Wednesday, October 3, 2012

And Then There Were Three



Hey guys,

So I'm writing from the trenches of Week 1 post adoption! Woo hoo! Mission accomplished. Now on to the real work...

So now I've got three kids instead of two. Just for the record, I adore my oldest two, but for the purposes of this adoption blog, you'll mostly be hearing about Jude. Don't think I'm totally ignoring the others, and you'll still see them from time to time, but I'm figuring that most people want to see the picture of life after adoption around here.

OK, so back to that "now there are three" thing... Whoa! Three is way more than two. Just one more, technically, but it feels like I need at least six more arms. Everyday that he's here he's wanting to be held more and more, which is really a great thing. And you guys know that I'm always going to be perfectly honest with you, so here goes. At first I only wanted to hold him. Like all the time. Now I've got to do laundry. And dishes. And meals! I'm starving right now and I just don't see when my next meal is going to happen. Abby just ate goldfish for breakfast. (Sidenote: My madre is on her way right now to help me figure out what in the world I can make ahead of time for breakfast. Mornings are chaos.)

The house is messy! Really messy and it's been frustrating for me to hold him and watch the house go into crazytown. But I'm trying to remember that the real work is bonding with Jude. I keep telling myself that. And on one hand that's really easy and fun to do, and on the other hand I feel irresponsible for letting the house get out of hand. BUT it's where we're at right now. A peaceful house is not necessarily clean, and a clean house is not necessarily peaceful, right? Better focus on the peace.

Having Jude home is both easier and harder than I ever dreamed. I thought adding one to the mix would be not so hard, but we're outnumbered now and it's starting to show. On the easier side, he's an angel, really. The best baby I've ever met. He's absolutely joyful most of the time. He sleeps pretty alright at night. He's pretty amazing. And adorable to boot. He's attaching as well as could be expected. He loves us already. He fits right in. But you can tell he misses his home and his nannies sometimes. Mostly when he wakes up, and it breaks my heart for him. But overall, a good, but BUSY first week!


6 comments:

  1. Yay for Jude being home! Try Baked Oatmeal (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/baked-oatmeal-i/detail.aspx) for breakfast. Easy to make ahead and freezes well. I make double batches when I make it (in two separate bowls/pans), then freeze in cup up portion sizes. Works like a charm and I eat it nearly every morning for breakfast with warmed frozen blueberries or fresh strawberries. I only use 1/2 cup of sugar and use some applesauce to replace the oil to make it healthier. Hope it might work for you guys too!

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  2. What a handsome little man!!! Oh, similarly to the baked oatmeal, have you seen the refrigerator oatmeal on Pinterest? I tweak it a bit when I make it though. I add 1/2 steel cut oats and 1/2 regular oats and it helps it not be so mushy. Thanks for all you do! You definitely have your hands full. :D

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  3. Oh Beth he is just precious! Thanks for sharing your first week with us!

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  4. Beth, our first few weeks when our little guy came home from the orphanage were CRAZY and we only had 1 child in the house. My parents came to visit us here in Zambia and were a huge blessing in cooking and cleaning for us. Also, be SURE to take up any offers for people to bring meals for you. Maybe even ask some close friends or your church to organize this for you?? It IS all about bonding and walking through those precious and difficult moments with Jude. It's a huge adjustment period - take lots of pictures, videos, etc. He will change so fast!! Also, I totally recommend Baby Signing Time - it was a great way for our guy to learn English and bridge the gap between Nyanja and English. I pray that you have all the grace and strength you need for this season!

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  5. Beth, our first few weeks when our little guy came home from the orphanage were CRAZY and we only had 1 child in the house. My parents came to visit us here in Zambia and were a huge blessing in cooking and cleaning for us. Also, be SURE to take up any offers for people to bring meals for you. Maybe even ask some close friends or your church to organize this for you?? It IS all about bonding and walking through those precious and difficult moments with Jude. It's a huge adjustment period - take lots of pictures, videos, etc. He will change so fast!! Also, I totally recommend Baby Signing Time - it was a great way for our guy to learn English and bridge the gap between Nyanja and English. I pray that you have all the grace and strength you need for this season!

    ReplyDelete