22 months

Ten months ago today Rocco came home to the United States. Since then, he's gained about three pounds. He's finally reached the 20 pound mark. He wears size 5 shoes and is slowly starting to fill out his 18 month pants. His bottom is still so tiny that I have to pin a lot of his pants. If they fit around the waist (6-12 months), they're too short in the length. He's definitely getting taller. Below are some of the latest happenings in Rocco's world.

1) Rocco loves to get his toothbrushes out of the drawer and gnaw on them. He's so sweet on his tippy toes trying to look and see what all is in the drawer.

2) He recognizes the G for GA Bulldogs and gets very excited about it (This is his first alphabet letter!)

3) He'll wave to his shadow, and he enjoys doing shadow shows on the wall during his diaper changes.

4) Our smart boy can turn on/off a flashlight by pushing the button.

5) I can't believe it, but he's started potty training on his own. He points to his diaper when it needs to be changed and will sometimes tell us before he has to go. He poo pooed in the potty (1st time with mommy at Wendy's on 1-20-08).

6) Kindermusik is one of his favorites. He definitely knows that his teacher is the leader, and he follows her every move. In the last month he's learned to march, swoop, shake, go forward/backwards, creep, and run. At home, we perform mini concerts with our musical instruments (drums, tambourine, maracas, harmonica, xylophone, slide whistle, and keyboard).

7) He still uses sign language. His latest signs are crocodile, amen, and church.

8) When he comes in the room where I am he'll say, "Hey!" in a sweet, high voice. He's still not using many words, but he jabbers more lately.

9) I could never have a more loving child than Rocco. Sometimes when I'm holding him, he'll just open his mouth and give me kisses on the cheek. The other day I asked him if he loved mommy and he shook his head "Yes!" Needless to say, it melted my heart!

10) He's distinguished between a circle and square.

11) Rocco thinks that his two papaws are funny. He laughs at granddaddy's made up songs and at his papaw, too. It's the sweetest thing.

12) He is a tidy little boy cleaning up after himself. If there are ever any crumbs on his high chair tray he freaks out. Today he got a few ink marks on his leg when playing with my pen. You'd thought he was in deep pain he cried so much.

13) Using toy animals, he pretends to feed them play food. Every now and then he'll take a pretend bite, too. I love the sweet munching sound he makes with it.

14) At night he'll put his hands together for his night time prayers and when I'm finished sign "Amen."

Music Class

This Monday night Rocco had his third music class. He's become very comfortable in Kindermusik. Each week the children learn new songs and motions. Tonight they rolled/threw balls, skipped, creeped, bounced, played with shakers, learned high vs. low, popped bubbles, and danced while holding big scarves. And of course. . . Rocco stole the show on the carpet. Everyone loves his shake. Below is a photo I took of him before we went to class.

Rocco's Grandparents Visit

My mom and dad came down today to spend a few hours with us. Living over an hour away, they're not able to see us as much as they'd like. We're not complaining though. Not too long ago we were over 4 hours away.

They loved on Rocco, watched him dance, played instruments, built block towers, laughed, and played with his workshop. Here are some photos of the fun he had with them.

Bubbles

Rocco has loved bubbles from the start, but in the last few weeks he's wanted to blow them himself. The problem with that is that he didn't just blow, he put the wand of soapy solution all over his lips. To solve this messy situation, I bought Rocco his own bubble blowing gun. In no time at all, he learned how to hold it, dip it in the soap, and push the trigger (with his thumb). With his new toy, bubbles blow out like crazy, and it never has to touch his lips! Once he realized that it was blowing out air, he put it up to his face to feel the cool breeze. He blew the bubbles until he was out of solution, the floor was covered in soap, and he was slip sliding all over the mess. We had to change his diaper and pants because he was soaked in bubbles!

Kindermusik

This is Rocco's first mini concert showing what he's learned on Monday nights at Kindermusik. Watch his reaction when a new musical instrument is introduced.

Potty Training

Each night before he gets in the bathtub, Rocco will sit on his potty. He wants me to sit on the big one. We talk about poo-poo and pee-pee. Jason has also had these talks with him. During the day he is so good about pointing to his diaper and showing Carolyn that he needs a diaper change. He only does this for #2 though.

The other night I went into another room to get something before giving Rocco a bath. For those few short seconds, he had no clothes on. We had been talking about the potty and what it was for. When I returned to put him in the tub, there was a pee pee streak on the carpet. He did use the bathroom. . . just not in the potty.

Well, today just happened to be the big day. While Carolyn was keeping him, he pointed to his diaper to tell her he needed to be changed, but she quickly learned that he hadn't used it in his diaper. That's when he started signing "More." She took him to sit on the potty and guess what happened? He put his poo poo in the potty! Yeah, Rocco!

Snow!!

I left school today and drove to my in-law's house like crazy praying that it wouldn't stop snowing. I wanted to see how Rocco would respond to his first snow. Big flakes were falling from the sky, which is a very rare event in the south where we live, and even though it wasn't sticking I became giddy like a little girl. Inside I was already dreaming of school being cancelled tomorrow.

As soon as I got to their house, I put a toboggan on Rocco's head and bundled him up in his jacket. We ran outside and raised our arms in the air trying to catch the snow. He thought it was so funny and just laughed as he looked up at this foreign white stuff that was falling on us. Yeah for Carolyn who caught it on camera!

Where does the time go?

March 2007

Jan 2008

Ten months ago (March 14th) we left the orphanage in Ninh Thuan, Vietnam, with the most precious little boy and headed to the judicial building where he would be declared ours. Back then I knew very little about Tuan Minh Duong. I didn't know what his cries meant or when he was hungry. I didn't know what his facial expressions were trying to say. Today, I know him inside and out. For instance, I know he loves to cuddle and show affection by feeling of my face. I know his cry and could recognize it with my eyes closed in a crowd of people. I know he loves music and will start rockin' if he hears a good beat. I know he has a little birthmark right above his right leg that is shaped like a W (I believe this was God's stamp of approval that he was the perfect match for our Willis family), and I know that his cheeks get really dry but stay unchapped if I use Eucerin lotion. And I know that once you give him a chip, especially Pringles, it's all over. He's not eating anything else. I've even started to learn what all his Uhh's mean, too.

There's been so much growth in our relationship and so much love and bonding over the past 10 months. Only God could put such love in my heart for this child that I did not give birth to. I may not have carried him in my womb for nine months, but I carried that seed of hope in my heart for the last 10 years knowing that one day I would be a mama. Finally seeing it come to fruition, holding his soft face to mine, feeling his warm baby kisses, telling him I love him and that Jesus loves him the most, and watching him pat on me with his sweet little hands. . . it really takes my breath away.

Kindermusik

Rocco did his homework and was ready for class tonight. He had others thinking that he had taken this class before. It was only his second night of Kindermusik, yet he looked like an ol' pro out on the rug. The carpet was his tonight. Little man showed them the swoop and shake. Whatever the teacher asked them to do, he'd do it. The picture below shows just how much fun he has in class. He's certainly comfortable in this new surrounding and has adjusted really well around his new peers.

One of our new favorites is "This Little Cow." Rocco loves for me to tickle each toe as I read the rhyme.
This little cow eats grass (Munch, Munch)

This little cow eats hay (Moo, Moo)

This little cow drinks water (Slurp)

This little cow runs away (Zip!)

But this little cow does nothing. (Snore)

So we chase her, and chase her, and chase her away.

Getting Ready for Church

Jason and I went on our first date 12 years ago today. Little did we know that years later that we'd be married and have such a handsome son. After getting him ready for church this morning, I couldn't pass up a few photos.

You have to know Jason to appreciate this. When we arrived at church, he looked at Rocco in this outfit and hat and said, "I'm going to have to start dressing him."

What a Mess!

Normally when I blog, Rocco is right next to me. This mama's boy never goes very far whatever I'm doing. Often he'll just sit in my lap, play hide and seek between the bookshelves, push buttons on the calculator, or piddle with some little toy. Take a look at what Rocco managed to do while I was blogging the other day. He reached inside the paper shredder (I always keep it unplugged for this reason) he pulled out thousands of tiny strips that I had shredded. To a 2 year old I'm sure this seems like confetti, but to an adult. . . well, it's a mess. I didn't stop him though because he was so cute and having such a good time. From now on I'll have to be sure the paper box stays empty.

Rocco Goes to College

Rocco is enrolled for spring semester at the college in town. Yes, I know he's only 21 months but it's never too early to begin your education. He's enrolled in a class called "Kindermusik." Each Monday we take a 45 minute music class that is developmentally enriching and age appropriate for our little man. Currently there are 5 other girls in the class: Liz, Avery, Addison, Katie Grace and Jada Joy. Being the only boy doesn't bother him. The age bracket for this class is newborn to 18 months; he's the leader being the oldest. Three of the girls are walking and two are still crawlers. One of the girls was also adopted from Vietnam.

The cool thing about class is that I get to interact with him while he also plays and learns with children his age. This past Monday we patted, bounced, rocked, marched, swooped (now his favorite), shook, and rolled to familiar tunes like "Yankee Doodle," "Skip to my Lou," "Old MacDonald" and "You Are My Sunshine." Rocco enjoyed the fun movements we did to "This Little Cow Eats Grass," and "Hey Diddle Diddle." During the baby massage time, he preferred to squirm and walk around. When it was time to meet and greet other children, he walked right up to Liz, who couldn't walk, and just plopped down beside her as if to say, "Hey!"

His teacher is very experienced and enthusiastic. Bubble blowing time was probably Rocco's favorite.

Near the end was the only time he became unhappy. When he had to wait for his take-home materials, he became impatient and pitched a little fit. We must be getting close to his 2nd birthday. I think it's called the Terrible Two's, but I'm convinced he's much too sweet to be any trouble. We'll see. :)

A Few Firsts

1. He's saying more and more sounds, even though his word usage is few. On our way back home from eating with nana and granddaddy, he said the hhh and ssss sounds. Of course we rejoiced and made a big deal. He just smiles when we dote on him like that. He's learned to like the attention.

2. After celebrating Drew and Jason's birthday on Sunday, Rocco just came out and said Aunt Tonya's name. "Nonya."

3. He slept in his bed by himself all night without getting in the bed with us for the first time. Only once did he cry during the night. After Jason rocked him a while he went right back to sleep. Over the past 5 nights he's been sleeping in his bed, but he usually ends up in our bed before daylight.

All Tuckered Out

Little man had a hard time getting up this morning. At 11:20 he finally got out of bed. I thought he was playing opossum, but he was actually really tired. Christmas has been great, but we are so off schedule. In a way it will be good to get back into our routine, even though that means I won't get to spend a few hours with him during the day. Once he finally woke up and mom and I got ready for our last day together before we headed back, we headed to the big town for a little shopping. Before we even got to the mall he had fallen asleep. I don't think he is sick, but all of the traveling and change of pace was tiring on him. The many visits we had (lunch with Jennifer & Jaclyn, visit with Mamaw Martin, Aunt Evelyn, Aunt Helen, Cousin Sherry & Kim, late night stop to see Aunt Betty and Vickie, quick trip to papaw's shop, and a few nights at Mimi's) had him all tuckered out.

One of the things I got today was a potty book. This is his third book on the subject, but it was too cute to pass up. It has different animals' poop hidden under flaps. The last page is a little kid who is using the potty. Ever since Santa brought the first potty book, we've been talking about it more. He already points to his diaper when asked, "Where's the pee pee?" and will even come to us, pointing at his diaper, when he has done a dirty. I think he'll be pretty easy to train.

To close, here is a picture showing just how tired little man was on the way home to Cave Town. There's truly no place like home!

Old Friends

Our friends and family tour continued today, and our next stop was up the beautiful mountain to see one of my best friends, Heather. Back in the good ol' days we were band nerds yet somehow to managed to get Prom Queen (me) and Homecoming Queen (Heather). We had the best group of friends we hung out with. They all came from really good Christian families. It was a true blessing to have them because we never felt pressured to do things with the "wrong crowd" when we had our own fun stuff going on.

It's amazing how much we have in common even after we graduated high school together. We're both married to Jason's, teach elementary school, and followed a long road which led us both to our beautiful adopted sons. She is currently in the process of adopting her baby girl from China, so our visit consisted of a lot of "Lillian" talk. I'm so excited for her and check her blog daily to see if she got the call telling her they've been matched up with a child.

Rocco played really well with Samuel, and Samuel was so sweet to share all of his cool Christmas toys. He explored the pretend food set, shopping cart, Thomas the Train, the small train set, art table, and so much more.

After lunch at Heather's house we just sat and chatted, catching up on everything that's happening in our busy lives. Even though we both enjoy our jobs, we agreed that we were dreading going back to school and having to leave our little ones behind. Thankfully they both stay with their nana's.

Old friends are the best friends. They know your faults and still accept you. They're like your most comfortable pair of jeans or the blanket you like to cover up with in the cold. It's comforting to have them in your lives. Several months or even years can pass without seeing them, and when you get together again you just pick right up like you never lost a beat. It's like going home again. And when they're going down similar paths in life, it makes it that much better.

A Little Cousin Confrontation

Rocco and I went back to my old home place and had a great visit with so many old friends and family members. Our first stop was at my cousin's house. Jennifer and I grew up together doing crazy stuff like playing pranks on our band director, dancing to New Kids on the Block, and dreaming about boys. We're only 8 days apart; we hung out at school and each other's houses from 7th grade until we graduated high school. Now our sons are growing up together (too bad they live an hour apart). Aiden is 8 months and Rocco is 21 months; they're the same weight though. Aiden was a sweetheart during our visit, but Rocco didn't seem to like his cousin getting in his space too much. Our high school friend, Jaclyn, joined us with her niece; the kids had a play date (well, sort of. . . ). As soon as Allie, Jaclyn's niece, came toward a toy that Rocco was playing with he started crying. It scared the 3 year old girl, and she began to cry, too. I guess we need to work on the whole sharing thing. Aiden just looked at both of them as if to say, "What's wrong with you guys?" They were all so cute together. Below is a little confrontation that ensued all over a sippy cup.

Aiden: "Mmm. What's Rocco got? Sure looks good."

Aiden: "Yeah, that's right Rocco. Just hold my hand. Get a little closer. Come this way."

Aiden: "Hah! Got it! Now it's mine. Mmm. I can already taste it."
Aiden: "Okay, okay. You didn't have to take it so personal. I only wanted a little sip."
Aiden: (Licking his lips) "Man, that's some good stuff!"