Family

Fun on the see saw

Dining al fresco (also saves on clean-up!)

A pre-dinner walk

A moment with Grandpa

Eating ice!

Look at me!

Grandma and Austin

A fun picture!

With Nana, Pop and "Unca"

Noah met his aunt, uncles, and cousins for the first time this Thanksgiving. He did very well given all the commotion and new faces. He even offered hugs and kisses to a few!

Above are some pictures from Thanksgiving Day. Enjoy!

Ho, ho, ho!

Noah had his first visit with Santa the day before Thanksgiving. He was so excited about seeing "HoHo." It was non-stop: "Mama, HoHo." "Yes, Noah. We're going to see HoHo." "Mama, HoHo." "Yep, we're going to see Santa." "Mama, HoHo..." And on it went.

When we arrived at Santa's abode Noah tried to break through the plastic chain to get in. He finally escaped and made a run for Santa. Now, our Santa is fabulous (and a child psychologist, at that!) As he was between visits he motioned for Noah to come over and say hi before his official visit. Noah had a positive encounter with "The Big Guy" and we went back to our place in line. 

As we waited for our "real" turn I had a sinking feeling that it might not go as well on our return visit. I was right. It started off okay and rapidly went downhill. Noah went into anxiety mode and instead of "flight" he choose "fight." He yanked Santa's whiskers in screaming anger several times and pulled my hair as I was trying to calmly remove him. It was quite traumatic.

I wish I knew what went through his little head. Was it fear? Anger? Confusion? A combination? Whatever it was, we worked through it and Noah was able to enjoy his post-Santa ice cream cone and say goodbye to Santa from a distance. Whew! I hope next year will be a more enjoyable experience for both of us.

Meeting Grandpa and Grandma

Wrestling with Grandpa

Hi Grandma!

A BIG hug for Grandpa!

Noah met Mark's parents for the first time on Sunday evening. He surprised us all by giving hugs and kisses and then asking for "more." He did really great!

We had been showing him their pictures all afternoon and going to the door to look for them. He was anticipating their arrival. "Gra-ma, Gra-pa," he said excitedly. When we got inside he pulled Grandpa and said "puh" meaning he wanted to push Grandpa down and wrestle on the floor. Grandpa willingly obliged. It was very cute!

Six months ago Noah had no family and now he has two sets of grandparents who think he is the greatest! It is true: "God sets the lonely in families" (Psalm 68:6.)

JingJing!

Noah is going to see his foster sister next week!! She is coming her for a Thanksgiving visit and we get to meet her and her family! He has been walking all over the house this morning, holding her picture saying "JingJing!" "Mama, I want JingJing!" I don't know how much he truly understands but at some level he has a connection to this sweet little girl. They shared a crib for over a year in Noah's first foster home. He flourished there and JingJing was a significant part of his life. We can't wait to meet her and her precious family!

Baby Dedication

We had Noah dedicated today at church. It was a very special time and somewhat emotional as we thought of everything that has gone into bringing Noah to our family and the subsequent struggles we have faced. Dr. Graham prayed God's blessing over each family as we committed to bring up our children in His ways and to know Him.

How many times has God used our adoption of Noah to stir my soul deep within, reminding me of my own lost state before coming to Him as my Father? We all can identify with a child's longing for unconditional love and acceptance from someone completely devoted to him. We can imagine (or perhaps know) the pain of those needs going unmet. Physical pains of hunger. Arms devoid of a mother's touch. The absence of a father's laughter and protection. Words of affirmation never heard. Over time, the wound of longing scars with a tough exterior making certain that the deep pain of abandonment will not be felt again. 

But thanks be to God for his indescribable gift. He came "to bind up the brokenhearted" (Isaiah 61:1.) He is a "Father to the fatherless" (Psalm 68:5.) He "sets the lonely in families" (Psalm 68:6.) He has done all these things for Noah and we were His instrument of choice. Amazing!

We could have said "no" to the still, small voice urging us to take a step of faith to adopt. We could have allowed our fears to control our future but, instead, we chose to follow God, trusting Him for the outcome.  Had we allowed our fears to reign we would have missed the blessing of Noah.

We still face daily behavioral challenges but we are privileged to see tremendous growth and progress in the life of our little son. What has been accomplished with Noah is nothing for which we can take credit. As the old hymn says "To God be the glory, great things he hath done..." and that is where credit is due.

32 months old and 5 months since Gotcha Day!

P.S. Thank you Violet for the adorable outfit!

A Few Things You Don't Know

Here are some things you probably do not know about Noah!

1. He loves pickles, cashews, and soup.

2. He is starting to hum short impromptu tunes.

3. He loves sandwich hugs - being held by Mark and me at the same time.

4. While he is "sandwiched" he always moves our faces together for a kiss!

5. He has a convincing fake cry.

6. His bedtime motto: "The more blankets, the better."

7. He loves finding the moon be it in the night sky or in a book.

8. He gives a great bear hug (only to me or Mark), holding on for dear life!

9. He has a delightful laugh!

A Visit to the Fire Station and more ...

Noah had his first visit to the fire station today. They had a fabulous open house with lots of freebies including hot dogs, hamburgers, plastic fire hats, frisbees, smoke alarms ... you name it, they had it! Noah's favorite thing, hands down, was the CareFlite helicopter. He got to sit in it and did not want to get out! He also was fascinated by Sparky the Dog and showed no fear of the imposing six foot character. (A visit to Santa might go better than I thought!)

The big kids had an in-house gym meet this afternoon. Noah did very well as we occupied him with snacks, washable markers, and Mark's Blackberry. When big brother was up on pommel horse he could barely contain himself, shouting "ge ge, ge ge!" He did everything in his power to get to big brother. Big brother came over and gave him a hug. It was really cute!

We have been ignoring the spitting and it seems to be decreasing the unwanted behavior. Using time-out was reinforcing the spitting because he was still getting attention. He is very attention-sensitive and will repeat a behavior as long as he is getting some type of a response. We are continuing to learn about Noah day by day. It's fun to discover what makes him tick!

An Unwelcome Habit

We are continuing to make great progress with Noah in all areas. He says new words every day and he is getting stronger physically and he is nicely attached to the family. However, I think there will always be the proverbial "bump in the road." The newest bump is this: spitting. Yes, we have entered the wonderful new world of spitting. Pinching is on the decline but spitting is the new trend. He gets a particularly good reaction from his brother and sister! We have encouraged them to avoid attending to this behavior but they find this request difficult, especially when they are the target of spittle.

Noah is not choosy about the receiver of his spit. Why, just this morning the school principal wiped droplets off her forehead after Noah released a steady fire into her face. Moments later, the kindergarten teacher received the same treatment as well as a pinched cheek. She unsuspectingly had lifted cute little Noah into her arms to give him some sweet-talk when he blessed her from above.

Honestly, I think that in the later situation he was anxious and has now found a new (yet unwelcome) way to express himself. With the principal, I believe he wanted my attention. And with the kids ... who knows!

We continue to welcome your prayers for wisdom and patience as we guide Noah into healthy and appropriate behavior. Thank you!!

Trick or Treat

Our clown and ballerina

Grr! What's this all about anyway?