Big sisters

When baby boys have big sisters:

kid pics

A few new photos:


Z showing off his 4 teeth, L proud of her puzzle accomplishment, and best of friends.

Our Z, 11 months

Today our Z is 11-months-old. I can't believe he will be 1 year next month. Although L and C continue to ask if we can keep Z (or, as C told a friend today who was playing with HER brother, "He is our baby. You can't have him. We are going to keep him.") they are now discovering some of the challenges that come with having a baby brother. The girls are very into puzzles right now and sit on the wood floor in the entry doing puzzles daily. Sometimes they will have 3 or 4 puzzles and all their pieces out at one time. With Z crawling and in complete exploration mode I hear "MOM!! Z is chewing on my puzzle AGAIN!" about 10 times a day. I can't help but laugh and say that is what baby siblings do and explain for the 10th time that he does not understand puzzles and books don't go in his mouth yet.

So yes, Z is fully crawling on all fours now. He started rocking on all fours months ago but only used his superman crawl to get across the room. Then last week he started to pull up to a standing position and I figured he would just skip the traditional crawl. But over the weekend he finally figured it out, and he has become faster each day. I sat him on the floor of his bedroom to check on L in her room. I came back and he was exploring the guest bedroom. So now the gates go back up on the stairs.

Aside from exploring, Z likes to dance whenever he hears music, he enjoys grinding his 4 teeth together, clapping for himself, sticking out his tongue (still), growling loudly to get someone's attention (then smiling and kicking his feet in triumph when he achieves success), and standing, standing, standing.

Article on Traveling Back to Ethiopia

Melissa Fay Greene wrote an incredible book, There is No Me Without You about a middle class Ethiopian widow whose home becomes a refuge for hundreds of AIDS orphans. Greene later adopted from Ethiopia and recently traveled back with her daughter. She wrote this article which appears in the current issue of Parade magazine about her daughter's impressions on visiting her homeland:

http://www.parade.com/articles/editions/2008/edition_01-13-2008/Finding_My_Daughter

Reading the article, I can feel Helen's ache in my chest. It's the same ache I felt in Ethiopia. I felt helpless and overwhelmed by the orphan crisis. I'm grateful to Greene and the countless other bloggers writing about their adoption experiences and travels to Ethiopia. It makes it impossible to forget our responsibility in helping others in great need.

Senait

We did find out today that Z's package is from Senait, his primary caretaker from Gladney's infant care center. What a very special woman! I just ordered some photos of Z that I will send along with a family that will soon travel to pick up their child in Ethiopia.

Gift for Z

WOW.




Today Z received a gift from someone in Ethiopia - a traditional Ethiopian outfit and a plaque displaying musical instruments that are typical to Ethiopia. The plaque is definitely going up on his wall! I think it's from his caregiver at Gladney's Infant Care Center but I'm trying to confirm this. Gladney's in country director, Belay, was in the U.S. recently and flew the gift over with him from Ethiopia - and it arrived to our doorstep today.

I am so touched. So touched that this sweet woman who cared for our Z took the time to remember Z in such a generous way. Evidently our little charmer made quite an impression on her! I'm not surprised since he has stolen our hearts so easily.

Gladney has an amazing infant care center (and one for toddlers, and one for older children) in Addis Ababa. Z lived there from about 2-months-old until we arrived in Addis Ababa when he turned 6-months-old. We picked Z up from this care center, enjoyed two coffee ceremonies there and were so blessed to meet his primary caregiver, and the other lovely women there. Many of the caregivers grew up orphans themselves. The day before we departed she gave him a precious traditional Ethiopian outfit, and gave scarves to both Chris and I. We were very humbled by her generosity.


And now today, to receive this present for Zane - I am blown away. She also sent a beautiful letter asking how Zane was doing and for photos, and wishing our family well. What a gift that we will certainly treasure, and how wonderful to share this with Zane as he grows. We will write her back and send photos along with a future traveling family.

Daycare

I took the kids to Pump It Up today - a kids place with tons of inflatable bouncers to jump on. Leaving, another mom asked me, "These aren't all yours, right. Are you a daycare?" I stood there trying not to laugh (and thinking, yes, I certainly feel like a daycare sometimes) and said, "Well, yes they are all mine."

She laughed and said, "Wow! Isn't nature so funny? They could not look more different from one another, could they? It's amazing."

My first thought was they certainly could look more different. Two are Caucasian and have blue eyes. So, we could have one child from Colorado, one from Africa and one from China. That would be "more" different. I knew what she meant so I just laughed and agreed none of them looked like twins.

The exchange gave me a good laugh that she thought I was a daycare. It also got me thinking on how much I forget that we look so different from one another. I love the imagery of a patchwork quilt - uniquely woven. And, I do love that each of our kids came to us in different ways because it's a constant reminder that children, all children are gifts.

In our society of convenience and "me-centered" living children are often seen as burdensome, too much trouble, too expensive, too much of a hassle. Yes, they are very hard work! (And YES - adults need time for just grown ups. Thank goodness for babysitters!) But they come with great rewards and the investment, love and care we put into our children will help to mold future generations.

Christmas Favorites

A few of our favorite photos from this year's Christmas festivities:

Z and his great grandmother Mimi, L and Aunt L, C and a new book

Kids and Great Grandpa D, Grandpa and Z, the kids re-enacting the "Cuckoo" song from The Sound of Music.

Mimi and Heather's Dad, Z enjoying his first chocolate chip pumpkin muffin - yum.

By the way, we drove to a nearby small town where a local church hosts not only a live nativity but a very impressive mini replica of Bethlehem. Upon arrival to the town square (where we found parking), L asked, "Is this where Jesus was born?"