Meeting Kieran for the first time on May 19, 2009 He was not happy at first.
When he stopped crying and cuddled close to me, I started crying. Finally, I was holding my son!
It took a little longer for Kieran to warm up to Mike, but he did finally settle down and let dad hold him too.One month ago, we were in Rwanda meeting our son for the first time. So much has changed since then. Today I sat and looked at pictures taken of Kieran on May 19th and compared them to photos taken a few days ago. Is it the same boy? Yes and no. How do I explain in words what has transpired in his life and ours? So much has happened in one month's time. I'll do my best to explain some of the milestones along the way...When we first met him, he did not want to be held by either of us. He was very upset and cried loudly for quite a while. Now, there is an amazing bond that has formed between us. He is our son, and we are his parents. He knows us and wants to be with us. He gives us hugs and kisses spontaneously! I love it! It took four days before we saw a smile from him, and then it was only a little smirk he gave Mike when they were playing in the hotel room. Now, he smiles often. The first time I heard him laugh was two weeks after we met him, and that was just a little chuckle. I was beginning to worry that he didn't know how to laugh! Now he laughs many times every day. He's a playful kid who likes to initiate games of peek-a-boo and chase. We have lots of fun together. He's also grown in physical strength and stamina. A month ago, he could not walk on his own and was barely able to walk while holding someone's hands. Now, he walks on his own while carrying toys half his size. He's not super stable yet, but he's walking! And, he's picked up some English too. We are impressed with how quickly he is learning to understand what we say to him. His vocabulary is growing daily too. He loves to say: "sock", "up", "cat", "yes", "baby", and "mom". However, the first three words are mostly vowel sounds but he says them in context consistently so we know he knows the words. When he is eating and we ask him if he wants more he often says, "YESSS". It's adorable and hilarious to me. When he says mom, it is not a title for me, it's to ask what something is. He points to everything, including himself, and says, "mom". Sometimes it can be quite confusing, especially for somebody who doesn't know our son. But, as quickly as he's been learning, I know it won't be long and he'll be saying many more words, including mommy and daddy. I do have to add for the record that he did say "pampa" for grandpa. It made my dad's day!
Kieran loves his daddy!
Kieran loves his mommy too!
We are all adjusting well to life as a family of three. The first couple of weeks were tough due to exhaustion and all the transitions. But now that we have a routine, life is good. Mike and I are still amazed that we are parents. Just today I was marveling that Kieran is our son. It's an honor to be given such a blessing!
We love our son!
Thank you, God, for giving us such a wonderful child!
