R is for...

R is for Recuperating!

Wow, this cold has hit all three of us and is Really dragging on. In an effort to be Responsible, we cancelled our activities for two weeks – two whole weeks cooped up in the house! Our Recovery has involved a lot of movie watching and Reading and Resting. In addition, I set up an art corner for Mateo with supplies that he can use whenever he wants to without asking permission – he is a big boy now, you know.

We’ve started feeling better and venturing out again, which will lead us to the letter ‘S’…next week!

Q is for...

Q is for Questions…

Mateo, on the loss of his voice:
Will the ibuprofen go down, down, down? (running his finger from his throat to his belly)
Will it find my voice?
Will it bring it up here? (running his finger from his belly back up to his throat)

Mateo, on the color of his eyes:
If I have dark eyes, does that mean I can’t see?

Mateo, on adoption:
Why did you take so long to come and get me?

These have all been recent questions, the last of which came up for the first time in December just as Kevin and I were getting ready to go to a holiday party, and again earlier this month. February holds a lot of celebratory moments for us: the day we finally held Mateo, Mateo’s homecoming, remembering Kevin’s Grandma – all that in addition to Valentine’s Day and, let's not forget, President’s Day. So we talk about these moments as a family and look at old pictures and videos and when he says things like: “If I get little again I don’t want to go back to live with my foster mommy” and “Why didn’t you get me right away?” it just breaks my heart. I go right back to that time of waiting for him and wanting him with us so badly, and being angry at that “someone” for delaying the process. I go right back to that time of meeting him in the hotel lobby, taking what felt like my first real breath in months at the relief of finally, finally holding him in my arms. But, my knowing that we are a forever family doesn’t equate to his knowing that we are a forever family. So we will keep loving each other and hugging each other and sharing stories and special moments. And one day he will know, as much as I do, that we are and will be a family forever.

P is for...

P is for PreK orientation and Pizza celebration! Mateo registered for PreK this week and, initial separation anxiety aside, he had a lot of fun. We’re all very excited for him to start this fall!