One Year Old!

Well, all the denial in the world couldn't stop time from ticking away and this past Friday my precious babe turned 1.

I'm not quite sure how to put into words just how much Petros has changed us and made us better people. He draws attention where ever he goes and we cannot go on one outing, no matter how small, without people stopping us to talk to him and tell us how beautiful he is.

We are blessed beyond words and are ready for number 2. That's right folks. Our adoption agency requires families to wait 9 months from the time they come home from the last adoption to start the process again and that's November for us. We are ecstatic with the family we have now and can't wait to see what God has for us on this next adventure. We are requesting a boy because I just can't get enough of the messes, energy, noise, and did I mention messes??

Anyway, here are 12 things we adore about you baby Petros (I'll try not to cry):

1. The way you wake up every morning babbling and talking up a storm.

2. The way you throw your arms around us when we lift you out of the crib and then suck on our faces with all your strength.

3. The way you say "mamma" and then smile and look me in the eyes while I'm rocking you to sleep.

4. Your kissy face:

5. The way you use your walking toy and then always turn around with a smile to get some applause.

6. Your one upper tooth (three more on the way...AT THE SAME TIME).

7. The way you laugh and fall face first into the carpet when I'm chasing you in the living room.

8. The way you smack your lips when you see your bottle coming towards your mouth.

9. The smell of your sweet baby breath.

10. The way you drop things on purpose and then lift your arms to say, "Where did it go?"

11. The way you race to my lap, panting, when I say, "Snuggle up for story time".

12. I love how you snort when you laugh, just like mommy (God really does have a sense of humor)

Thank you God, thank you for the blessing of our son.

Happy Birthday Petros!!

The Dance Of Love And Discipline

I've only been a mom for about 6 months, but let me tell you. I've learned more in those 6 months than I think I ever did in 13 years of public school, 4 years of college, and 5 years of work experience.

Sometimes I imagine what it would be like to observe me and Petros doing the Mother/Baby dance. The one where we learn about each other's limitations, likes, dislikes, boundaries.

I can see in his eyes when he's testing me, that he wants to know what his limits are. He craves them. I can actually pinpoint the moment in time where he thinks in his baby mind, "will she let me do this?", "if I do it anyway will she still love me?". It sounds a bit advanced but I truly believe this is the dance we do throughout the day.

This morning Petros was going after our lap top keyboard. That is a "no, no" for him and he knows it. He looks at me, touches the keyboard and I say, "no" firmly. If he does it again I take him away from the computer. When I took him away from the computer this morning I had my "unhappy mommy" face. When I sat him down on the floor he came over and gave me a kiss and patted my face. I gave him the same love instantly, as if I were saying, "yes, I will always love you, no matter what choices you make".

He crawled right over to the computer again and the same dance occured. This happened about three times. Each time I was firm in my "discipline" but freely giving of my love. And each incident ended with a mommy/baby love moment.

This is the dance that will continue for years and years to come. There is something amazingly beautiful in this dance. I love showing him that no matter what, I will always have an overflowing, never ending love for him.

Even in the midst of the "no" moments.

Where The Heck Have We Been???!

Actually, we haven't been anywhere. What have we been doing is probably a better question.

WE HAVE BEEN HAVING A BLAST WITH OUR AMAZING BABY!!!!

Sorry, I had to shout that because my heart can't even contain the love I feel for our baby boy. Petros is turning one in a couple of weeks and I am in complete denial. I'd like to stay there too thank you very much so don't remind me.

Well, I have some pictures to share because we've taken, oh, about 80 million or so...so, here they all are...(just kidding). I'm realizing that most of them are just Petros or Petros and daddy. I need more pics with me and my babe...don't worry professional ones are on the way!

This is the same picture every day around 6pm. Travis gets home from work and Petros practically jumps out of his skin crawling to his feet. He nuzzles his face into Travis' shoulder and I melt...every day!

Next we have Petros' favorite pass time: begging to be lifted up so he can pull the ceiling fan and light switch.

A while ago, we had some major yard work to do. So, we dressed Petros in overalls and brought him outside with us. He had a blast and I just had to take a picture of his farming cuteness.

This last picture was the one I used for his 1st Birthday invitations. I stamped the word PARTY in the corner at the top. I just had to use this picture because he is wearing plaid and stripes (so his personality) and he is on a mission to party!

Petros doing all his tricks at 10 months

What An Incredible Gift...

that I don't ever want to take for granted.

Staying home with my son.

It's all about what's right for each family, and working moms deserve every ounce of respect as stay at home moms do. What a huge blessing to love your job and your family! I enjoyed teaching very much. But when Petros came along, I knew in my heart that I wanted to be the one with him each and every day. To rock him to sleep for all his naps, to see him crawl for the first time, to teach him, to feed him. It felt like a calling to me.

And now, more than ever, I'm so thankful that I have the freedom to make that choice. It has taken lots of sacrifice, but worth every bit of it!

My heart is bursting with love for our little man and even on days that are trying, I don't want to take this gift of being a stay-at-home-mom for granted. EVER.

I realize there are people out there who would love to stay home but can't for one reason or another. I'm so thankful to God for this opportunity!

I heard a speaker one day talking about the struggle between moms who stay home and moms who work a 9-5. He spoke about how they sometimes judge one another for their decisions and situations. He then said, "let us build one another up!". If you are a mom who stays home, why not bring dinner to friends who both work on a busy night for them? Or, offer to babysit if they're in a pinch. Help each other when each one needs it.

How true this is! I desire to be that kind of friend.

This post was very rambly...just getting some thoughts down! =)

Some Way Overdue Pics And Quick Updates

Petros loves to look at books and listen to stories. He goes over to the book basket in our living room and dumps it at least 5 times a day.

We read the book, "Hey, Wake Up!" by Sandra Boynton every morning after our first bottle. His eyes light up when I read the first page...my eyes don't necessarily light up until after my first cup of coffee. Petros likes to start his days at 5:30am sharp.

He is such a happy baby and smiles at us so much. He'll even stop his play and look for us in the room and then throw us a huge smile.

He talks so much. His favorite words right now are, "Ba-ba-ba-ba", "Muh-muh-muh", and a high pitched "Uh-uh-uh" (he imitates the dog).

He's doing the army crawl to get to toys and the other day he got up on both feet with his hands on the floor. Any minute now he'll be cruising the floor...I should probably vacuum then! =)

Our boy is such a gift! We are so very blessed. I'm so excited to get out all his summer clothes. He has so many cute outfits! Thanks friends and family!
I love the way his hands are folded in this next picture! So precious.

So cute!!!

A Riveting Scene From Petros' Screenwriting Debut

Curtains open. Petros is lounging in his excersaucer. Sippy cup is sitting nearby by full of water.

Petros: Yo. What's up sippy cup?

Sippy Cup: Nuhin', just chillin'.

Petros: Sippy Cup, I'm gonna ask you a question.

Sippy Cup: Yeah?

Petros: How come, when I hold you to my mouth nuhin' comes out of you?

Sippy Cup: 'Cause you aint suckin'!

Petros: Oh man! How I do dat?

Sippy Cup: Don't ask me bro, I'm just the sippy cup.

Eleven Things I've Learned Since Becoming A Mom

1. Always have a frozen pizza on hand because you never know when the fit's gonna hit the shan.

2. Never, and I mean never start the day out wearing a clean shirt and pants. They will inevitably be puked on, snotted on, and slobbered on. My advise is to dig the dirtiest ones out of the bottom of the hamper. Bonus? They can serve as burp cloths as well.

3. Don't give your husband "the eye" at 7pm because fatigue will overcome you and you'll be asleep by 7:01pm.

4. Do not underestimate the power of wiping stuff on your pants. Most of it dries clear and no one will know anyway - unless they saw you do it, in which case I suggest asking for the bill early. Bonus? See number 2.

5. No matter how long you think your outing will last, always take a bottle and at least 4 diapers. Especially if you've just given your son spinach for the first time.

6. Not all diaper pails are the same. Nuff said.

7. It is a fabulous idea to have a pet dog. They eat cheerios off the floor and can lick your child's face clean when you don't have a cloth handy.

8. Ahem...ALWAYS have a cloth handy.

9. Showering is OVERRATED! However, clean underwear is not. Don't question me about this one.

10. It is in fact possible to make it to 2pm and realize you haven't brushed your teeth yet.

11. And, last but not least, LET THE HOUSE GET DIRTY! Playing is much more fun! And, if you're in a pinch for dinner, please see number 1.

The Romance Is Not Gone My Friends!

Tonight in the kitchen before our guests came over:

Me: Oooooo...you look pretty hot right now. What's different about you?

Travis: Um...I changed out of that snot covered sweatshirt.

Me: Sexy.

This Is The Real Me

I lost interest in reading after the age of 11 I think. TV and other things were just much more interesting to me than the length in which it took to read a book.

Not until I was married for a few years did I fall in live with the wordy sport once again. It began with a couple classics, The Count Of Monty Cristo etc. and quickly moved to historical fiction ( I think my favorite thus far).

But now...oh glorious now...I'm reading Twilight. I can't put it down. I don't care if the author is a Mormon, (not that there's anything wrong with that) girl can WRITE! And did you know she wrote this book while her children were napping?? And then had her writer's club at the local Barnes and Noble edit it for her?? Amazing (thanks for the juicy tidbits Amanda).

I'm about to start Chapter 8, "Port Angeles". I'm such a naughty reader. I don't follow any of the rules. I skip ahead, gulping in important words that I can quickly scan on the next few pages. And then, I get mad at myself because I didn't take the time to sip it slowly, like a warm delicious cup of hot cocoa.

I love the passion in this book. The danger. I'm so glad there are others in the series because I have that many more hours to look forward to.

What Part Of The Chicken Was That?!

So, we took Petros to the Dr. today because he's had three days of fever and he seemed pretty lethargic. Doc said he's okay and that a heavy duty cold will do that to ya.

We ended up grabbing lunch at McDonalds because it's on the way home from the office and is convenient. Also, watching "Supersize Me" just wasn't enough of a detterant to keep me away from fried yumminess.

I got nuggets, Travis got something from the dessert food group, and Petros; well, he just sucked on his drool.

This was the conversation as we ate and drove home:

Me: You couldn't pay me enough to live in ________. Well, maybe you could. Because I would just save up all the money and then move away.

Travis: You're a freak.

Me: (biting into a nugget) You know you love me. crunch, moosh, ugh Oh man, what part of the chicken was that?!

Travis: (laughing) The beak?

Me: Shutup.

Travis: No seriously. The ear?

Me: Do Chickens even have ears??

Travis: No, they hear out of their eyeballs.

Me: They do not!!....do they??

Travis: Yes they do.

Me: Seriously. What did I just bite on?

Travis: I don't know. That's why I got ice cream. Maybe it was a knee cap.

Me: You're a butt.

A Note From The Rookie Mom

I know all you veteran moms and moms of more than one kid are going to kill me for this post.

But, here goes anyway:

Petros has an upper respiratory thingy that has given him a fever for the last couple of days. Doctor says it's fine and will run it's course but it's making ME batty. Petros doesn't cry too often - yesterday was bad and he just snuggled into me. Every time I put him down to...oh...let's say...pee, he screamed.

I've gotten roughly 4 1/2 hours of sleep for the last two nights and when I woke up this morning I poured my coffee into Petros' cereal and my creamer into an empty coffee mug.

On top of all that, last night I actually left the house in "lounge" pants and a shirt to pick up a pizza. Both were spotted with baby food, baby snot, and, well I'm not sure what that other thing was.

What a sex kitten I am.

Sorry all you pros out there, but I'm new to this and man is it hard!

ps. I've gotten into the habit of bringing Petros into bed with me in the mornings. He's just so cute. We sleep a little while longer and he usually wakes up first ;). But when he does, he touches my face and lifts his head to suck my chin. So adorable. Do I miss my sleep? Of course. Who wouldn't?? Do I miss being able to wear a clean shirt for more than an hour ? Of course. BUT IT IS ALL WORTH IT!!!

Super Quick Update...Because, Hey, We're Busy!

Travis and Petros are napping upstairs and I have about 5 minutes to type before I go get the little guy.

Petros laughs. A lot. He laughs at funny sounds, me walking into the room, diaper changes. You name it, he'll laugh at it. I love his gummy smile. I acutally licked his head the other day because I can't get enough of him. Weird huh? Maybe not.

He is doing so well. Babbles and coos almost constantly and loves to listen to stories! Travis read about 5 books to him yesterday and he sat snuggled up to daddy through each of them.

Saturday morning, Petros woke up at 5:30 and Travis had left the house to give my dad a ride to the train station in Philly. I quickly realized the reason for his early wake up: a leaky diaper. His pjs were soaked through and so I changed him and put new ones on. Then I wanted to snuggle and sleep some more so I brought him downstairs and we slept together on the couch.

Now, you might not think this is such a big deal but let me tell you why you'd be wrong. Petros has been bonding to us just fine. The only thing I've been concerned about is eye contact while holding chest to chest and snuggling. He is almost 8 months old so he likes to move around quite a bit. But, I knew in my heart that his lap-restlessness was probably due to not quite cozying up to us yet. Well, he slep on my chest until 7am. I felt him move on me but didn't open my eyes. I wanted to see what he'd do. He reached out his hand and touched my face. Then smacked me ( I guess he wanted me to wake up) =). I opened my eyes and he began to kick his legs and wave his arms. He was ecstatic! I wondered what would happen if I rolled over and placed him between the couch cushion and me for some snuggle time. Well, he gazed into my eyes over and over again. He nuzzled into me and we connected more deeply than ever! He laid like that with me for about 15 minutes (pretty darn good for an almost 8 month old).

When Travis came home from taking my dad we both played with Petros and then Travis scooped him up and placed him next to his side. Petros immediately snuggled up to Travis and pushed his face into his side. PRECIOUS! He then stayed like that until Travis had read him about 4 or 5 stories.

Petros is dreamy. I call him my boyfriend. I lay with him. Kiss him. Snuggle with him. He has captured my heart and I personally hope he becomes quite the mama's boy. That would be just fine with me!

Time to go wake him up! Yay!!!

Family Bonding With Guns 'N' Roses

We have our TV in our basement and usually do all our hanging out in the living room upstairs. I really like this set up because we rarely watch TV and enjoy each other with few distractions. Never mind the fact that I want Petros to watch as little TV as possible - at least for as long as we can maintain that.

So this morning we all got up, had coffee (not Petros), and breakfast. We were listening to XM radio on line - the 80's station. Travis and I some how got to talking about our favorite videos on MTV (when it was actually good). I told him that I love the wedding dress in the Guns 'N' Roses video, "November Rain". It just always stuck with me, the fact that you can see the garter on her leg. Isn't that supposed to be hidden under the dress??

Well, with all this talk we had to look the video up on YouTube and watch it. Petros was on my lap and had his first dose of TV.

Was it wholesome Dora? Veggie Tales?

Nope.

A Guns 'N' Roses video. Oh yeah, that's how we roll around here.

So, go ahead. Make your judgements. And while you're at it, anyone have a clue as to how she dies in the video? Travis' theory is that she was killed while everyone was running frantically from the rain (why??). I think she knew she was dying before they got married hence her forlorn look on their wedding day.

Please, go look at the video and tell me what you think.

Then go to church and ask for forgiveness.

He's Amazing

I wanted to post a quick update to share a little about Petros' adjustment.

He is sleeping through the night for the most part now. He's had a couple of rough nights lately but don't we as adults have difficult nights of sleep for one reason or another? Maybe we become too warm and can't get back to sleep, maybe we have a nightmare and wake up out of sorts. So, I'm not concerned with him waking up occasionally.

He is changing so fast! When he came home he needed assistance sitting up but can now, for the most part, sit on his own. He also could only roll to one side but now is rolling both ways. He lifts his chest completely off the floor using his arms and can occasionally bring his one knee up. He turns his body 180 degrees if he wants a toy that is near him.

It amazes me how he studies things. HH told us that he is a very observant baby and concentrates a great deal. Does he ever?! He'll hold the same toy for about 10 - 15 minutes and look at it, talk to it, turn it around, and shift it from hand to hand. His head control amazes me and he turns to see where sounds come from.

He Has definitely found more of his voice too. He used to make this aaaahhhhh sound all the time and now he say uuummmm, oooohhhh, etc. He also makes tons of raspberries (which can be a little inconvenient during feeding time - but still way cute). I think this is really something given that he heard a completely different language for the first 6 months of his life.

We have also entered the world of solids! Yup. So far he has enjoyed the yummy taste of squash, oatmeal, applesauce, peas, pears, and sweet potatoes.

We see two little spots on his lower gums where I assume his teeth will come in. Let me tell you, he certainly lives up to his nickname "King Of The Droolids"!

He loves to look at books! He will study the pages and laugh at stories. His favorite books right now are "The Grapes Of Wrath", "Pride and Prejudice"....just kidding....he loves Barnyard Dance and The Nose Book.

I look at him everyday and am amazed at God's gift to us. I have never seen a more beautiful baby...honestly (no offense to you other moms out there) ;)

And now...Pictures!!!

Paper Towels: A Photo Essay By Petros Nelson

I'm Too Quick To Do What People Tell Me

So, I've been seeing on a couple of blogs that people are typing the phrase, "(your name here) needs" on Google's Search engine to see what comes up. The results seem pretty funny so I thought I'd give it a try.

Seriously. I did not "doctor" this in any way.

Here are the first 6 things that come up when I Google "Sunny needs":

1. Sunny needs...a foster home.
2. Sunny needs...a home. Google, I'm sensing a theme here. Do you or the bank know something I don't?
3. Sunny needs...help. Yup, accept not many people are licensed to give that kind of help.
4. Sunny needs...Oh my. We don't use that word in this house. If you dare go see for yourself, but I was repulsed and disgusted.
5. Sunny needs...ACL...Surgery, I assume? This one is very unlikely unless you can damage that part of your body carrying too much laundry ;)

And my personal favorite...

6. Sunny needs...a shave. That's right people. Google nailed that one. Hey, you try becoming a new mom and see how silky smooth your legs stay! Although, maybe 4 weeks is a bit too long going without. ;)

Your turn. Give it a try. I'm not responsible if anything absolutely vulgor comes up though.

Reality Check

Today marks 3 weeks home. Wow. It feels like it was yesterday we were stepping off the plane in Allentown to meet my family.

I said to myself as we were preparing to become a family and more importantly, an adoptive family, "He may cry for no reason. I just have to hold him and love him." That has proved to be harder than I thought. Not because I don't love him or want him, but because IT'S REALLY HARD. It's difficult to hold a screaming baby, knowing he's been fed, diapered, and cleaned, and knowing there is nothing else you can do for him except hold him and try to comfort him.

It's even harder when he doesn't quite feel like yours yet. If I'm going to be honest with myself and the few people who read this blog then I need to say that I'm still learning to feel like Petros is my son. Not because I don't want him or feel like we made a mistake, just because it's reality. This little boy we prayed for for almost 2 years is finally here. Family bonds don't happen overnight and I hear they don't even happen overnight sometimes for biological children.

However challenging our adjustment has been (and it really hasn't been that bad), each day I feel closer to him and today I held him in my Moby with some worship music on and worshipped in my living room. I was singing and praising and thanking God for this little person and once in a while he would look at me and smile. It was magical. He's becoming my son. We make each other laugh, cry together sometimes, and sometimes I'm the one who's crying because it's his fourth time up in an hour and I've had no sleep (that's for you Whitney) =) I feel ya sister.

I believe that it is virtually impossible to understand joy without having experienced what pain and sadness is like. When I think about the circumstances my son had in his beginning days I cry in pain. Pain for his birth mother, pain for him. I imagine him in that moment and the ones after. But then I look at him. I look into his amazing eyes and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God has placed him with us both as a gift and responsibility.

Then I'm struck with fear.

I'm not worthy. I'm impatient. I'm selfish. How could God give this gift to me knowing all those things? Without Him I'm doomed to failure, with Him I'm destined for glory.

As our adjustment continues, I'm getting to see a small glimpse of the adoption plan God has for us, His children. Adoption is painful and joyful at the same time. The loss of birth parents is nothing a child should have to endure. But God makes a way for these children to have families, just like he made a way for us. That's where the joy comes in.

Only, the hard work that Jesus did on the cross grossly overshadows any lack of sleep and temporary discomfort I may feel in this new way of life.

Thank you Father for sacrificing your son so that I may be adopted by you. Thank you for this amazing journey and making adoption not only possible, but ordained by you.

Thank you so much for Petros. He is just amazing.

He's Totally Our Son!

Just now, when I was changing Petros' diaper, he farted.

Then laughed at himself.

Yup, he's our people.

His new nicknames are now Farty McFartsalot and King of the Droolids.

Here are some unrelated pics (I think farts are invisible anyway which would definitely make a photo difficult):

This one was taken our third day with Petros.

We have this next picture on Facebook, but just in case you're not on Facebook here it is! I don't know why the modeling agencies aren't calling us. ;)

Routine??....

What routine?

I didn't mention anything about a routine in my previous post.

Nope. Not me.

I would never do that because I'd know better - that as soon as I'd say we have a routine, Petros would decide to sleep completely through the night and then go down for a 9:30 am nap the next morning.

BTW, kudos to the Pampers company. Who knew something that thin could hold that much pee for 10 1/2 hours without leaking. I'm not sure what kind of chemical allows that to be the case but I'm not asking any questions...AND I'M CERTAINLY NOT GOING TO SAY WE HAVEN'T HAD A PEE LEAK YET BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I SPEAK TOO SOON, DON'T WE?

Oh The Cuteness!

I think we have a routine going here...I hesitate to let those words leave my mouth for fear the entire house will spontaneously combust. Here's how our days have been going:

Wake up: 7:30 (after a 4am wake up and then put back to sleep)
Bottle: 7:45
Oatmeal: 8:30
Nap: 10:30-11:30 or 12:00
Bottle: 11:45 or 12:00
Play and What Not: Until 3pm
Nap: 3:00-4:00
Bottle/Dinner (squash right now): 4:30
Play and What Not: 5:00-7:00
Bedtime Routine Begins: 7:00 (This includes bath, massage with lotion, pjs, bottle, then story...if he's still awake that is)
Sleepytime: 8:00

Who knows how long this feeling of finally being in control will last. I'm not holding my breath. The boy is pure joy and here is a picture of my favorite part of bedtime routine:











Now I'm off to bed to rest up for that 4am waking (hopefully these will not last long).

The Poster Woman For Glamour

Don't have too much time to write right now because Petros has to go down for his afternoon nap. However, I did want to share what just happened.

My neighbor came over to say Hi unannounced and to see the baby (that's fine, we really like our neighbors a lot). I felt bad for her timing though because here's what happened from the time I went downstairs to when she left:

Petros was screaming his head off because he's been having terrible gas lately, his pants were off because I had just changed his diaper. I opened the door and greeted my neighbor. She asked me how things were going and I started crying. This was because Petros had been crying for 30 minutes straight and I could tell he was in pain from gas. So, I'm standing there with him in his onesie, me crying. And then he spued. Twice. All down the front of me and him. My house was a mess, I had no rag readily available. Then, he pooped and I could feel the warm ooze gushing through his diaper.

Oh yeah, I'm a major hottie today. Angelina eat your heart out.

Have I mentioned I love this child?? Even though I'm totally covered in vomit right now. This was the one thing All God's Children left out of their information packet. =)

A Greater Love

We did infant massage with Petros tonight.

Travis did the massaging as I read the instructions softly. I cried as I watched Travis gently rub each finger and toe. I can't believe this amazing journey God has started us on. Petros looked up at us as we spoke softly to him and kissed his head. He lay still as Travis' big strong hands went down his sides and across his back. He was so calm. It was such a gift to watch Travis be a loving and gentle daddy. Thank you God for this incredible blessing.

Here is another picture of our sweet boy.

Petros with Hiccups

Petros, fascinated by his own hands.