How it's going...

It has been a little over 2 weeks since the M's became a family of 4. The adjustment has been, in some ways, very similar to the adjustment when Maci was born almost 10 months ago. In other ways, it has been very, very different. We have again been able to experience a lot of firsts, like enjoying the kids being able to take a bath together (after everyone was healthy), and watching Teme ride in his car seat for the first time, and dancing together at library story time, and watching him see his room for the first time, and laugh at the dog's kisses, and be so proud when he learned to sign "more", "please", "thank you", and "all done". It is so much fun to see how excited he gets when daddy comes home at the end of the day and to watch his eyes light up when he knows it's meal time and he runs to his seat. We enjoy story time and play time and tickle time (his fav!). He loves riding in the wagon with Maci to get the mail and they both sing and dance every morning to music while I clean the kitchen after breakfast. It is so much fun to have children!!

But, of course, there have been growing pains. It has been challenging to take naps. We didn't push nap time for the first week home (well, almost the first week...) because we didn't want him to be fearful of being alone, or us leaving, or of the new sights, sounds, and smells in his room. But we quickly decided that he is really adjusting quite well and is so far very secure in his home. We believe that we were not doing him any favors lowering the standards, when eventually we would have to raise them. We initiated nap time over a week ago now, and all and all, it's going well. Some days, he sleeps for 45 minutes or an hour and then plays quietly until I go get him, and some days (like yesterday) he screams and throws everything out of his crib for the entire 2 hours. I know some of you can not imagine how I could let him cry for the entire nap time, but I assure you he's ok. He sleeps 12+ hours a night (every night), is happy and fun most of the day (minus the occasional 1 year old tantrums that are normal for every child in the world), knows he is loved and cherished, and mommy has 2 hours to herself every afternoon. I need this time for myself. And for my kids.

Maci is also adjusting well. She loves having a playmate and looks for him every morning when I go to wake her up :-) Sharing toys is a challenge sometimes, but mostly just for Eli because he isn't used to being the oldest yet...

I am proud to say that I have 2 very happy, very secure and very independent children. Maci is a social butterfly with anyone and everyone she meets (there has NEVER been a stranger in her world) and Temesgen loves to cuddle or play with any new friend, especially if they are an adult, and is slowly venturing out away from mom and dad...he doesn't seem afraid, just very cautious and wants to know that I'm close if we're somewhere new.

Both the kids love to eat and are not picky about anything that goes into their mouth (Maci would like to include carpet fuzz and small leaves), but Eli would prefer his veggies to be cooked and not raw. Neither has had much sweet stuff (I would say none, but the grandparents are rule breakers...) and they love their fruit smoothies we have with breakfast every morning.

Gotta run, Maci is up from her nap and would like some of mommy's milk :-)