First Haircut

On Saturday LB got his first haircut. D and I had been saying for a while it needed to be done but we hadn't really made any firm plans to do something about it. He has these great, tight curls and he would get a lot of compliments on his hair. I was not eager to cut those sweet curls but it is getting hot around here and I knew he would feel better with more of a summer cut. When we woke up Saturday morning it was definitely not on our list of things to do that day. That afternoon we went to a birthday party for D's boss. It was super hot and even though I used leave-in conditioner on LB's hair to keep his curls tight his hair was a mess by the end of the day. It didn't help that he had been wearing a hat for part of the day as well. Also, we had some chats about his hair with D's co-worker, who is Ethiopian. He and D have been working together for about 10 years! He was so supportive of our adoption and even told D that they are "family now" since our son is Ethiopian. Well, he felt like D and I really needed to cut LB's hair. He was pretty insistent. As we were leaving the last thing he said was, "cut his hair!" We got home and I still didn't think we were cutting his hair that day until D came walking down the stairs with scissors. I am a little embarrassed to admit this but I did shed a few tears. I knew LB would look so much more grown up with shorter hair. We opted to use scissors instead of shears because we were worried the noise of the shears would cause a meltdown. I think that was the right call because LB kept his composure for most of the ordeal except for the very end when D was trying to cut around his ears. Using scissors did mean that D missed several spots so on Sunday and then again on Monday he had to do a little touching up. The next day I was still really sad and not really loving his new look but it has grown on me. Through my tears I did manage to take a few photos of the process.

Before

Damon picked Ezra's hair out a bit to make it easier to cut.

LB was still feeling good at this point and was just very curious.

Goodbye Curls

Most of the hair was gone at this point and LB was ready to be done.

After

This was taken at the Memorial Day Parade on Monday.

What do you think? I am glad we did it and I think he is too!

Friday Favorite Photos

It was nice and cool this morning so LB and I spent a bulk of our time outside. We played with bubbles, his car and rocks. I kept trying to get him to smile but he was too busy moving rocks from one side of the sidewalk to the other. Important stuff. I also think he was a little mad at me because we didn't make it outside in time to see the mail truck. Serious face will have to do.

Bean Breakthrough - Intro to Feeding Therapy

In March I took LB to a follow-up visit at our international adoption clinic. We saw them right away when we got home and then they advise a follow-up visit after the child has been home for 6 months. They have been very thorough and it was nice to have access to a doctor, nutritionist and physical therapist all in one spot. LB was about 14 months old at that second visit and the big thing I wanted to discuss with them was his feeding issues. In a nutshell, he doesn't chew. When he was around 9-10 months old we started offering him little pieces of food. He showed no interest and it almost seemed he was afraid of it. We tried putting those puffs in his mouth and he would panic. He just held the puff in his mouth and had no clue what to do with it. He knew he couldn't just swallow it the way he does with pureed baby food so it would either dissolve enough for him to swallow or he would gag and spit it out. Not a pretty sight. We backed off for a bit and stuck with his baby food, which he enjoys. We would occasionally keep trying non-pureed foods although looking back we probably didn't try enough. He also would not eat any of the stage 3 baby foods. It seemed that they were either too thick or chunky for him and he would gag and then throw a fit. I talked all of this over with the nurse and physical therapist at the clinic and they agreed that LB probably needed to work with an occupational therapist who specializes in feeding. There is even a clinic at our Children's Hospital just for this type of issue. It was good to know that LB was not alone.

We met with the OT for the first time in early May. I have to say that going to the clinic at Children's Hospital really put things in perspective for me. I had honestly been getting pretty frustrated and discouraged but I quickly learned that his problems are minimal compared to most of the kids we saw in the OT room. It was eye opening and I am grateful for that. By the time the appointment rolled around he had started to eat several stage 3 foods and actually really liked some of them. Progress! The therapist was incredibly kind and patient and initially just watched me feed LB. She noticed that he wasn't really moving his tongue from side to side, which you have to do in order to chew. She thought that LB's lack of chewing was probably due to a combination of things but she said it was impossible to know exactly what caused it. I can't help but look back and wonder if it is because I did something wrong or is it a result of his rough beginnings or both or what? I will never know and just need to move forward. That type of stuff is hard for me to let go of.

We have been working on the OT's suggestions for the past month and we go see her again next week. She has had us give him large pieces of food that he can hold and are too big to swallow. He loves to chew on apples and will also chew on carrots. He rarely actually swallows any of it but he does use his gums to chew it. She gave him a special toothbrush to use that will help him with his tongue movement. We dip the toothbrush in his baby food and he chews on it and moves it around his mouth. It took him a few days to get comfortable with the toothbrush but now he loves it. We are also positioning his spoon back towards his molars, even though he doesn't have molars yet, to help him get the concept of moving food back there to chew. He will eat slightly mashed bananas but if you just cut up some banana and put it in front of him then he won't eat it. But the therapist said the first thing we want him to do is to move beyond the pureed to mashed. He has started to eat hummus like a champ and seems to prefer spicier versions like roasted red pepper and chipotle pepper. Obviously, hummus doesn't require much chewing but it is thicker and chunkier than pureed fruits. Two nights ago D and I were having enchiladas. D took some of the refried beans from the enchilada and gave it to LB. He ate them! They were pretty chunky so I expected him to spit it out, which he did several months ago when we tried at a Mexican restaurant. I know for most parents giving their 15 month old refried beans is no big deal but for us that was a huge breakthrough! He let them sit in his mouth for a bit but then he mashed them up and swallowed them. I was clapping so enthusiastically and cheering for him that he asked for more. So proud!

We obviously still have a long road ahead of us but LB is making steps forward. I imagine that hot dog eating contests are not in his future but I am hopeful one day we can go out and eat sushi together. Or at least he will look a little happier when he eats.

Teething Misery

LB and I had a tough week. LB's week was rough because he is massively teething and is so uncomfortable and unhappy. I am thinking he is cutting some molars. My week was tough because I was trying to keep a very unhappy boy happy. Adding to the teething misery our weather has been nothing but rain all week. That made it difficult to come up with indoor activities to distract him from the pain. This is what LB looked like pretty much all week:

He has not taken his hands out of his mouth. Poor kid. I know that kids aren't supposed to watch TV until they are two but I resorted to a lot of Elmo because it was the only thing that would make him smile. Yesterday afternoon we played outside in the rain. My sanity was on the line! LB didn't seem to mind and actually thought it was pretty cool.

However, today was a good day so I am focusing on that. The rain finally stopped! This morning we met up with LB's best bud, Tesfa, at the park and we got to wish Tesfa and Amy a happy referral day. A year ago, Amy and I were sipping beers and celebrating our referrals. JOY!

LB had a great time playing outside and I was thrilled to hang out with one of my best buds too. (Yes, we were asked again if the boys are twins.)

When we got home I put LB down for his nap and he did the funniest thing. I have to document it here so I don't forget. He has started standing up in his crib. I am not a fan of this new antic. However, he usually just plays for a little bit and then puts himself to sleep. Today it was taking him a long time to go to sleep. At one point things got pretty quiet so I checked the video monitor. He was still standing in his crib and was holding one of his favorite stuffed animals. Then he tossed the animal over the side of the crib and waved goodbye! It was hilarious. Maybe you had to be there? It's a good thing that boy is cute.

Tippy Toes

Over the weekend D spent some time working in the yard and LB kept going to the front window to check on him. It was my first time to see LB get on his tippy toes.

So cute. This boy loves his dad.

Referralversary

**I posted this yesterday and then it disappeared. Not sure why. So here it is again. Sorry!

On May 12th, 2010, we got the call that changed our lives and we saw our son's face for the first time. It was a day of such a myriad of emotions. In the weeks leading up to the call, I was going a little crazy with anticipation so I expected to feel nothing but joy and excitement when the call finally came. Of course, I did experience both of those emotions but it was the level of grief upon hearing the details of his first weeks of life that took me by surprise. My heart hurt for a family in Ethiopia that I had never met and at the same time I was overwhelmed with gratitude that LB was alive and well. The end result of international adoption is pretty crazy if you think about it. Two families from halfway around the world become forever connected through the life of an amazing child. Adoption is such a perfect representation of life's ability to show you tragedy, beauty and grace all at the same time. It's truly miraculous.

Here are a few of those photos we saw a year ago. In some ways he doesn't even look like the same kid. The eyes are the main giveaway that it's him.

Earlier this week, D said something to me about how the year anniversary of our referral was coming up on May 13th. I had to politely remind him that the referral was actually on the 12th. He didn't believe me at first but soon realized he had the date wrong. His error is worth mentioning because it reminded me of something similar that happened about 6 months after we were married. Our wedding anniversary is October 12th. I like that it is also the 12th day of the month. D came home from running errands and showed me his receipt from getting gas in his car. He told me to look at the total. It was $10.13. I was very confused and gave him a blank look. He got this smirky look on his face and teased me that I had already forgotten our anniversary. Ha! It was fun to point out that he was the one who already forgot!

Whether it the was the 12th or 13th, we will never forget all the important details and emotions of our referral day!

Photo Purge

We spent Easter Sunday with D's parents and had a relaxing afternoon. As usual, D's dad cooked a delicious meal and luckily the weather cooperated. LB enjoyed his first time on the swing and loved being able to play with different toys, even if they were a little girlie. Here are a few more pics from that day.

The newness of LB being able to walk around the house has not worn off yet. It still amazes me to see him toddle around without any help. I think I got a pretty good action shot.

LB got some sunglasses as a party favor last weekend and they have provided some fun entertainment. He has kind of a glasses obsession so they were a perfect toy for him.

Yesterday we went to the zoo and while we were waiting for our friends LB did not want to stay in the stroller. So we let him out to check out the tulips and walk off some energy. D's cousin, Andrea, got LB the Puma jacket and I think he looks so grown-up in it. And cute.

That's all I got!