18 Months Old and Rockin' at the Beach

Wonder what is going through his mind. This little man has come a long way. From the balcony of a simple orphanage living the same dull routine to a family of his own with new adventures to share everyday. . . the power of adoption has changed all of our lives.

He does not like the dry sand. It's too different and a little scary for him. The wet sand it alright as long as he isn't sinking. This is one of the few times he was not in one of our arms for fear of the unpredictable sand. He's fine with anything in our arms.

Taking a stroll down the lazy river with daddy. . .

Enjoying a morning walk on the beach.

Worn Out

This is what a hard day's work at the beach will do to a little man.

Rocco's Grandmothers

No one can spoil a baby better than a grandmother. My nana did a great job spoiling me. Of course a little extra lovin' and attention never hurt anyone. Here are some sweet photos I took of Rocco and his grandmothers.


Rocco and his Mimi (Heather's mom)



Rocco and his Nana (Jason's mom)



Rocco and his Grand Nana (Great-grandmother/ Heather's nana)



Rocco and his Mamaw (great-great grandmother on Heather's side)

Life on the Farm

Rocco has finally adjusted to life in Georgia, and he loves it. Here recently we've seen a hyper side to him that we haven't seen before. It's almost like he's had a good dose of chocolate. . . but he hasn't. He'll just run through the house with that sweet pitter patter, bare foot run of his laughing all the way. He gets beside himself, and we get so tickled watching him.

The catfish pond and 2 small barns

One thing that he particulary loves is going to the farm. We had a memorable family picnic two nights ago. I pulled the Tahoe out in the field and parked it right in front of the cows, which I admit wasn't necessarily great for my appetite considering how they just release their waste any time and anywhere they so choose. Nevertheless, it was so much fun as we sat out in the cool September evening under a beautiful sunset and ate our sandwiches and chilli.

The big red barn on the farm

Poor cows are so hungry lately due to the lack of rain and growth of grass; Rocco and I enjoyed getting up close and personal with the cows to feed them. They came right up to us (they were behind the fence) and licked my hand with their scratchy, wet tongue trying to eat the cornbread and sandwiches I was feeding them. It was so cute to watch Rocco motion the cows to him with his little wave. Being the city girl that I am, I was rather proud of myself for hauling some square bales from the barn down to the field. I also put some dry feed in a pail and fed them one at a time. They stampeded one another trying to get their big noses down in the bucket or be the first to scarf up a mouthful of hay. Two cows got a little fiesty and later jumped the fence. (One of the coolest things I've ever seen. . . a cow literally jumping like a deer.) Rocco's not a bit scared of them though. He'll go right up to the fence and pet them on the head. He still doesn't talk, but he can "Moo!"

Rocco and Granddaddy by the catfish pond (May 2007)

Getting Ready for Bed

Squeaky clean, here I come straight from my bath.

Hmm, this looks like a good bedtime story.

Neat! A pop-up book. . .

Mama is so silly!

Clean, dry diaper. That's more like it. Think I'll lay on my belly.

I wonder if the Wiggles are on this time of night.

Rocco's mom is a mad scientist!

No, I normally don't dress like this for work. And, yes, my head is covered in a garbage bag for a good reason. I'm the mad scientist at our elementary school. Because the kids raised so much money in our penny drop, I had to do an experiment on my head. This experiment was a mystery experiment that no one knew about. It kept the kids speculating and bringing in more pennies every day just to see what science trick I had up my sleeve. Today was the big revealing!

In my pink and black tights, zebra mini skirt, and long fake eyelashes, I prepared to do an explosion on my head. That's right. An explosion. I admit I was a little nervous as the entire school counted down . . . 10, 9, 8, 7, . . . The eruption went 25 feet into the air and turned my hair pink. But after it happened, the kids' reactions and the expressions on their faces made it worth it all. And. . . getting to spend $500 in our science lab doesn't compare to the peril of my bad hair day. After all it will wash out. . . right?

Crazy 'bout Drew

I think this picture just about sums it up. Rocco just loves his first cousin Drew. When they are together, little man is all smiles and just beside himself. It is a joy to watch these two interact. One day a man at the mall thought they were brothers. Might as well be. . . they are BIG buds.

Playdate with Papaw

Once a year it comes. That dreaded visit with my cardiologist. I love Dr. Pearson, but it's the heart echo I can't stand. . . lying there listening to the flip flop whish whish of my mitral valve. If there's one sound that I don't like it's the sound of my heartbeat. Don't get me wrong. I don't want it to stop! It's just that since I was nine years old I've had so many echocardiograms performed that the sound brings up bad memories of horrible news. Your valve has worsened. You'll need surgery. You may be on blood thinner the rest of your life. The thought of it makes me cringe. Even though God has miraculously brought me through open heart surgery, healed me so that I don't have to take any blood thinners, and I'm "normal" now, the doctor's visit always makes me nervous. Jason always goes with me to be my moral support.


Since little man couldn't go with us, we decided to let my dad keep him today. He came down last night, had dinner with Rocco and me, and spent the night with us so that he'd be here for my early appointment. They had the BEST time playing, eating raisins & Cheerios, and riding the golf cart. When my dad asked him if he wanted to go outside he let out his big grunt (which means "Yes" is Rocco language). It was a little chilly outside so my dad put a jacket on him and wrapped his legs up nice and warm and off they went. (Papaws are so good about taking care of their little grandsons!) Jason and I were only gone 2 1/2 hours, but when we returned I got some sweet loving on my shoulder. He always greets me that way when I pick him up.


It was so sweet to see Rocco give papaw some bye love. He volunteered to climb up in his lap (he doesn't do this to just anybody - only the privileged few) and loved on him. When he had to leave, Rocco went crying toward the door. He had to give him another hug. After he hugged him, little man signed "more." Too sweet.


I'll end on a very positive note. I must give God the praise for first of all allowing me to see my regular cardiologist. When I moved to South Carolina my insurance would not cover me under his care. Being able to see Dr. Pearson, my doctor for the last 10 years, was a huge blessing now that I have new insurance. And. . . my report was great. Seven years since my surgery and still going strong!! As my old friend Brenda would say, "Ain't God good?"

Snapshots

Enjoying a stroll outside on a Saturday morning. . .

Waiting to go bye-bye. . .

Playing in the mud at the farm in his dirt shoes. . .

Enjoying the last bottle of the day. . .

For our anniversary, Jason and I bought each other a really nice camera. It's a Canon Rebel XTi. I'm still learning how to use it and the many features that it comes with. I'm not a professional, but photography is definitely a hobby of mine now that I have a little man to take snapshots of. Too bad he doesn't enjoy it as much as I do. He's learned to ignore me really well when I'm calling his name and acting like a goofball trying to get him to laugh. Unfortunately I think too many snapshots taken over the last six months have ruined picture taking with him. He's learned at a very early age that he doesn't care to be photographed by mama's paparazzi. It's getting harder and harder to get him to look into the camera lens, much less smile for it. We do the best we can though.

6 months ago. . .

March 2007

September 2007

Look how much he's grown in just six months!

Six months ago today we were opening a brand new chapter in our lives. Jason, Rocco, and I were officially becoming a family. It was always meant to be, it just took us a long time to reach this "official" day. From the time we accepted his referral, his little face embedded into our minds and hearts. We knew he was ours and created especially for us. From September 2006 to March 2007 we counted down the days until we were given the okay to travel half way across the world to complete our family. Two people so much in love about to become a family of three.

March 14th was the last day Rocco would ever have to spend in an orphanage. He was officially declared ours in a small ceremony held in a judicial building in Ninh Thuan, Vietnam. Along with the Carlson family and their newly adopted Maile, we headed back to the hotel to spend some time together and make our first memories as a new family. It was surreal to say the least.

So Much in Love. . .

Ten years! An entire decade. Can you believe it? What a ride its been. I'm so blessed to have Jason by my side in the crazy ride of life. Sept. 13th is our special day. It's our ten year anniversary!

Have you ever. . .

Have you ever seen a cuter dish in a tupperware bowl than this? I don't care what recipe you're using nothing can top this one. Little man crawled inside this bowl that is 7 1/2 inches by 7 1/2 inches last Tuesday when his Nana Carolyn was watching him. He can make a game out of anything! I can't even fit my foot inside the bowl. He just stands inside of it, claps, and then squats.

We had to come over to Nana Carolyn's house again tonight. After we ate supper, I asked him, "Do you want to go to nana's and watch the video?" Immediately, he yelled in a deep voice, clapped, and his face turned red from so much emotion. Needless to say we left the dirty dishes on the table and headed for nana's. When the Cedarmount Kids singing video came on his face lit up with excitement. He did the motions to the Itsy Bitsy Spider and The Wheels on the Bus. It sure doesn't take much to please our little man.

Grandparents Day and Thoughts on Being a Mom

Nothing could ever take the place of a grandparent. I've been blessed to have known and spent time with 4 grandparents and 3 great-grandparents. One great grandmother and two of my grandparents are still alive. I find it very sad that Jason does not have any grandparents still living. The good thing is that he was able to know 4 of them, so he has many priceless memories that he'll forever treasure. Tea cakes with grandmaw, plowing the field with papa, growing up as a child in the country where life was simple. . . But as we get older we find that our place in the family tree changes. We are no longer the children. Now that we have Rocco, I have taken my mom's position. My mom is now a grandmother and has moved up to fill my nana's role. My nana has moved up to take the place of my great-grandmother, Mamaw, who passed away several years ago. Generations keep going. All of this happened in a matter of moments. I can remember being in high school like it was only a few months ago. I'll be married 10 years this Thursday. Where did the time go? I want to treasure every moment I have with Rocco. Time is fleeting and just like a vapor we are here and then gone.

Words cannot describe how thankful I am that God saw fit to make me a mother. Getting Rocco has been a surreal experience. One that has taken my breath away and left me speechless. I stand in awe of what a wonderful God we have to adopt us into His family. It's hard for me to imagine God loving us more that I love Rocco. But I know He does. That is something my finite mind cannot fathom. And with each day, I love my little boy even more. Of course I would have loved to have carried him in my womb and known what it was like to feel him move within me. Having him come from my own flesh and watching him develop from birth are two things I will never know. I have learned though, that these things are not what make you a mom. It's the little sacrifices you do each day that make you a mother. The love God instills inside you for your little one is incomparable to other loves. Only a mother can attest to that. It's getting up in the middle of the night to sooth his fears. Being a mother is about spending your last dollar on a Wendy's value fry for your hungry child who wants a snack. It's giving up the last sip of your drink just because your little one is thirsty. Being a mother is about stopping everything you're doing just to read a book while your little one listens intently to every word as he sits in your lap. It's praying on her knees on his behalf when no one else is around. It's listening to the same old DVD a million times every time you get in the car and loving it. . . just because it brings him happiness. Only a mother could take a thousand pictures of her baby and treasure every one of them as if they were a piece of gold. It's kissing on their hands and toes and telling them, "Momma loves you," over and over again. The open mouth kisses on my cheek I get in return are indescribable. It's the sweetest loving a mama could receive. Being a mom also means doing the dirty jobs as well, like changing the diapers with the indigestible raisins in them. (I could never do that before we got Rocco.) It's having pride swell up in your heart when you hear strangers go on about how cute your child is and then saying, "He's our son!" The other day we were in the store. Rocco was squeaking with every step in those cute shoes of his. Some ladies were getting a kick out of how cute he was, but then they said they were sure it got old to me. Are you kidding? I thought. After waiting 7 long years to be a mom, you think I get tired of him following me around like a little puppy dog in his squeaker shoes? I love his little squeak, and I never tire of it. These are just the simple pleasures that come with being a mom. And even though Rocco does not have my genes, my DNA within his cells, or my facial looks and complexion, I know that he was made especially for me and Jason. He is our baby. We were made especially for him, and I'm so proud to be his mama. I accept the calling of motherhood with thankfulness and humbleness of heart realizing the important task that is set before me. Being a mother means it is my job to love Rocco with unconditional love, nurture him with gentleness, discipline him in a consistent, stern yet loving way to teach him wrong from right, provide for his physical and emotional needs, and most importantly teach him about God's love. I look back now at my own mom and I can now fully appreciate all that she did for me.

Three Generations

Labor Day

Jason went on a dove hunt with some of his friends early this morning. Rocco and I slept in and enjoyed the day together. Later, we met Jason and some of his friends for some great food! He wore his camouflage outfit to match daddy.

The brown shoes that he has on are his dirt shoes for the farm. Can you believe the onesie he has on in this picture is a 3 - 6 month? And our little tike is 17 months old! He sure is one cute hunting buddy!

Make no mistake though. This little man is a momma's boy. There's a special grooved out spot on momma's shoulder to prove it. When he wants special lovin', he lays his head over momma's left shoulder and soaks in the attention. Nothing sweeter in the world. . .

Books

Book time is fun time at our house. When I ask Rocco if he wants to read one, he'll go to his room and pick one from his giraffe book shelf.

Then, he'll want to climb in my lap. Most of his books are never read. If I choose one he doesn't like he ignores me from page one. He knows which ones are his favorites, and there are about 5 that he likes. He'll listen to them over and over and not let me stop. Lately he's learned how to sign book. It actually looks like he is shrugging when he opens his palms. Rocco's top 5 board books list:

1) Elmo's Garden (push the button and listen to the sounds)

2) Where is Baby's Belly Button (lift the flap)

3) John Deere (feel the textures)

4) My Little Book of Farm Animals

5) My Tractor and Truck Book