I feel like a different person these days. When I was pregnant I felt so irritable, cranky, uncomfortable, impatient with my children and husband and all around funky! I was a mess some days and I was absolutely certain I would not be able to handle three kiddos. I was wrong. Our support system has left and the past two weeks it's been me and the boys during the day and it's been a blast. I've been so enamored with them.
Since Landon has been born Biruk has become very independent. It started with an army crawl, then he would randomly assume the crawl position and take a couple scoots. And now he walks all around the furniture and can crawl at speeds I've never seen (Conner never really crawled). It's hilarious to watch him. He is very ornery. We didn't have that with Conner so this is new territory for me. He loves anything that could result in harm or a mess. But whenever you yell "no" he just looks up at you with his big grin and expressive eyes which in turn makes you want to plant a big kiss on his beautiful, brown, silky skin. His sounds are increasing. It was da-da forever and it's now expanding to ba-ba, ga-ga, me-me and what sounds like baby. Still no regular ma-ma sounds. On a couple occasions he's let it slip but nothing pronounced. I look forward to listening to him talk and for him and Conner to start conversing. Biruk is very sensitive. There at times he gets himself so upset I get worried. Like tonight, (this is the third occasion) he started bawling when he saw me with my hair wrapped in a towel. He absolutely lost it and was reaching out for Nathan. He wanted nothing to do with me. When strangers make eye contact with him and start to talk he stares back at Nathan and I and his little lips start to quiver. He does not like to be startled. If you walk into his room and he wasn't expecting you his eyes fill with tears and his sweet cry fills the room. He still sucks his fingers (mostly his pointer) but I feel like it's a lot less frequent then when we first brought him home from Ethiopia. He's been with us for almost 5 months and I feel like we are both attaching well. It's become so natural to be his mom and you forget he hasn't been with us forever. His beauty still amazes me and I find myself staring at him with amazement. He's such an absolute joy!
And Conner. He sure knows how to make a mama proud. The kid has been amazing. When I think of the last 18 months of his life (a home remodel, five weeks in a hotel, moving, adopting Biruk, moving again and another brother) and how well he's handled all the changes I'm shocked. If I lose my patience with him and then say sorry he tells me "it's okay mom, you didn't mean to". And when he catches Biruk putting something in his mouth I hear him say "oh Biruk, NO" and then he tries to do the finger sweep. He is very protective of Biruk and LOVES to entertain him (saying "did you like that?") in a hilarious tone every time he tries to make Biruk laugh. He goes to bed with no problems and is so good at following direction. Landon and Biruk have been blessed with a very good big brother. He is snuggly, sensitive, caring and funny. He still is passionate about his books. The sooner I have him reading the better. He's starting to sound out his letters and can identify all of them. He has that desire to learn and since birth has always been very aware of his surroundings and studies everything around him. He watches closely and seems to be a quick learner. His beautiful blue eyes and long eyelashes are to die for. I love how expressive his face when he's trying to describe something or when he's telling a story. Currently he's obsessed with the time and helping me bake and cook. He's a great helper and such a delight!
Landon, Landon the littlest of all. He's been the perfect addition to the family. He is such a sweet little guy and tolerant of his big brother (Biruk) pawing and smacking at his face. It won't be long though and the two of them will be the same size. He has a sweet little cry at times but when he's too tired he can really belt it out. He fights sleep as long as he can and only eats when he's hungry (unlike his big brothers). He's starting to return smiles and is cooing lots! Hearing his sweet voice is music to my ears. It's so fun at this age watching them change from day to day. He has the sweetest little lips, beautiful eyes, and darling chunky legs. He loves to be held and most of the time he'll fuss when you put him down (when he's awake). Once he falls into a deep sleep, he does great. Otherwise he wakes up over and over again and is quite the little shit. These days he's only averaging about 12 hours of sleep/day. Biruk is doing more than that. It's like he has so much to see and learn that he doesn't have time to sleep. He's very alert and you can tell he is studying his surroundings and likes to watch his big brothers.
I can't wait to watch the three of them grow together and interact. Watching Biruk and Conner play together is so much fun. Biruk is starting to tackle Conner (which Conner of course LOVES) and you can tell there is that sibling bond that is undeniable. I can't wait to see Landon yucking it up with them. They are definitely going to bring us lots of laughter and love but surely some moments of wanting to pull my hair out and wondering what I've gotten myself into.
Then there is my hubby. He has been such a sport through all of this and a wonderful father to the boys. I know this isn't where he saw himself four years ago when he married me but he's moving forward with open arms and a big heart! Thank you for everything Nater!!
