A little of this, a little of that

I've been working on our first post placement report. We have to turn in reports on Gadisa's well being and placement with us 3 months, 6 months and 1 year after we are home. After that, then we do a report every year until he is 18. These reports get sent back to Ethiopia so they can see how their children are adjusting with their American families. This first report is technically due in September to Ethiopia, but I have to turn it into our home study agency in August so I'm working on it now. By the way, how in the world is it almost August already? Anyway, the reports asks all the basic questions of how he's adjusting, his daily routine and how we're adjusting.

I'm also working on obtaining a Kansas birth certificate and legal name change for him as well. Technically, his legal name after the adoption was completed was Gadisa Joshua Hunt. That's just how they do it when issuing his passport and birth certificate. We'll be changing that to Oliver Gadisa Lyric Hunt and need to do this in front of a judge. Gadisa and I marched ourselves up to the county courthouse yesterday to start working on this process. This journey reminded me quickly of the paperwork fiasco's we dealt with in the adoption process of getting our Dossier together. When your child is home, you so very quickly forget about the long wait and the agony of the mounds of paperwork. It all has become a blur, but quickly rushed back to me yesterday in dealing with the court. Of course, the main person who could help me stepped out to lunch the second he referred to me another lady to make some copies. So, most of my questions about the proper way to go about the name change and birth certificate were not answered. After going through the paperwork process of an adoption, I have little patience for unanswered questions or anyone that can't answer my question. I'm telling you, this paperwork wears you out! So, as I was getting fussy with frustration, so was G. We left without really getting much accomplished and had to come home and make several calls and emails to various offices to piece together all what we need to do. You would think I was the first person ever to ask about this process around here. However, I think we are on the right track now and should be able to get this done when we meet with the judge.

Aside from this process, G is sitting up! He still falls over a lot, but can actually catch himself most of the time. When he came home he didn't have the muscles developed to sit up at all, so I'm really happy he's packed on the pounds and has gotten so much healthier so quickly.

I have started to do some things for myself again. I have not wanted to leave his side, but I know it's important to do things for me and my well being. I went to yoga class this week and honestly thought that my arms and legs just might actually pop off. I hadn't been to the class since around Thanksgiving and was definitely out of tune with yoga. It was good to get back into it and I look forward to Tuesday evenings for this!

So, for the past few months I have been struggling with a decision. A decision that affects my family greatly. This morning as I was discussing this with Josh over coffee and spoon banging (G's favorite thing to do in his highchair), he said something so profound, but so very simple that has made me realize this decision will be made very soon. Why hadn't I looked at it like this before? You know that feeling when you realized how great of a friend your husband or partner can be to you? That feeling when you know how much you rely just on the friendship of your relationship. Today, I am so thankful for that. And yes, I'll be sharing that decision soon enough!

Meeting the extended family

We headed to Springfield, Mo this past week so that Gadisa could meet our extended families. Josh is from Springfield and almost all of my family on my dad's side lives there so it's nice to be able to see both sides in one trip. I think this was by far my favorite Springfield trip. He was showered with so much love from aunts, uncles, cousins and grandmas. We are so really fortunate to have such great family. They have stood by our side anticipating his arrival from the time we told them we were adopting. This little guy has so many people that have waited to love him. He is teething and his 2nd tooth made it's appearance while we were there, so we pretty much got no sleep and neither did he. We battled a pretty serious fever and fussiness for a lot of the trip, but when he was happy we were good. Might I just add when your baby is burning up laying against your chest how helpless you feel!

My sister-in-law threw a baby shower/welcome home party for him. Now, let me just say the Hunt sisters are very talented and quite creative so we got some amazing handmade gifts. One of them was a personalized book written and illustrated by one of Josh's sisters. This book is so precious to me and I can't wait for Gadisa to ask to read it over and over. Here are some photos of it and some of the other gifts we received. Really, the greatest gift is just watching all of the family love on him. It gets me every time.

A very good Saturday

We welcomed Gadisa home on Saturday with a BBQ and pool party. It was such a success. We hadn't had a lot of people over in a long time (we tend to entertain a lot) and it warmed my heart to have our home filled up with amazing, supportive friends ...new and old. The food was really great and the weather was steamy and hot so the pool got a lot of visitors, which I love. We are so very lucky to have a network of friends and family so close. I want Gadisa to know everyone and appreciate what good friends and family mean in our lives. He woke up in a great mood that day. He loves to be around people and stimulated with conversation and activities, so he was awake for a good portion of his party. It was a very, very good day!

A moment to reflect

One month ago today we met Gadisa. One month ago today, our worlds forever changed. I picked up his tiny, fragile body. I studied him. He studied me. We saw each other. He smiled and I was forever in awe. I inhaled him. I touched him. I was in shock that moment had arrived. He was skinny and petite. So much smaller than we thought. Now, he's getting chunky little baby legs, a round belly and fat little cheeks. Aside from the expected changes of becoming a parent I am discovering a peacefulness I have only momentarily brushed on here and there in the past. It's not like I went out and was looking to find anything I was missing except him. However, this peace found me. It's as if it was always meant to be. This exact child. This exact life. I felt an urgency when we were completing our adoption paperwork. I wasn't sure why. I just felt this rush, like it had to be completed as fast as possible so we could get on the waiting list. Our agency was shocked when we turned in our Dossier so quickly. Now, I understand why we had to rush. Gadisa was waiting. This very exact little boy was made. He was alive. He needed us and we needed him. We were always supposed to be. To finally know Gadisa now...well, it's overwhelming with emotion. When I think of this, I always find my way to his birth parents. They were his pathway into this world and we now hold his hand through it. They are always in my mind, always in my heart and so important to us.

Being his mother is so natural. My days of being at work are now filled up with tummy time in the sunshine, swinging on the front porch and tending to our house and making it our home. I realize how much sitting in front of a computer for hours each day has blocked living my life and has made me miss so much of the day to day of it. The simplicity of it. Granted, it's nice to be out and about and in an office with creative, fun people and I know it's good to get out and interact, but right now is for a different time. Now is for enjoying it all as much as possible as I know the days are numbered. He will be walking, he will be running, he will be in school before we know it. Right now, I don't want to miss a thing. However, reality is in the back of my mind and that's okay too. I worked really, really hard for my job and it allows me to live the life I choose . But, right now...today, I am just being me with my son and Josh. Living our lives. Spending each and every day with sweet, beautiful Gadisa.

A little party boy

Someone is gearing up for a little Welcome Home shindig. See his excitement when he heard we were throwing a party for him?

This means a little stop in at the party store!

My sister & I definitely enjoyed the party glasses more than G did. ;)

Top 10 Favs

So, finding time to blog and show how absolutely adorable Gadisa can be is getting tricky these days. I don't control my schedule like the old days. Everything revolves around when he's going to allow me some time to do these little things like blogging and sitting down for a moment to collect my thoughts. Regardless, I wouldn't change A SINGLE THING. I am loving our new life with him.

Last night was a hard night though. Little boy was not feeling so hot and was up crying (screaming) for hours straight. I was quite proud of our tag team effort to soothe him and take turns with him. This first photo is after he was back to sleep. He was exhausted. Even our pets this morning all looked like no one got any sleep. The dogs kept coming in the bedroom looking at us like "What the heck are you guys doing to him?!"

So aside from being zombies, I wanted to share my top 10 favorite things about him.

1. His smile. It makes everything just perfect. I mean, seriously...everything is so much better when he gives us that huge, sweet grin.

2. His laugh. He sure thinks his dad is hilarious.

3. How much he loves his maraca. It makes him so happy. I'm enjoying the time before it starts flying across the room! Notice it in 2 of the photos above.

4. Rocking him to sleep. His room has the best, most peaceful environment when it's bedtime. I cherish the moments I have with him when he's so tiny and precious and just laying his head on my shoulder drifting into dreamland.

5. The way he pats me back with his little hand when I'm patting his back to soothe him. I just inhale that moment.

6. His smell! Oh my gosh, I love the baby smell so much!

7. Our summertime walks. He loves to go for a walk and the peacefulness we both get from these goes a long way.

8. His love for music. He loves to beat on his drum, his xylophone and just about anything else. He calms down when the Ipod goes on and falls asleep to Nick Drake, Patsy Cline, The Beatles and Kings of Convenience among others.

9. His mood when he wakes up. He's so giggly.

10. How he just studies everything. Those big eyes just taking the world in. His curiosity and thoughtfulness I love to watch.

Don't get me wrong. I am fully aware that I am in the honeymoon stage of being a parent. We are exhausted and at times overwhelmed when we can't figure out why he's crying, but man...life sure is swell.