Jacob had lots of firsts today

It is amazing to watch as Jacob grows each day. I watched Jacob cry as I combed the tangles out of his hair this morning. I have been meaning to get him a haircut but just hadn't gotten to it yet. Each day his hair was getting a little longer and harder to comb. I decided it just couldn't continue so we took our first trip Cost Cutters. It was traumatic. Jacob seemed ok until he realized it was his hair falling around him. Then the screaming began. He didn't stop even after they gave him a sucker. The ladies were great though. They cheered him on and he was able to finish the haircut. He now has a much "cleaner" looking head of hair that will hopefully be easier to comb.

After the haircut, I decided we should take advantage of the warm weather. We stopped at a park and Jacob enjoyed climbing on the playground. He also went down the slide by himself for the first time. I had helped him down before but this was the first time he went alone. He fell off at the bottom once but soon learned to slow down at the bottom.

For those watching what "phase" Jacob is in now, let me update you. Kitty is still a favorite word but not used exclusively now. He no longer searches for "Kitty" whenever he gets bored. His new phase is to go in the kitchen and demand a "cookie" even if it is just minutes before dinner. Twice in the past week he has tried to get me to give him only cookies for dinner. Unfortunately, I can be just as stubborn as him and even better at ignoring his tantrums. He is beginning to learn to eat more at dinner and then ask for a cookie. That strategy works much better. Although all of the battles go out the window at Grandpa's. Grandpa will give a cookie almost anytime Jacob asks and smiles :)

America Gives Back

This is my reaction to American Idol Gives Back show last night and their efforts to make a difference. Previously my posts have been about my son and me. This one will be about something bigger. For those of you who only want happy stories about my son, please forgive this post. I will return to happier topics next time.

America took notice of the poverty in Africa last night. It was wonderful but it is not enough. Millions of dollars were raised to help fight poverty in Africa and the US. I just hope we continue to raise more. I sponsor a 8-year-old boy from Ethiopia. In his last letter, he begged me not to stop. He stated without me he will be required to work, not able to go to school and there will be no one to help him. He is just one of millions.

In a country of 70 million people, 4-7 million of them are orphans under 18 years old. Although there are questions regarding my son's birth family, one thing is certain. He would most likely have died if left in Ethiopia. The world loses a valuable soul and life every time a child dies because there is not enough food to eat, medicine to go around or access to education. Without those things, the children also lose hope. Imagine living in a community where your neighbors are dying, no matter how hard you work there is never enough food and even the world has given up hope for you. Next time you look at a child close to you, imagine if you could not give him/her the basic things he/she needs to survive. Not just succeed but survive.

So what is the answer? That I don't know. I do know that we all need to do our best to save not only the children but the adults and communities as well. Our government needs to fulfill it's promise it made to the world at the G8 Summit. Our corporations need to share some of their profits to make the world a better place and each individual needs to do their best to help. For some people, it may be sponsoring a child from a country far away. Other people may be able to give large sums of money to non-profit agencies working to help others. And some people can only afford to buy some food for the food pantry.

The important thing isn't how much you give. It is that you do your best to help our brothers and sisters both near our homes and far away. People are dying and we can all do something to help.

Social Worker Visit

We had a visit with our adoption social worker yesterday. Jacob arrived for the meeting with mud on his pants, tears on his face and a toy stethoscope around his neck. No he wasn't hurt. We were 30 minutes early for the appointment and decided to go to the park. The mud was from crawling on the wet equipment. The tears were because he did not want to leave. The stethoscope was a two-day phase. He refused to leave it at home. I grabbed his shoes and said we were leaving. He grabbed his stethoscope and put it around his neck.

So what else have we been doing this week? The above picture was taken when my yard was full of young people. Our friends Jasmine and Brooke, 13 and 12 years old, came over to make chocolate chip cookies. Later Jasmine left and returned with her cousin. Trudie, Jacob, Jasmine, Brooke, their cousin and I all ended up outside. The above picture is Jasmine and Jacob spending a quiet moment on the steps.

Dog or Child

OK. I realize this is just a phase. I just try to laugh and not think about how gross it is. Jacob has discovered that pretend play is a lot of fun. His favorite game is now to pretend he is a dog. He carries dog toys in his mouth, hides the dog's rawhides, lays on the floor in the kitchen slurping water out of the dog's water bowl and even occasionally tries to give kisses by licking. At first it was cute and funny. Now, it is just another phase I hope if short lived. Of course, I try to prevent the water drinking and licking but he still catches me when I am distracted. He is a good child who is growing stronger everyday.

The au pair arrived last week and it is nice to have some help. I can get some homework done, housework and just relax a little more. She is also settling in and adjusting to American culture. Life here is so much different than in some other countries. I can't imagine how difficult it must have been for her and Jacob to move to a new country where they did not know anyone.

One Month Ago Today

Jacob and I attended the fair well ceremony at the orphanage one month ago today. We still had 2 days left in Ethiopia but we would spend it together. There would be no more tear-filled goodbyes as I dropped him off at the orphanage for the night. I wouldn't have to watch adults hold back tears as we drove back to the guest house already missing our children and only wanting to hold them a little longer. It was time to start our lives together and Jacob and I were ready.

Our first night together was quiet and peaceful. Jacob went to sleep around 8 PM and I was soon asleep in the bed beside his. He slept soundly only waking up once during the night. I woke up every time he moved and sometimes just to watch him sleep. He woke up the next morning well rested. I was exhausted and ready for a nap. Sleeping has gotten better. He now sleeps through most nights and I no longer wake up to watch him breathe. I do still wake up and wish I could sleep a little longer.

Jacob and I have gotten to know each other well over the past month. I now know what toys he likes (any that make noise) and what he doesn't like (most vegetables and nap time.) There are still moment that I feel overwhelmed and wonder what I am doing. Those times are getting rare and a little time with friends or family calms all worries. Jacob is still a happy child who loves to play and sometimes get in trouble. He still smiles and tries to be cute when he knows he is about to get in trouble.

Jacob is now about an inch taller and 2 pounds heavier. He is more coordinated and no longer has the toddler awkwardness when he walks. He is nicer to the animals but still occasionally needs to be reminded not to pull their ears or hit their faces. He loves to giggle and dance to music. He speaks about 10 English words and understands most of what is said. He is a typical 18-month-old toddler and surprises me everyday.

More Transitions

We have now met many of my friends and are preparing to meet relatives during the next two months. There are still more friends to meet but we have plenty of time. Diane was nice enough to help Jacob learn to use his shape sorter and Troy helped him learn about butterflies at the museum in Milwaukee. It is wonderful to have friends who enjoy visiting with Jacob.

We have a new friend to meet tomorrow. She will require adjusting for all of us but having her here will be worth it. Trudie is coming from South Africa to live with us for a year. She is currently in New York City being trained and will arrive in Madison tomorrow night. I have been busy over the past few days trying to get ready for her. We are almost there.

It will be so wonderful to have someone here to help with Jacob. She is coming as part of a government cultural exchange program for au pairs (similar to nannies). She will live with us and be considered a member of the family. Our family now consists of Jacob, Trudie, Mommy, a dog and 3 cats. I am now officially out of bedrooms and playrooms. I will either need to buy a bigger house or stop adding to the family. For a few years, I will just take a break from new additions to the family. A new house would be more fun but I can barely afford the one I have now.

More Transitions

We have now met many of my friends and are preparing to meet relatives during the next two months. There are still more friends to meet but we have plenty of time. Diane was nice enough to help Jacob learn to use his shape sorter and Troy helped him learn about butterflies at the museum in Milwaukee. It is wonderful to have friends who enjoy visiting with Jacob.

We have a new friend to meet tomorrow. She will require adjusting for all of us but having her here will be worth it. Trudie is coming from South Africa to live with us for a year. She is currently in New York City being trained and will arrive in Madison tomorrow night. I have been busy over the past few days trying to get ready for her. We are almost there.

It will be so wonderful to have someone here to help with Jacob. She is coming as part of a government cultural exchange program for au pairs (similar to nannies). She will live with us and be considered a member of the family. Our family now consists of Jacob, Trudie, Mommy, a dog and 3 cats. I am now officially out of bedrooms and playrooms. I will either need to buy a bigger house or stop adding to the family. For a few years, I will just take a break from new additions to the family. A new house would be more fun but I can barely afford the one I have now.

I hope you had a great Easter!

I hope everyone had a good Easter. I spoke to Jacob about the Easter Bunny, showed him the Easter Bunny at the mall and explained that he would leave presents on Easter morning. I didn't think Jacob understood. I was wrong. He woke up an hour early and was told to "look for your Easter basket." He looked under the table and couch and then found it by the front door. He really enjoyed finding the toys and eating the chocolate.

We went to church and he went to the nursery for the first time. I was a little nervous about how he would react. He loved it. I checked on him towards the end of the service and he was happily playing with some cars. He didn't start crying until after the parents began arriving to pick up their children. He really loves talking to everyone at church and has even learned how to shake hands. He just doesn't like it when the greeting is over and he has to be quiet.

Jacob is continuing to amaze me. I keep telling him to "be nice" to the animals. This is often followed by a short timeout when he refuses to stop hitting them or pulling on their ears and tails. He throws a fit if I try to show him how to "pet nicely." This morning he seems to finally be understanding how to treat them. He took a bowl, spoon and plate over to the dog this morning. Jacob mixed some pretend food up, scooped it onto the plate and then gave the plate to the dog. The dog was kind enough to play along and lick the plate. Jacob finished by petting the dog nicely as he walked by her. His whole face lit up when I told him how nice he was being and "good job." This lesson just took a little longer to learn than some of the others.

Dermatologist

We went to our first appointment with the dermatologist today. JM also had his first laser treatment on his birthmark (port wine stain). I think he is beautiful just the way he is. I am concerned that he will be teased and have more problems with it when he is older.

JM did wonderful. He got scared when they wrapped him up in a sheet (to keep him still) and covered his eyes. He then cried afterwards but it was his "I'm very angry at you" cry and not his "I'm hurt" cry. After three weeks, I am pleased to say I know the difference. I hear the "I'm angry" cry at least once a day. That is just part of having a toddler.

JM's face now has little marks that look like cigarette burns on his face. They don't seem to hurt though. He still rests that side of his head on the floor and doesn't seem to flinch when he or I touch it. I felt guilty for putting him through the ordeal though so I bought him a new toy at Toys R Us. The new toy actually became two toys when I discovered they had a sale and the second toy would be free. Who can turn down free toys? Plus, it is so much fun when I bring out a new toy to open and play with. He jumps up and down waving his arms and saying, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!" Now who could ever resist that?

All in all, we are still doing very well. Jacob has begun calling me Mama and even gave me my first kiss today. He has always given me hugs but I think he just needed to learn how to kiss. His first one was a little awkward but he has the hang of it now.

2 pounds in less than 2 weeks!

I knew JM was growing fast! I had to take him (and me) to urgent care for skin infections last night. They weighed him while he was there and he now weighs 2 pounds more than at our first doctor appointment on March 19. It is amazing to watch how much he is changing in such a fast time.

Some people have been asking how he is coming in learning English. He understands everything I say (I think) and gives me his I got caught smile when he misbehaves. He is learning new words every day. Today he told me to "sit down" while he was playing on a cardboard box. I gently explained that the box would collapse if I sat on it. He giggled and began scribbling with a pen on the box. He also loves to tell me "you did it" any time he catches me making a mistake. There are many other words and phrases he has learned but I don't want anyone falling asleep on me.

We made it all the way through our second church service without crying. The only time I left with him was to change his diaper. He slept through the sermon and only woke up after communion. It was nice to hold him during the service and watch him sleep. He really is a sweet kid (even when he is not sleeping).

I also found out JM will be going on his first vacation in May! We are going to Branson Missouri to visit my mom's brother, sister-in-law and mother. I also learned that my aunt (dad's brother's ex-wife) lives 50 miles from there. We are making plans to see her since we will be so close. I saw her briefly at my cousin's wedding about 10 years ago. Otherwise, I haven't seen her since my 8th birthday party. I am very excited! Of course, Jacob doesn't know about any of this yet but will have a great time.