Two months home

It's hard to believe that two months and one day ago we landed in Alabama and were reunited with our big kids. Our family was WHOLE and we were all TOGETHER after years of waiting to adopt, and paper work, and nearly a year waiting just for Ryan.

We are home and life is ebbing and flowing as it should. Ryan is JOYFUL nearly every minute of the day. The littlest things make him so happy - helicopters flying by our house, the dogs barking, riding in the car with the windows down, going for walks in the stroller, seeing Papa, big brother and sister walk in the door after a long day. He is just a happy kid and we are blessed. He's still a toddler - so we have moments when he whines because he's tired, hungry or wants to be held but it's not anything the average toddler wouldn't do who struggles with communicating his needs and wants. He's thrown a few tantrums here and there and that's a great sign. It shows he's comfortable being his true self with us and while they're challenging at times, thankfully they aren't too common and it's easy to distract him unless we are in the car. Yeah, the car tantrums are the worst...

But the fruit of the spirit is JOY 

Galatians 5:22

T.W.O.

Today he turns two. Last year - read here - we had just been matched and we couldn't send a gift or anything since we hadn't received or signed official papers yet. And this year we are praising God HE'S HOME!

I've been praying for his birth mother a lot lately. She had a very hard life and I'm not even sure how sick she is or even if she is still alive.  I know she must be thinking of him today.  How I wish she could see how much he is LOVED, how he is thriving, and learning and growing! He's gained 3.3 pounds since we've been home, he can say 18-20 words, and I am guessing he understands about 90% of what we say to him. I know she would be so proud of how brave he's been with all the changes that have been thrown at him in the last two months. I am so proud of how brave SHE was to choose life for our son when her own life has been so turbulent. She was brave enough to hand over her 3 day old baby, not knowing what would become of him or if he would be struck with the same illness that will take her life.

We are so very thankful for her.

Happy birthday to our sweet little chocolate muffin!

Car seat dancing

Ryan does a lot of this. He LOVES music! I have a few Indian music stations on iTunes radio that he enjoys. We listen to kids music, Christian music, whatever floats our boat. Some days Daddy will play 80's hair band or mariachi music at bath time. Last week Katie took this video of Ryan getting his groove on in the car seat to Peter Furler. He brings us such JOY every single day!

Thank you Lord for sending Ryan to us! <3

Halloooo? Halloooo!

That's what Ryan says when he needs to get our attention. When he wakes up, he stands in his crib and says, Hallo? Hallo! HALLOOO! Until we get him out of the crib. If he wants to show us something, Hallo hallo halloooo! If someone is outside and he seems them at the window, Halloooo!!! It is really so very cute. I know one day he won't do it any longer so I'm enjoying it for the moment.

This video is from his first or second week home

Yesterday I took some photos of this handsome boy in his traditional Indian outfit. While we were in Pondicherry, we bought this one for his 2nd birthday and another one for next year.

Thank you, Lord, for this sweet blessing. We waited 11 years and he was so worth the wait.