The Fosters

Yes we have two foster kid's that found their way to us in a very unusual way. They have been here for 3 weeks and can you say WOW!!! Dominique is a 6 year old girl who is full of GIRL and as sweet as she looks...then we have 5 year old Aiden and he is as spunky as he looks. I can make is sound wonderful but they are having some trouble adjusting and we are all a little stressed. However, they are a gift from God as all children are and they need us right now. I will say that they love Luke and he loves them. He does push them away when we snuggle in the morning as if to say HEY this is my mommy!!!Because of our new guest we were not able to make our trip to Chicago for the Toukoul Orphanage reunion :o( Maybe next year.

One Year

It all happend one year ago today....... Its a good day here :o)

Easter and Spring

This past week Wes took the week off to spend some time with Luke. We took him to the zoo last Tuesday with his cousin Max for the first time. He was not very interested in the animals but loved having a picnic lunch. We did little things with him all week long and it was so much fun. We would love to have gone somewhere but Luke just gets so overstimulated it is easier to stay home and have his bed close by. Luke is doing better and better these days and is starting to break more of his orphan walls down. I may take years to get them all down but for the most part he is right on tract. I think once we realized what was happening it helped him out even more. Easter was wonderful for our family. We spent time with both of our families and Luke got to play with is cousins. It has done nothing but rain here therefore the ground has stayed in a state of mush.....I let Luke have at it in his Easter best! He found muddy puddle after muddy puddle and had a blast! Luke is a joy to be around and each day we feel more blessed that we got the opportunity to be his parents....tantrums and all!

Spring Boy

Luke is ready for Spring....we had a new picture taken today! He also had dinner with Nona and Pa Pa and was giving out hugs...YES!

Sweet Boy

I can't stand it...I want to eat him! Luke has been so sweet the last few days that I feel giddy! Tons and tons of hugs and today he looked me in the eyes when I asked him to!! PROGRESS...

Bittersweet

I can't understand after 5 years of waiting how 10 months can go by so quickly. The first few months we were in such a fog with a new baby, a husband out of work and a 5 day long trip to the hospital after being bit by a ferocious Missouri (Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever) tick. Once Wes went back to work and I quit my job to stay home I thought time would slow down but it has not. I look at pictures from Ethiopia and tear up at the wonderful growth that has taken place in our little man.

If you didn't know Luke has had a lot trouble attaching. It has been heartbreaking for us to watch. When our baby has an ear infection he does not want us but instead he wants his bed or a bottle the only source of comfort he had for 8.5 long months. He does not like to be held and as a matter of fact it makes him fidget with anxiety most of the time. If he goes too long without eating his brain snaps back into starvation mode and he will eat until he is sick. a large crowd makes him turn into a wild man that can't control himself. In the first 6 months we just thought that this is how babies were....it is not so. We are doing everything in our power to educated those around us but even to them it sometimes makes no sense. However it is very apparent to mom and dad when Luke is "freaking out" inside. We are doing 100% attachment style parenting and we even bumped it up a bit in the last few weeks. The last few days we are starting to get more eye contact and finally has started giving us hugs. Today when a parent came to pick out their child (from my in home daycare) Luke ran to me and held on tight....we are getting there. We have other attachment issues that we are working on but today was a wonderful break through.

Luke has also fallen head over heals in love with Da Da. Friday when Wes got home from work Luke ran to him and gave out a big hug. When Wes put him down to go change his clothes Luke ran screaming across the room and laid on the floor crying. Might sound a bit ridicules to you but to us it was another wonderful break through!

So I realized today that while my baby is leaving and my toddler is arriving that it is bittersweet...Although I rarely got to hold and snuggle my sweet baby, I do get to see the progress of Patience and love break down the orphan walls that Luke brought home with him....

Good Times

All is good here....Just amazed at how fast they grow. Only our God in HEAVEN could have created a body that can grow and learn... so amazing. We feel more blessed each day.