My Son.

2 years together

Two years and 2 days ago Noah Tamirat was placed in our arms in Ethiopia and we became a family. Two days from now marks the day we brought him "home" to America a country and a life so different from anything he had ever known. I don't think I can ever fully express how much of a blessing he is not just to us as his parents but to all of our family and friends. This perfect gift from God that we did nothing to deserve but strive every day to be worthy of. My son. I didn't carry you in my belly for 9 months but we carried you in our hearts long before your birth. I didn't spend hours in labor but we labored for hours over paperwork and home visits. We spent hours on a plane to travel to the country of your birth and I spent what felt like hours sitting on the hard concrete waiting for you to wake up. I wasn't there when you took your first breath but holding you for the first time you took my breath away. I didn't hear your first cries but I cried the first time I saw you. We don't share skin color, eye color, hair color or DNA but we share the important things. We share laughter and tears,messes and food,happy times and sad, we share Life. I'm not the only woman you call mommy, i'm not the only woman that calls you son. I'm certainly not the first or the last woman who's heart you will steal. Because never for a moment doubt that sitting there in that hot african sun you might have been sound asleep but my heart was lost to you forever. You are my son and I am your mom and its as simple and beautiful as that.

Potty Trained??

Ok so I didn't think this would be my next post. Two weeks ago I decided to just jump into the potty training and see what happened. My thought was to dress Noah in socks, undies and shirt and keep his potty in the living room to see what happened. After a couple accidents in the morning he freaked out and didn't want undies on..ok not my plan but we'll see what happens if he's naked. After nap I left him diaperless. He was playing with toys when all of a sudden he ran over opened his potty and sat down...he then turned to me and said..pee pee momma. Sure enough potty success all on his own doing. It took a day or two for him to poop on the potty and lots and lots of encouragment. There were a couple accidents but we went a week undie free and he did really well. We then switched to my original plan of wearing undies..Again a couple accidents because he won't pull down his own pants but he will tell you and run to the potty so you have to pay attention to his needs. Over the weekend we went ahead and got his potty training reward and he also had his first success on a public potty. He is still pretty scared of big potties but has gone a couple times on the one at home. This week we are back to wearing pants.

Noah still wears diapers at bed time but from the time he wakes up in the morning until the time he gets in jammies he is in undies. So proud of my little "big" man.

2 1/2, Keeping it Real,Anything goes.

OK so I have been meaning to blog and I have had all these great topics in my head but I don't sit down and type out any of them because really I don't make time. I get LAZY. That's right at the end of the day my old self is worn out from a certain 2 1/2 year old and I don't want to do anything but sleep. So what is the cheeky monkey up to now? Well we are half way thru the 2's. Really more then half way because in 3 days he'll be 2 years 7 months. And we are surviving yep that's how I put it because some days that all I feel like we are doing..just gettin by..sliding along...surviving. Noah Tamirat is super smart, cute and funny. He knows his colors, letters , #'s and all kinds of things. Just recently he has started singing the alphabet , he can count to 10 easily as high as 20 if he concentrates. If the #'s are written down he can tell you what they are. He can tell you his full name, how old he is and that he is from Africa,more specifically Ethiopia and he can recognize his name if its written down.
Below is a picture of the sit and spin that he got for Ethiopian christmas. I know its not a gift giving holiday for them but he got that and a new ethiopian outfit because really we can't help giving him gifts we just love it.All dressed up to go out and celebrate Ethiopian Christmas.

Maybe someday I'll post on here that he is potty trained but right now...NOPE. He's stubborn, I get angry and do the complete wrong thing and I yell and put him back in diapers. Yup this is the part where i'm keepin it real . I need alot of work in the parenting department to be a more laid back , calm mommy. Or maybe I just need a really really long vacation some place warm and tropical so I can come back all refresed and relaxed. Yeah thats not happening how about a fews hours kid free....can I pray for that? Son i'll never be perfect and i'm gonna screw up alot but one thing you can be sure I love you to the moon and back and you'll always be my favorite little boy in the whole wide world.
That's just how we roll in our tv. watching, fast food eating, loud plastic battery operated lights and sound toys household. And somehow we are surviving.

Just look at the joy on that face. He knows mommy is close behind.

Christmas at Home.

This year instead of traveling for Christmas we decided to stay at home. We told my family that we wouldn't be coming to New York but we would love for them to join us here. How blessed we were that my parents and my brother and his family could join us. My oldest brother wasn't able to come but it was nice for the rest of the family to be here.
My parents arrived the Sunday before Christmas and left the Monday after(they stayed with us). My brother and his family arrived the day before christmas and left the day after(stayed at a nearby hotel). This year we were able to take Noah to his first christmas at Hershey Park and it was so much fun to be able to take my parents as well. My child ate 7 tiny pieces of chocolate and was wound for the rest of the night. I'm not sure he even felt the cold. I couldn't belive my baby was not only big enough to go on rides by himself but was willing to. We have had some issues this month with him being clingy to momma.
The Stockings are hung. My niece and nephews stocking join Noah's and Honey's on christmas eve in hopes that Santa will come. Noah with one of his stocking gifts.

Where Noah spent a good amount of time watching his new movies

The cousins in front of the tree.

My parents with all their grandchildren.

Christmas morning was everything I had hoped it would be. We woke up at 7am and heard Noah Tamirat in his room so we turned on the living room lights and the video camara and then let him out to discover everything from santa. As he was opening his stocking my parents woke up and they were ready to take pictures and enjoy watching him open all his gifts from santa. My brother and his family arrived soon after Noah had opened his gifts so my niece and nephew opened their stockings and gifts from their parents and then all the kids got the gifts from my parents. Noah opened gifts from his aunt and uncle and cousins and gave them the gifts from us. My niece loved her ethiopian scarf and her ugandan bead necklace. It was a busy day but so nice to have family here and be in our own home so Noah could play with ALL his toys and not just a few.

December already?

Wow am I a bad blogger or what? No blog posts at all for the month of November you would think we were hibernating. It was a bit of a crazy month I guess. Noah and I spent our first time apart and not by choice since I spent 3 1/2 days in the hospital with an ecoli infection in my kidneys. Sean brought noah to visit me in the morning and then again in the afternoon for a couple hours at a time but a 2 year old and hospital room just don't mix.

Noah also got his first big injury. We had Jake over to play and the boys were hugging goodbye when they tipped over into the entertainment center. Noah Tamirat cut open the back of his head and got 3 staples and Jake banged up his face. A little to much trauma for this momma lets hope we don't do that again soon.

We traveled to Florida for thanksgiving this year and its clear that Noah is no longer a good traveler in the car. Before coming home we purchased a new portable dvd player and it ran non stop from all the way home.

Christmas will be at our house this year so we are busy decorating and getting ready for company..

Happy Halloween.

Yesterday we took Noah to the trick or treat event at our local mall. We got there to late for most of the festivites due to nap time but Noah did get to play the duck pond game ( I was so worried he was gonna flop down in the baby pool and I would have had a soaking wet otter). And of course we got to do some trick or treating. Outside for the games and to get our treat bags.

Having crackers before we get started.

The most Adorable sea otter baby.

Dumping out the goodie bags at home. Two bags one from the regular trick or treating and one from the mall kids club.

Some cool new pumpkin shades.

A record of growth thru pumpkin patch pictures.

Ok so it was requested that I show some pictures of this year and last year to show how much Noah has grown and because I don't want to let down my fans. (Kim this is for you). I have posted pictures of Noah last year and then this year in the same or close to the same spot.

Enjoy.