a little more catching up

Charlie

So I had meant to post a little more about our first trip to Ethiopia last year. To share with you some photos that previous were not posted, since we couldn't show your face. Yep, life happened. So  here are some of my favorite pictures from our last day with you in Ethiopia and why I love them.

This is the first time you smiled for us. Of course your Dada was holding you. This is the picture that sets on one of the end tables in the living home and has since we printed it as soon as we got back. We didn't know you had REAL dimples yet, we would get to know them later, but you smiled. We worked so hard that first trip to get a smile. To be more honest, we worked so hard to hold you and to have you not crying/screaming. 

 This is from the last set of pictures we took our last afternoon with you. Yep, still tear up thinking about that. Your Dada held you one last time after these pictures, but the picture below is the last time I held you until we reunited in March. So hated to hear T tell us you had to go back inside to the baby house and then eventually from Wass the words, "Time to go." 

On the happy front, you have been in our arms for a little over 9 months now. We have some catching up to do when it comes to your life.  You have been known to throw back some milk while watching the Bears.

The weekend after your birthday, we took the "North Pole Express" to see Santa with your Grammie, Papa, Aunt Meg, Uncle Alex, and L. Here you and Dada are watching the train pull into the station.

 On broad the train. I am thinking you were a little excited about holding your ticket to see Santa. . .

Okay, so the North Pole wasn't the best. As soon as we got there, we had a giant small meltdown. Eventually we got it back together and we got in line to meet the big guy.

We attended an airport party for one of your friends, also a Hannah's Hope alum. Even better, we learned she had the same bed you had in the butterfly room. (LOVE this.) So this is you waiting for M to get off of the plane.

So since coming home we have added some friends to your crib and some sitting on the ledge at the top of your crib. Now when you are either first put into your crib or you want out of your crib, you take the friends down and throw them out of your crib. Recently you started something new. You will get your Street friends down and when they are all in your crib, you will talk to one of them for a bit, stand up, walk to the end of the crib closest to the door, and then throw it. I like to think you are talking with them about escape strategies and seeing who might make it. So here you are when I walked into your room one morning before you had a chance to throw the friends.

So a little out of order, but the Friday after Thanksgiving, you made this gingerbread house with your friends E, A, W, J, and L.

Earlier this month we said good-bye to an awesome woman, your Great-Grandma Willie. Charlie, I am sure you will hear a lot of Great-Grandma stories as you grow-up. She was a really special lady. This is from the first time you met Great-Grandma back in May. You are handing her a wooden block, one of the same wooden blocks your Dada used to play with when he was younger.

During your Great-Grandma's visitation, you spent some time with your Great-Grandpa Charles, aka Deward (from your Dada's other side). This was the first time you would let Grandpa Deward hold you. The smile on his face was so amazing to see. This is what your Dada and I saw when we came to pick you up.

 Because I feel I need to show you I am still baking. . . I made this cake for a dinner with your Aunt Kelli and, as of today, Uncle Jeff.

For the first time since our first year married, your Dada and I put up a tree. Yep. So here you are putting up your first ornament. It was the one you got from church doing Baby/New Child Recognition Sunday.

 Close-up of the ornament and a bit of our Christmas card.

 Our ornament celebrating Charlie coming into our family.

 So this past Thursday was your first snow. I am not sure what you totally thought about it, but I think there was confusion involved. Looking out from the garage after getting home.

 First time standing in snow.

So Charlie, I think that brings us to today. This morning we had breakfast with Santa, along with your friends E, A, W, J, and L and your "aunts" and "uncles" Marcia, Jeff, Courtney, and Brock. You didn't sit on Santa's lap, but you didn't cry. Your Dada said you talked to Santa and after your picture you even walked up again to see him and talk some more. You also won your first raffle during breakfast. You put your name in the envelope for the "Brown Dog," and won! All day you have carried around Dog-Dog, including not allowing us to take him from you. Following breakfast we saw Grandpa Edd and finished the evening with Christmas at your Great-Aunt Da's (Yep, Mama fail. She left the camera at home.)

So I think that brings us up to date, at least for now.

Love
Mama

a year ago today, part 2

Charlie

A year ago today, your Mama and Dada sat in the federal courthouse of Ethiopia waiting to see a judge. It was a long wait. You can read about it here. Eventually we were called before the judge, along with the C family, to say yes to you being our son. Your Dada and I were heartbroken to learn that morning we did not pass court, since there was a piece of paper not there. We were ecstatic that afternoon in the courtyard of HH when Almaz told us we had passed. We were legally your parents, in Ethiopia! We have legally been your parents for a year and you have been in our arms a little over nine months. I have loved the past nine months. I so can't wait for years of being your Mama.

Love
Mama

{after learning we had passed court}

a year ago today

Charlie

A year ago, today, we saw this face, in person, for the first time.  It was a crazy mix of emotions. We have come so far in a year, and you only being home about nine months.

Love
Mama

First picture with Mama holding you!

First Family Picture!!!

First picture of Dada holding you!!

I am sure you are thinking,"Who are these crazy people?"

happy birthday

Charlie

Happy Birthday!  

(November 24th)

Okay, the posting of this is late. Last March when your Dada and I had some time to kill on planes, we talked about your birthday and what we wanted to do. We knew it was going to be on a Saturday this year. We knew it would be at the end of the craziness of Thanksgiving. We knew we wanted your first birthday with us to be special.

So we decided we would spend the day together, just the three of us. (We didn't count Joey in on this day.) We decided we would go up to Ethiopian Diamond and not only celebrate you, but your culture. We had movies picked out for you and Dada to watch in the back while Mama drove.

{playing your new keyboard with Dada. one of the few times you weren't crying.)

 

Apparently you didn't like our plans. The previous three days had been too much. Wednesday you had your two-year check-up and a chest X-Ray (it was clear), Thanksgiving, and on Friday we built gingerbread houses. You woke up fussy and the screaming started as we were leaving the house and went up a level as we tried to get into the car. Your Dada and I looked at each other and decided we would spend the day at home.

So we did what you needed. We stayed home. We snuggled. We rocked.We got back to normal.

We love you Charlie! Happy, belated, birthday hon.

Love
Mama

It's a paaarrrrrrty!

Charlie

Following your baptism last Sunday we had your birthday paaarrrrty! It was "Jake and the Never Land Pirates" themed and held at one of the local pizza places. I like to think you enjoyed it. I know your friends enjoyed it and the "gold doubloons."

Love
Mama

Before your party, sitting on the bench outside of the ice cream parlor/Children's Museum

 Your treasure chest of doubloons buried in sand.

Elmo!

 Bucky Tent!!!

 "It's a trap!" Admiral Ackbar

the new drum with your name on it

Charlie

Yesterday you were baptized. Before the congregation we belong to and in front of members of your extended family we professed:

Will you nurture Charlie
in Christ's holy Church,
that by your teaching and example they may be guided
to accept God's grace for themselves,
to profess their faith openly,
and to lead a Christian life?

(From the United Methodist Baptism Liturgy)

 

 

We will do our best to do this. There was more to it, but this is where you come in Charlie, our promise to help guide you to God's grace and accept it for yourself. After your Dada and I said, "We will," Rev John asked you if you trusted him enough to hold you while he placed the water on your head. You replied, "No." Rev John laughed and your Dada held you while he did this.

Following this, the congregation sang "Child of Blessing, Child of Promise" as you were presented to the them.

Child of blessing, child of promise, 
love's creation, love indeed! 
Fresh from God, refresh our spirits, 
into joy and laughter lead. 

Child of joy, our dearest treasure, 
God's you are, from God you came. 
Back to God we humbly give you, 
blessing you in Jesus' name.

Child of God, your loving Parent, 
learn to know whose child you are. 
Grow to laugh and sing and worship, 
trust and love God more than all.

 You are our dearest treasure.

Love,
Mama

catching up with life

Charlie

So it has been a bit. Almost a month. Once you are reading, I really hope you are thinking, "Mama, I know I was doing awesome things in that month. What happened?" I know. I like to still think you will be calling me "Mama" for a long time, but let us be honest. You are already starting to use the names Mom and Mommy. You are growing up. So, let us catch up on what has happened. . .

It got cold. Mama went through your closet and found the puffy vest. You liked the vest, you didn't like the "boy band" music we sang while you were wearing it. You have good taste in music. 

We decorated a pumpkin.

You went trick-or-treating as Jake from Jake and the Never Land Pirates. We went over to aunt Marcia's neighborhood and had dinner before going out with your friends Strawberry Shortcake, Rapunzel, Iron Man, and some Bees. You didn't go up to a lot of houses, you  just liked walking outside carrying your sword and saying, "Arrrrrr." In addition to getting some treasure on the 31st, you met this guy. . .

 

You highly enjoy playing in leaves.

I might have made you try on different outfits for your photo session. . . During which, you might have rocked out to The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. . . You might have danced. . . Charlie, have we told you about how cute you are? You are pretty cute. I have proof. (Remind me to show you the formal picture we had taken in this outfit when you are older. It is part of Grammie and Papa's Christmas gift, so I don't want to ruin the fun.) It also doesn't help how you now say, "I awesome."

Following the pictures, you watched some football with Papa.

You fed yourself, with a spoon (new independent skill) some potatoes. You can't see it, but your shirt is caked in potatoes. It was everywhere. . .

Following pictures with your cousin L, the next day you had pics with your 4 cousins on Dada's side. More on those later. Right after pictures we drove north to meet up with an old friend who was in state from Florida. So you got to have dinner with Matt and his daughter A. She is only 4 days older than you, but you are over a head taller.  

We got new pictures of you from your time at Hannah's Hope. We love them. The first one is from November of last year, followed by one from December. The change in about a month's time is amazing!!

 

This brings us to today. We had an appointment at Comer Children's Hospital with Dr. Gray. He and Nurse Linda didn't recognize you due to the amount of growth and progress you have made since you last saw them. It was a great appointment. 

From Comer we left to go visit the fishies. We didn't last long at the Shedd, but when you would look at the tanks, you seemed to like it.

Love,

Mama