Happy Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day.  Thank you to all who have served or are serving in the armed forces.  Your service to our country is a blessing, and we don't take it lightly.  

Above:  Kieran just being Kieran.  He loves to ham it up for the camera.  We spent some time outside enjoying a brief glimpse of sunshine.  While I dashed inside to get my camera, he played in the mud and got dirty in a matter of seconds.  That's part of being a kid, right?  

It's time to take a break from blogging.  We are gearing up for a busy couple of weeks with a post placement visit, a birthday party, a graduation, and lots of fun with friends and family.  So, we won't be posting to the blog for a while.    See ya in June.

Our happy "gotcha" anniversary

One year!  It's already been one year since we met Kieran for the first time in Rwanda.  It doesn't seem possible that twelve months have gone by.  But, my son's progress tells me it is so.  For starters, he's grown two shoe sizes in a year; you know the other growth stats if you've been following our blog.   I had to admit it recently, Kieran's not a baby anymore.  In fact, I often call him my "little man".  He continues to blow me away with how smart he is.  Recently, we were at the grocery store purchasing some fresh ginger for our stir fry dinner.  He'd never seen ginger root before so I told him what it was and let him sniff it.   He promptly told me, "ginger starts with J!" A bit dazed,  I replied, "Well, actually it starts with a G, but it makes the J sound!  That's very good, Kieran!"  Inside my head I was thinking, "This kid is a genius!"  Two and a half year olds aren't supposed to be this smart, are they?

Kieran is 31 months old now, and an amazingly different boy than the one we met on a warm Rwandan evening in 2009.  As we've watched him grow this past year, we've seen a miracle unfold before our very eyes.  What a privilege, what an honor, what a blessing!  Thank you, God.

May 19, 2009.  Father and son meet each other for the first time.  A miracle day we'll never forget!

Mike and Kieran now.  They love to hang out together and watch the home videos that Mike is creating on his computer.  Kieran, of course, is the star of all the shows.  He mercilessly asks to watch them every time the "Little Apple" is out of its case.  

May 19, 2009.  My son!  He's letting Mommy hold him, but he's not so sure about all this attention from these new people.  

Mother's Day 2010.  Kieran, I love you!  I've loved you since God first placed the dream of you in my heart in 2005.  I knew then that you would be our son and we'd find you in Africa, but I didn't know exactly where, when, or how we would meet you.  I thank the Lord that He brought us to you.  My heart has been at peace ever since the day we met.  The ache is gone, and my arms are full.  Selah.

A Happy May!

"Happy Mother's Day, Mommy!"  Kieran said those sweet words as he delivered my surprise roses to me last week.  It melted my heart!! Mike did a great job of making sure that I had a wonderful first Mother's Day...roses, dinner, shopping, and he installed two ceiling fans too!

Our son has grown so much that he's now able to sit on a stool and eat his snacks.  Of course, he's very proud to be sitting up high.  We're very pleased with his progress too.

Kieran's buddy, Henry, came for a visit recently.  While the boys played, Mandy & I had a wonderful time chatting.  Our families are celebrating one year since our boys came home from Rwanda.  Amazing!

Needless to say, the boys had a blast playing together.  What a blessing to have good friends!

This has truly been a happy May!  Oh, one last thing, our USCIS paperwork is up to date for Marisa's adoption.  One more hurdle out of the way.  (I'm breathing a big sigh of relief.)  Now we just have to sit back and wait for a referral.  I'm thinking maybe this December we'll get her referral.  But that is just a guess.  We are very excited for Kieran to have a baby sister.  

from baby to toddler

On a spur of the moment whim today...I decided it was time to convert Kieran's bed from a crib to a toddler bed.  He was thrilled with the change and tried out his new bed right away.  Of course, he tumbled out of it a few times, but quickly figured out several ways to get down without falling.  

Everything is more fun with friends.  So we had a party with Snacks, Snackers, and the red ball to commemorate the big event.  Even Mommy joined in.  We played catch and bear gymnastics, and then we all sat on the bed and read a book together.  

P.S.  I just put Kieran to bed.  I'm wondering how long it will take him to figure out that he can get out of bed and wander around.  Hopefully he'll adapt easily to this new level of freedom.  I'm expecting an early wake up call tomorrow morning.  

Good-bye crib. (Coincidentally, we set up this crib on May 13, 2009.  One week before we met Kieran.  Now, a year later, he's too big for a crib!  He's growing up so fast.)

Another year of blessings

Mike & Kieran made a delicious birthday cake for me.  My boys, what a blessing!  I have so much to be thankful for this year!

My wonderful sisters babysat Kieran for us so Mike could take me on a date for my birthday.   While Mike and I shopped and dined, Kieran had a blast with his aunties.  He kept them busy and entertained.  He demonstrated his yoga skills (downward facing dog) and some kenpo moves..."jab, cross, hook, uppercut!" 

Disclaimer:  No one was injured.

Progress on our adoptions seems to happen on my birthday.  Last year, we had a baby shower for Kieran the day before my birthday.  This year, we got our USCIS fingerprinting appointment notice in the mail.  Just one step closer to being ready for Marisa's referral.  I wonder if next birthday I'll be holding two kids.