home he has pulled himself up on furniture, walls, and toys. A couple of weeks ago, he became very nimble walking behind his toy car; able to steer it in any direction he wanted to go, including backing up. Then, last week he started letting go and putting his arms on top of his head, seeming to say, "Look Ma, no hands!"

Last night he took is first steps... He walked to his grandma... It was so cute. My heart overflowed with excitement. He arrived on my mom's lap and then clapped for himself with a large grin on his face. So proud of himself, as were we of him. Dave, my mom and I were all there to witness the first steps and made sure the little man knew just how proud of and excited for him we were.

The arrival of the first steps, was not as pain free as the arrival of his first teeth. For the past week he hasn't slept for longer than a 2 hour stretch, most commonly waking up every one and half hours; He struggled going down for naps and was slightly more fussy than usual. Last night after practicing his new skills for about an hour he went to bed and slept well. This morning he went down for a nap with no struggle. It's as if he's content again. His brain has settled down now that he has figured this walking thing out. I can't wait to see how he progresses over the next couple of weeks.

Practicing his skills.

I don't know the exact date his first teeth appeared, but I do know his first steps were on March 15, 2010... Just shortly after his first birthday. I'm excited to see what new changes the months to come bring, but I'm cherishing each and every day in hopes the time doesn't fly by too quickly.

Our Little Foodie

Since we first met our little man, he's been very interested in food; much to our pleasure I must say. We've always said we hoped our children enjoy food as much as we do... so far this is very much the case for Bekila. I'm enjoying it while it lasts because I know any day he may decide to change his mind. But for now we're letting him try pretty much everything and making sure he gets to experience flavors. Things like adding cinnamon to his oatmeal, or putting berbere on his cottage cheese seem to make the experience all the more enjoyable for him. I'm taking advice from a cook book a friend recently gave me called The Petit Appetit Cookbook: Easy, Organic Recipes to Nurture Your Baby and Toddler by Lisa Barnes.

His reaction to new things is usually a large smile and a laugh. When he really likes it, he inhales loudly in which case we try to calm him down for fear of him choking...

I'm amazed that he's perfectly content to sit in his high chair for over an hour watching us cook and then slowly eating his meal. Lunch and dinner seem to be his favorite... He tolerates breakfast, but it's not his favorite.

Below are a few pictures of him trying and learning new things.

Greek yogurt is one of his favorites. These are pictures of the first time he tried it.

This past Sunday we celebrated his 1st birthday by making Filet of Buffalo Bourguignon. He love it, particularly the carrots.

He also had his first dose of sugar after eating the Carmel Cake. We substituted half of the flour with blue corn meal... It wasn't the prettiest cake I've ever seen, perhaps next time I'll just make it a single layer, but it was delicious! Bekila enjoyed the carmel topping very much!

Favorite Sound

One evening several several years ago, Dave, two other couples and I were sitting around our kitchen table and we decided to ask each other the 10 questions from Inside the Actors Studio. The questions are:

1. What is your favorite word?
2. What is your least favorite word?
3. What turns you on?
4. What turns you off?
5. What sound or noise do you love?
6. What sound or noise do you hate?
7. What is your favorite curse word?
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
9. What profession would you not like to do?
10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

My response to question number 5 was "a baby laughing"... I've heard a lot of my favorite sound or noise lately...



As you can see, he is also becoming more and more mobile by the day... Stay tuned for more action!

A Journey within A Journey

While in Ethiopia, Dave and my mom took a 5 day/4 night journey through some remote regions of Ethiopia. The main purpose was to get photos of the village where Bekila is from to be able to share as he grows up and secondly, to see additional areas of the beautiful country where our son was born.

While Bekila and I stayed back at the guesthouse in Addis Ababa, Dave and my mom had a journey of a life time. Hopefully one day I'll get Dave to write about his adventures, but for now I'll post a few of the highlights. Locations include Jimma, Agaro, Gechi, Arba Minch, Lake Langano, and various places in between.

This is their driver, Mareg, holding Bekila after they returned.