Just Because . . .

What You Wish For!!

When we picked little Caleb up from Ethiopia, he was developmentally "behind" his age group. This was to be expected given the environment he was in and we set to work strengthening his muscles, increasing his coordination and motor development skills. I was so proud one evening to show Kyle when he got home from work, the first few steps Caleb had been taking on his own:

20 minutes later, this happened:

It's what we worked and wished for, and BOY has our world changed! :o)

It Takes a Village . . .

We are amazed on a constant basis how wonderful friends and family have been through our adoption journey . . . from the long, long wait to the fun at enjoying our new addition now that he's finally home! An example of that has been our wonderful neighbors. Not only did they follow along with us as we anticipated our arrival, but they also threw us a beautiful "Welcome Caleb" party last weekend to celebrate the new addition to the neighborhood!

With our "real" family so far away, it's wonderful having people that care so close. It truly does take a village to raise a child, and we have a great village right outside our doorstep!

Thank you so much to everyone!

P.S. Videos and pictures are coming soon, I promise! I have a batch I'm sorting through today that I'll put up shortly!!

Just Because . . .

At the park near our house last week . . .

New race car has everyone very excited!

"W" stands for many things!

For over 2 years I have gathered together with a group of women who go by the name "Women of Whimsy." We share interests in sewing, crafting and creating and meet once a month to work, show-off (!), and mostly talk and laugh. This wacky group of witty, wise and wild women put together a welcome home party for Caleb and I last week that was so wonderful and unexpected and gave me such a feeling of warmth that I just had to share (and isn't "W" a wonderful letter to work with?)

These busy women each embroidered a square of wool with a wild animal from Ethiopia and stitched it together into a wall hanging (see photo below). I can't wait to hang it in my little one's room!

There was children's music playing, balloons, child-friendly treats and gifts for Caleb. It was a great celebration, and I can't thank these Wonderful Women of Whimsy enough for all they did! You guys rock!

Firsts . . .

Firsts . . . they only happen, well, once (duh!), and although we've missed a few, we are enjoying so many others.

First teeth brushing:
First guitar lesson:

First playdate with our dear friend's 23 month old, Jackson:

It's hard not to just share pictures because there are so many cute ones, but I'll try to be a little better about adding some commentary to our lives!

We're asked alot: "How is everyone adjusting?" . . . that one is easy to answer! We're all doing remarkably well! We have waited for this wonderful child for so long that I don't think we could have been more prepared. Shifting schedules and adjusting our lifestyle was easy peasy! Granted, chasing around an active almost-toddler is making me appreciate my age a little more! Added bonus? Toting around a wriggling 19+ extra pounds is a FABUOUS upper body work out!! More importantly, Caleb seems to be bonding and attaching better than we could have expected. We keep a vigilant eye on potential "flags," but have been blessed thus far.

The second question we're asked about is his health. Well, he's gained 1 1/2 pounds in 3 weeks and he's grown over 1" . . . he's still below the "normal" percentiles, but he's making terrific progress. Developmentally, he's also making huge leaps and bounds with the one-on-one attention, proper nutrition and additional stimulus. It's fun to watch him process information and grasp new concepts on a daily basis. We have had some medical challenges due to his nutritional deficiencies and spotty immunizations during his first year of life, but nothing we can't overcome. Despite multiple doctor visits, lots of shots, xrays, pokes, prods, blood draws, etc., this kid has been a super-trooper!!

Well, nap time is almost over for little one so I better sign off for now!

Snapshots from the first 2 weeks

After a long day at work, Daddy gets to play with Caleb! The excitement is mutual!

Little Caleb chasing me down the hallway!

We're having fun here at the Maeda household . . . can you tell? :o)