One Month In

Well - here we are one month in - - - Nahome became an official US citizen and set foot on American soil one month ago today!!!  It seems like he has been home forever and is doing INCREDIBLY well!  He fits right in with the rest of the family, loud, rowdy, and can rumble with Daddy like a pro (He wasn't quite sure how to wrestle with Daddy at first - he'd never had a daddy before!)  I just wanted to take a minute to show you and remind myself how far we have come!

In the beginning....Nahome refused to eat anything but Injera and Tibs, Eggs, Bananas, and Mangoes...NOW - he LOVES chips, french fries, and Starbursts (All Super nutritious, I know)!!!!

In the beginning....his fits were full of shoulder shrugs, fake crying, and kicking and screaming....NOW - he starts crying because he is upset and so he is asked to go to his room until he is done and BREAKTHROUGH (just tonight) he calmly walked to his room and sat on his bed while he got his tears out and then walked back out to chat with me about it.

In the beginning....he would run up to ANYONE (Chiropractor and Realtor included) and show abnormal comfort levels and affection like trying to climb on their backs :)....NOW - Nahome has a normal apprehension around strangers and gets shy and quiet and even hides behind mama's legs!  He finds us throughout out the day and asks for kisses and wants a hug or asks to be held - - this is HUGE attachment breakthrough folks!!!

In the beginning....Nahome talked A TON!!!  He loved to talk to us, himself, other people - in his Ethiopian language!  He loved to sing to himself - I think it was partly self soothing for comfort....NOW - Nahome still talks a TON it is just in English now for the most part!

In the beginning.....he cried and threw fits at bedtime!  We had to lay with him while he clung to us desperately as if we were going to leave and never come back....NOW - he brushes his teeth, lays down and pulls his covers up, holds his hands out to pray, gives hugs and loves and then rolls over and goes to sleep!  (I am probably most thankful for this transition!)

Some of my favorite moments...
~ Watching you experience ICE for the first time!
~ Watching you run through the gate at the airport to reunite with your brothers and sister that you had missed so much!
~ Listening to you learn to let Fletchy (our dog) outside...."Come on, Fletchy!" - one of the first English phrases you learned!
~ Watching your eyes light up when you get to take a shower!!
~ Calling you a "Silly Goose" and having you look purely confused and say "Nahome, no goose!  Goose fly"...and then watching you flap your wings to show me!  Then listening to you a week later call Daddy and Fletchy a silly goose!
~Listening to you say your favorite color as you see it all around town and thinking everything "Yellow" belonged to Nahome!
~ Watching you smile with pride when you finally got to go to "classes" like the big kids!
~ Watching you hold your hands out to pray at meals and bedtime, overly pinching your eyes closed, and whispering "yes" during prayer time (Not sure where he got this last one - but I'll chalk it up to a Great Grandpa and Uncles that are pretty vocal prayers - - not that he is met anyone of them though - - those must be some strong prayin' genes!)

We are truly blessed to be a family of six - together and living life!!!  While it has been one month since Nahome made his way to our home, it has also been a month since we had to say goodbye to our big brother Isaiah!  The first few weeks were a nice break to bond and adjust and I was glad to have some time with ONLY four kids in the house!  Now that everything has settled down and all of our friends that were in Ethiopia with us are heading back to pick up their kids or have at least been submitted to Embassy - - NOW - - This Mama's heart aches for her son!  It is amazing how full and loud and kid filled your house can be and yet all you think of is how the family is still not complete!  Part of my heart is still in Ethiopia...Please pray with us that we get submitted to the US embassy THIS week - we will know sometime in the night tomorrow (Tuesday) if this is the week or we have to wait another whole week!

Through it all - the highs and the lows - the good times and the bad - - the quiet times and the LOUD - - I am constantly reminded of a faithful God who is walking this journey with us!  A God who has blessed us beyond measure - given us grace when we were undeserving - given us patience when we didn't think we had any left - given us joy in the faces of FIVE beautiful children!  Is it exhausting at times - Yes!  Is it overwhelming - Often!  Is it worth it - every minute of every day!!