My Little Train Conductor

Spring Break

I've been off the entire week for spring break, and we could really get used to this! We've been to several birthday parties. One of my best friends, Heather, celebrated her kids' parties back to back. Lillian turned two and partied princess style. Rocco was her prince. Aren't they so cute? Lillian was adopted from China just three months ago. They are our Asian beauties.

Heather's oldest child, Samuel, had a big pirate party for his fifth birthday. "Arrgh matey." It looks like Samuel just might unhook Rocco's earring any second.

The fun really began when the boys mixed up the party themes and partied like a Pirate Princess. Samuel painted his fingernails (his daddy had a cow later) and Rocco found the hair crimper. Check out these pirates inside the princess' castle.

I just love this pirate outfit on little man. My brother who is now 20 years old, wore it when he was two at Halloween.

Other than partying, we also spent some time with family. Mimi and papaw enjoyed our three day visit. We also stopped by our cousin Stephanie's house to play with Zackery. He is only one month older than Rocco. Within four hours they managed to jump on the trampoline, swing and slide on the play set,

ride around the country in Diego's safari jeep,

steer remote control cars all over the living room, rock and roll on the guitar,

and play with Thomas the train. Both boys were tuckered out; they were so busy playing they missed their naps.

March 13th The Day We Met Rocco

Fun With Photoshop

My new project is experimenting with Photoshop Elements 7. I was able to save some money by making Rocco's birthday party invitations myself. After playing around with the "Create" tab, I was also able to make some photo collages. I'm an amateur, but I'm having fun coming up with creative ways to post and print the many photos I've been taking of our little man.

Heading for Vietnam

That's what we were doing exactly 2 years ago today. On March 10, we left South Carolina, headed to Texas, took another plane to Korea, and some time the next day we landed in Vietnam. Our final destination would be a 7 hour bus ride outside HCMC. A little boy awaited us in a place called Ninh Thuan. He would forever change our lives.

Two years later we are wondering where the time went. We have truly cherished our blessing, Rocco. He's the sweetest, most handsome, energetic little boy . . . so full of life and happiness.

We celebrated the day by eating dinner at a Japanese steak house. He wore his Vietnamese outfit and chowed down on soup, salad, and rice. Later we spoiled him with some treats at Toys R Us.

I believe this is the last time he'll get to wear his Asian outfit. He's getting so tall . . . and handsome. He takes after his daddy!

Our Adoption Story is Published

Almost 450 pages long, the Willis Adoption Story Blog is now bound in two volumes. I am so thankful I began journaling over two years ago about the story of our lives with Rocco. It has taken many hours, sometimes blogging after midnight when Rocco and Jason were asleep, and many memory discs of pictures.

I kept Staples in business buying a nice printer and many ink cartridges to print the blog. I didn't print all 317 posts in one night. I've been working on it for the last two years. I really turned on the fan in the last two weeks though trying to get caught up. Tonight I'm officially caught up on printing the blog, and it is neatly bound in two white folders. Every page is in a page protector and awaiting someone to pick it up and read. Maybe one day Rocco will take an interest in his early childhood. These pages will show him just how much he was loved and all the fun adventures we had together when he was little.

As I read through the pages I couldn't help but think about his birth mother. When she brought her malnourished little baby to the orphanage, I suppose she never dreamed what life awaited him. He would soon have a family to love him, nurture him, and fulfill his every need. No longer would he hunger or cry for someone to hold him. I wish she could read his story now. The story that began when he left Ninh Thuan and started his life with his forever family. I suppose her heart would hurt for her loss but also smile at the same time just knowing how much he is loved and cared for.

Thirty-Five Months Old

By far the most growth we've seen in Rocco this month is with his verbal skills. The little man just talks and talks. It doesn't always come out in the proper syntax, but we know exactly what he's telling us... most of the time. Every now and then he'll say a word and I can't understand what he wants. Eventually I'll figure it out. Little man certainly has his own way of communicating.

He loves to use his words to read us books now. He'll get pretend mail and read what the letter says or bring us a book and jibber on and on with his made up story. One night I was going to read the Bible to him, but he insisted, "No, Rocco read." He opened it up and said the same thing for every page, "Jesus said Bread of Life."

It's amazing to watch him call out his letters. One night I was working on the computer when he noticed the desk calendar. Without any prodding on my part, he quickly called out every letter without any help. "S-E-P-T-E-M-B-E-R." It was one of those moments when I was blown away by how smart he is. It reminded me of something a kindergartener would be doing, and he doesn't start pre-k for another year.

At this age most children can identify four colors. Rocco knows red, blue, green, yellow, orange, purple, pink, brown, white, gray, and black. He's also doing better with counting to five and he doesn't leave out 3 like he used to.

Speaking of 3, he knows that he is 2 years old and will hold up 2 fingers when asked his age. He also understands that at his party he is going to be 3.

Throughout the day, he continues to get "stuck." I have to stop what I'm doing and go pick him up. He refuses to move another step. Don't know why he does this, but it is sweet that he still wants his mama.

Books are a big part of his life. As soon as he wakes up in the morning or after a nap, he begs for us to read. There are a few books with few sentences and pictures to go in the place of some words. This has allowed him to actively read with us. When we come to the picture word, he'll say the word. It's exciting to see him so involved with books and learn all the pre-reading skills that will help him in school later.

Most recently he has become interested in Wonder Pets, Dora, and Diego. We actually get to listen to something other than the trains now when we're in the car. As he watches his video, he'll say, "Hey Diego!" when every episode begins.

Rocco's gross motor skills continue to develop. He's always had great flexibility and coordination, but he's getting even better at it. When we're at Kangaroo Jakes, he just climbs up those big inflatables like any big kid. He can get up and down on our really high bed now without any help. Since we started tumbling class this month, he's also learned how to do a hand stand, cart wheel, forward roll, and back bend (of course all with help).

The tumbling class has been really good for him because it has allowed him to have some distance from me and be around other kids his age. Two of the four times we've been, he hasn't wanted me to leave. He can look up at any time and see me in the balcony watching him. This has helped. When I leave him crying with Ms. Rachel, he only cries for a few minutes and goes on about his tumbling. It's neat to watch him interacting with other kids his age during his class.

Candy, mum (gum), and blue green are his constant request. I've never seen a little boy so into candy as our Rocco. I worry some about his teeth, so we try to stick with sugar free gum and limit his intake of the sweets. Only problem is that if it's anywhere to be found, he spots it. I will give him credit though. Even though he'll say, "Fries," when you ask him what he wants to eat, he has been known to eat some beans and even broccoli. Any kid who eats broccoli is due a treat every now and then!

At 35 months old, he continues to be the most loving baby in the world. He kisses on us, hugs us, and loves to snuggle. In the mornings, he'll just lay there in the bed with us and not even want to get up.

Even though he's a sweet boy, he has had some melt downs. He doesn't scream and pitch a wild fit, but he does become obstinate and yell, "No, no!" He'll sit there and sulk or get "stuck." At that point, picking him up won't even help. One of his most recent melt downs came when I made him eat some crowder peas. Another one began when granddaddy told him he could not place an open bottle of Sprite on a cloth chair. I'm wondering if he's going to begin having more melt downs as he discovers more and more independence. Every now and then he gets upset when told , "No." On other occasions, I can tell him to throw his sucker away or stop playing and he complies like an angel. Thankfully the melt downs are not very often.

We're so blessed to have Rocco in our lives. Hard to believe I've been doing these montly posts and recording his growth for two years now. He's growing up on us.