Home 43 days...

I wasn't able to get a '2 weeks home' post written, or even a '1 month home' post written for that matter... but I figured that being home for 43 days was the perfect milestone to post about ;-)

How are we doing??? pretty well overall... The first few weeks home were *rough*. I (momma-bear) was sick almost upon touching down at BNA (sickest I've been in a loooong time) - was so grateful that Grammy was here to help for the first couple of days, such a huge blessing! As much as we tried to contain the sickness we managed to pass it around to almost the whole family - we are all just so sweet like that, we love sharing ;-) That took a couple of weeks to get worked out of our systems, and required antibiotics for 2 of us. So so grateful that somehow JJ stayed healthy through it! Of course there was the jet-lag mixed in there too, with a certain young man awake for 3 hrs or so in the middle of the night... I dont know what we would have done without our wonderful friends and a group of sweet adoptive mommas who made us meals and helped us through the first few weeks - such a huge blessing!

How is precious JJ doing??? He is doing amazingly well considering all that has happened. Seeing MBHOH (the orphanage where JJ lived for most of his life before coming home) firsthand helped me to appreciate all the 'newness' and 'change' that he has and still is dealing with... We are SO very very grateful for all the love and the wonderful, life-changing care that he received while he was at MBHOH, cant say enough good things about them, but it still wasn't a family, it wasn't a home, which meant that there was so much JJ had to process as he was experiencing it for the first time. I have tried to watch JJ and see through his eyes, the changes, all the brand new things he has had to respond to since coming home... all I can is say is that I am so blown away by my sons courage. There are so many examples that I could give, so many things that were new and scary, never before seen or touched, that now he has experienced and have become familiar (and some of them now even favorite) things... I've watched him go from being terrified of the gravel driveway/not wanting to set foot on it (only content to be on it if he was safely in mommas arms) to running freely on it and loving picking up the gravel and tossing it :) Then there's our sweet, but big, labrador retriever Riley... I dont know if JJ had ever really seen/experienced a dog before. Poor JJ was so scared/cried and cried when he first saw Riley but he has come to the place now where the first thing he wants to do in the morning is go outside with Daddy (still in their PJs) and throw the ball for Riley. He loves kisses from Riley (just not on his face), loves petting him, will walk up to him and take a chew toy out of Riley's mouth so he can throw it and play fetch with Rye... Then there's a similar story with our cat - just minus the playing fetch part. Walking on grass, another new experience that was frightening and not to be participated in but now, look out! JJ takes off quickly on the grass - he'll stop to pick flowers not so he can smell them or give them to momma but because they are good objects to be thrown ;-) Difference between boys and girls??? ;-) Trees - he didnt want to touch the leaves on the trees but after watching sisters for a few days he decided he'd try it and now its no biggie. Doors, another new thing... He absolutely loves opening and closing them - front door, back door, bedroom door, pantry door, closet door, washing machine door (with AG's shoe that he had carefully placed inside) etc. Cupboards and carpet and toilets - not things that he had access to and was familiar with... laying down in the bath tub also a new thing... a car and a car seat, stairs and slopes (he was very unsteady on uneven ground at first), all things he has now mastered... Window blinds, remote controls, flashing buttons on printers (which absolutely have to be pressed every time you walk by because then the grey box makes a loud noise and a piece of paper comes out!) the list goes on and on... And then there's the biggies, adjusting to a new language, new food, new people, his forever family. Its not surprising that the first few weeks he spent a lot of time in mommas arms, checking things out from that new but safe place, learning about all these things at his pace, what he felt comfortable with... such courage...

A little bit more about JJ - he is so sweet, super affectionate and cuddly... He loves his 'milk and books and cuddle/rocking' bedtime routine with momma (momma sure likes it too - the rocking often continues long after JJs asleep!). He adores big sisters, he was the oldest baby in his room at the orphanage so having big sisters is another new and oh so fun thing for him. After meal times he loves to race around the kitchen island and the couches in the living room chasing/being chased by his sisters... It doesnt seem to matter who is chasing whom but man is it fun to run around with his siblings :) And water, oh how my boy loves him some water - whether its splashing in the sink aka washing hands, in the bath, in the water table, in the dogs bowl, running down the fridge from the water dispenser (we now know why there is a lock function on the fridge), running through the hose as mommas watering the garden, and yes even water in the toilet bowl (we have a strict bathroom door/toilet seat lid policy now) this sweet boy just cant get enough of it!

Sorry this post is so long now time for a few pics :)

 Mommy number 2 - this precious girl sure loves her little bro and vice versa!

 Swinging is so much fun!

 Splashin' it up!

A boy and his dog...

 Yep - they do dress him up from time to time...

 Throwing Rileys toy for him...

Walking back from getting the mail...

If you squint you can see morning dada time - hubby, JJ & Rye.

More water fun!

Love my sweet son so much!

I really do love opening and closing doors :-)

Busted! Oh but mom the princess computer is so much fun! ;-)

Very important phone call - just not sure which phone to use, the green one or the hand ;-)

 So sweet!

 Peeking out of the playhouse...

 This big sis loves her bro very much!

And this sis is loving having a LITTLE brother (although at the rate he eats he wont be little much longer!)

 Dada and his son...

PS We saw the plastic surgeon at our local Childrens Hospital about 3 weeks ago and have scheduled JJs palate repair for August 8th - appreciate prayers for that but am sure I'll post again before then, assuming there's 43 days between then and now ;-)