Rudy's Birth Story-Part 1

After the concert

I guess since Rudy sprouted his first tooth today, it's high time I tackle his birth story.  I will include many details, but like any blog I will keep some of the more gruesome and even sacred details to myself.  Although I wish I could share all the details because this story is such a miracle, I think you will enjoy the basic story. 

Here goes...

At Christmas-time last year G announced we had a year to find our next baby otherwise we were done.  The family would have to be complete with the two boys we already had.  We had been waiting awhile already for a birthmom to choose us and we had no prospects in sight.  We had casually considered another agency, but the cost kept us from making any commitments.  But more than that, switching agencies never really felt right.

His deadline was his birthday, December 13th.  I was not OK with G's timeline.  But I thought if his deadline came near I would re-negotiate a new one.  In G's defense, our agency only had 2 adoption placements that year.  So our chances were not good.  Nobody's were.  But I wasn't willing to let him or anyone decide if and when we pulled our application.  After all, I knew we had another baby that would come. 

Throughout the year we actually had a few remote prospects which hadn't happened in a couple years.  A few friends told us about situations.  We had a few email contacts from potential birthmoms.  In September we began a brutally stressful situation with an unwed mother.  That is a story for another day.  But she delivered her baby in early October and decided to parent him.  The details and the lessons we learned from this situation are sad, confusing, overwhelming, and profound.  They were life changing for all four of us. 

After this situation, I started thinking maybe G's deadline wasn't so bad.  The emotional rollercoaster had gone on too long.  Not just with particular wait, but I realized we had been hoping to adopt, getting fingerprints, having home visits from caseworkers for 10 years and I was getting tired of it.  I started asking people how they know they are done having kids.  Nobody could give me a straight answer.  I thought after all these years, God owed me a clear answer. 


But I really wanted a baby.  Any baby.  And I hadn't even received a vague answer this was it.  G kept reminding me the deadline was around the corner.  I could see his point.  The wait had taken a toll on all of us.  Our kids were fully immersed in the September/October situation.  The knew the girl too and had tried everything they could think of to persuade her and God (and us) that the baby should be ours.  They were devastated when she chose to parent and they grieved in their own ways over that situation. 

So the first weekend in December I approached G and said I thought we should fast that it would be clear what we should do next.  I suggested infant foster care.  I knew I was capable of loving someone else's baby.  Most infants return to their parents, and I knew that.  I knew it would be hard on me, but so was the situation I was in, so I needed to determine which path was right.  Torment myself with a temporary baby, or torment myself with no baby at all.  I knew foster care would be really hard on my kids.  But we had grown a lot as a family in our understanding of adoption and love, so I thought maybe they were getting prepared.

At any rate, G declined the fast.  He said he already knew that if we didn't have a baby by Dec 13th, we were done.  So I fasted.  I planned to make a phone call about foster care the next day unless I hit a major roadblock.  I prayed that a clear path would unfold as I took steps to figure things out.

The next morning, Dec 3, I called.  The training started the next day.  I told the lady that was too soon for us, but maybe in January.  She mailed me a bunch of information. 

Ten minutes later my caseworker, Joe, called and said his co-worker, Rachel, was meeting with a potential birthmom at that moment.  She had made a plan early in her pregnancy to place the baby with his birthfather and let him raise the baby.  She had considered this carefully.  The birthfather had even met with Rachel a few months prior to get all the details straight and to learn his rights.  But in the final days of her pregnancy, she had realized that wasn't what she really wanted.

She was due the following week.

My chest seized up right at that moment.  And quite frankly, that feeling of not being able to breath has only started to ease up. 

The birthmom didn't have Internet but wanted to talk to me on the phone later that afternoon.  I suggested she call and leave a message and I would call her back that night once the kids were in bed.  I have learned I can't put my life on hold every time a situation comes up, so I decided to finish out my day as planned:  pick Buddy up from school, straight to piano, home for a snack, off to the gym for my Pilates class, home for dinner, and kids to bed.  Mondays are really busy in the afternoon with no down time so as much as I was eager to talk to her, I knew I had to go about my day normally.

Sure enough, while we were out, she called, so around 8pm I called her back.  The conversation went well, but was strained.  I got the details on her heartbreaking situation.  She seemed strong and sure of her decision to place her baby for adoption.  I suggested she get to know other adoptive couples.  She told me she was considering another family but didn't really feel inclined to talk to them after talking to me.  I know them well.  They have waited for their third baby for around TEN years.

We hung up with plans to meet on Sunday.  She was going to work on the birthfather, who has rights and was expecting to parent the baby.  And who was not supportive of adoption.

I went about my week.  Luckily it was insanely busy.  Wednesday was Sambo's birthday.

That morning she texted me and said she was starting to thin and dilate and since her first son was born early, she could go into labor at any time.  I cautiously suggested we meet the next day (Thursday) instead of waiting until Sunday.  Unfortunately G was having his big annual partner's meeting -- which is required to attend --  Thursday and Friday and he had an important client meeting that day too.  We had planned to celebrate Sambo's birthday Thursday night as a family.  Really the only time we could meet was during his client meeting.   Fortunately, they understood the need to reschedule.

That night we went out on a date to the Killers concert and to a delicious meal.  It was Sambo's birthday and like terrible parents, we dropped him off at our friends' house to be babysat.  (He was thrilled by the way.)

We started to discuss baby boy names over dinner.  We couldn't agree on anything.  But I also couldn't commit to anything because I wasn't really certain anything would come of this.  I couldn't name a baby that was only a vague idea at that point.

But during the concert, I had a distinct and powerful thought come to my mind:  I was truly happy.  I had worked over the past couple of years to figure out how to have joy no matter what.  And I felt it surge through my body that night.  Now granted, I love the Killers and the concert was amazing.  But there was more to it than that.  I knew my soul and life were complete and fine and full of joy no matter what happened.  I really believed it. 

I would think back on that feeling over and over again in the coming hours, days, and months.

 

More Quotes

I hesitate to post these next three stories in the same blog post because it makes Buddy seem like a monster.  In reality, he is the most tender-hearted person you'll ever meet.* But here goes. 

* * *

Buddy:  "I'm going to try to be perfect today.  Or is that putting too much pressure on myself?"

* * *

There is a rather large woman who is the crossing guard in the afternoon at Buddy's school.  I asked him what her name is.  He said he didn't know.  Then he asked me if i think she is ugly. I stifled a laugh (because she is-and because she seems really cranky) and said no, and gave him a mini lecture about how rude that is. I said she doesn't choose the way she looks, that's how God made her. In my head i was laughing at my own lecture. then I said, "And what if she goes home to her husband and says there is this ugly kid at school that wears Shaun White shirts and he has freckles and blue eyes. Wouldn't that hurt your feelings."  And without skipping a beat he said, "You sure she's married? I really doubt she's married."

* * *

Sambo was trying to convince me to build spaceships out of Legos with him today. I don't have a creative bone in my body, so I suggested I pull out some instructions and build a set with him.  He didn't want to do that, so then I suggested he build a spaceship and I just find him the right pieces.  He didn't like that idea either.   He said, "You just don't know how to put the pieces together?  I can show you how to do that."  I explained that I know how to put the pieces together, but I just have a hard time being creative and knowing how to put the pieces together to make it look like a spaceship.  And so it really stresses me out.

He said, "Mom, you just need to believe in yourself.  I believe in myself and that's when I get my good ideas."  What a great life lesson!








*Saturday I ran into a boy from Buddy's class at the grocery story.  He has autism.  Buddy adores him and is a really good friend to him, which is why I knew who he was.  We hear stories about him all the time!  I introduced myself to him and and his dad.  Later as I was checking out at the store, the boy came up to me and asked if Buddy would like to play with him at his house sometime.  I said he would love to.  He ran back to his dad cheering "Dad!  She said he wants to play with me!  She said yes!" 

Then today I had an interesting phone call from the babysitter of a kid in Buddy's class at church. I hardly know who he is (and certainly had no clue who the babysitter was or how they got our number) but she was calling to ask if Buddy could come over to play.  She said that since it is spring break, she asked the kid if he wanted to invite a friend over to play.  He suggested his "best friend."  I didn't even really know Buddy was friends with him.  Buddy was gone all day today, so when he got home I asked him about the kid.  He said, "Well our teacher at church told us that he didn't have any friends and feels lonely in our class, so I've been making sure he doesn't feel like that any more."

...So while the crossing guard story is really, REALLY funny, it's not an accurate reflection of his big heart. 

Rudy at Two Months

I have had a hard time sitting down to write about our baby because... he is just so amazing.  I know I won't be able to articulate my love and his awesomeness.  He has been so much fun and such a blessing.  But I wanted to try to detail his life lately.  I wrote emails to my older boys' birthmoms weekly or every other week when they were first born.  But Rudy's birthmom prefers texts.  I don't want him to miss out on the details of his early life, so I will try to document as much as possible here on the blog to preserve the memories. 

Rudy is 2.5 months, but people assume he's much older.  I get, "Oh, he's darling!  Is he about 4 months?" all day.  People at the store, the lady taking his picture, people at church, the guy at the Taco Bell drive-thru, even the pediatrician said he looks and acts developmentally like a 4-month old baby.  At his 2-month appointment he was 12 pounds (65th percent) and 23 inches long (45 percent) but he carries all his weight in his face (like my other two).  He is very barrel-chested and so he looks really, really big.  Plus he has a full head of hair.  And he is really interactive and will smile and coo at anyone who looks at him.  It all adds up to him seeming older.  SAD!  I really, really wish I could freeze time because there is nothing better than having a newborn.  And this little newborn is growing up way too fast.

Rudy is just so sweet.  I am surprised he has any cheeks left, considering how many times a day I kiss them.  I could just eat him, he is so squishy.  He has reddish-brown curly hair.  It gets less curly as I rub my hands and face all over it all day, but after his bath it is really, really curly and getting curlier with time.  He hasn't lost any of his hair yet, but it is considerably lighter then when he was born.  He has really pale skin, red-head skin.  Interestingly enough, he looks exactly like Buddy did when he was this age.  Same color hair, same eyes, same squishy cheeks, same chest, same fat legs, same spoiled milk smell.

...And same personality.  Oh boy, we are in BIG trouble with this baby.  Buddy was the most active baby, toddler, and boy I've ever associated with.  And this third baby of ours is just the same.  He loves to jump on my lap, he kicks his legs constantly, his neck is strong and totally steady on his head, he loves tummy time.  Plus he looks all around and is totally aware of everything.  When he wakes up from a nap and I pick him up, he turns his head back and forth, back and forth to look at everything to see if anything has changed since he went to sleep.  Buddy used to do that too.

Rudy rolls over all the time.  I still am not sure if it's on purpose or what, but he's done it probably 30 times now.  He first rolled over at 8 days old and hasn't stopped.  But he only does it when his clothes are off. 

He is just like his older brother socially too, but more so.  He is very interactive.  He smiled and cooed at 5 weeks.  He makes eye contact with anyone that looks at him.  He tracks us as we walk around.  If he can hear us, or if the kids are wrestling or loud nearby but aren't playing with him, he tries to get their attention and has been doing that for several weeks.  He kicks his legs and yells out for them to notice him.

I'm not sure if he laughs or not.  He squeals from the belly and coughs as a giant smile stretches clear across his face, then he gets the hiccups.  It's not a true laugh like what you normally hear from an infant, but he's been doing that for a few weeks now. And it is so incredibly cute, I can hardly stand it.

He has no interest in toys yet.  Not even the mat with hanging toys that my other two boys LOVED at this age (and earlier actually). He does, however, love being held.  He loves being sung to.  His favorite songs are "Wheels on the Bus," and "Old McDonald."  He also likes to be played with any which way.  Toys are no fun.  Big brothers that rough-house and adoring mamas are VERY fun.

So yes, he is held a ton.  He is pretty much incapable of laying on the floor or sitting in his seat by himself.  I know this is normal for the age, but I think we've also contributed to the problem.  Oh well.  The "I want to be held constantly" window is so short for babies, I don't mind.

He sleeps wonderfully.  I'm not going to brag too much because I've learned people don't want to hear it... but he sleeps through the night from 10pm until 7am, sometimes later if the older kids are quiet.  He has been doing it consistently since 8 weeks, but was hit or miss since 6 weeks.  Of my three, he was the hardest to train because he loves his binky but it wouldn't stay in.  Plus it was hard to be up all night training him and have to be up early to take the older kids to school.  But I stuck to my guns even though I was so tired I was seeing stars most days and nights.  And it paid off.  He has never once "cried it out" during the night.  He was sleeping in his bouncy seat until this past weekend because he chokes in his sleep and I wanted him upright.  But he seems to be getting better about that, so we moved him to his crib without any trouble at all.  In fact, I think he sleeps better in the crib.  He was so wiggly, he would slide down the seat and almost fall out sometimes. 

Three babies.  Three different personalities and sleep patterns.  All sleep trained early enough that they didn't even know what was happening.  I have seriously considered selling my sleep-training services.  I know how tired I was for 6ish weeks, and I would have paid good money to have someone else do the dirty work.  (But honestly, I'm not going to judge you if your baby doesn't sleep.  I can't get my oldest son to do things most 9-year olds do easily, so I have my strengths and weaknesses in my parenting.)

He loves to be swaddled and doesn't really try to get out like my other two did.  (We called/call Sambo Houdini for good reason.)  Rudy is my first baby that has been sleep trained with my special swaddle-velcro-straight-jacket-blanket.  My sister told me about it when Sambo was three months, so we started him on it then.  But it has been wonderful to have from the start with this baby.  What a brilliant invention!

He is a pretty good eater too.  His birthmom nursed him constantly in the hospital for two days, but luckily he had no issues switching to a bottle and formula.  He eats 4 ounces every three hours.  I have him on a very strict schedule because it stresses me out to be trying to get out the door for school pickup or whatever, and having him cry because he needs to eat.  So I worked out a plan that fits with our day and it has been great.  He knows when it's time to eat and wakes up and starts smacking his lips.  I feed him at 7am, 10, 1, 4, 7, and 10pm.  Sometimes (usually) he takes a really long time to eat... like 45 minutes.  He wiggles quite a bit and shakes his head around and isn't the type to just sit there, relax and eat, but it's not too bad.  If I need him to hurry up, I use a bottle with a faster flow and he eats quicker.  I save those bottles for times I day I'm busier.  I'm a freaking genius, I tell you.  He burps at least twice, sometimes up to four times each bottle.  

He was extremely gassy as a newborn.  He wasn't fussy because he easily got his gas out.  You've heard the term:  "silent but deadly."  His pediatrician was lucky enough to smell his gas and encouraged me to switch him to "gentle" formula.  His birthmom's older son also needed gentle formula, so it was an obvious decision.  He has not had a problem with gas since.  The funny thing about the gas, though, was nobody wanted to hold him at first because he smelled so bad.  I loved this, of course, because then I didn't have to share him.  He does spit up like crazy.  Our other two did too.  The first time he spit up, PTSD came on like a wave and that's no joke.  He is always soaked, he always smells like spoiled cheese, and our carpets, clothes and couches are destroyed.  He is a volcano!  But I actually think he is the least bad of the three.  He is the first that hasn't had to be medicated, so that's good.  And he is happy and chubby, so he's not bothered by it. 

He is a mommy's boy.  My first!  Buddy was everybody's boy and Sambo was/is a daddy's boy.  This little baby adores me and I love it!  He reacts so strongly to me and gives me the biggest smiles every time I look at him.  And he much prefers me to hold him.  I got the first smiles and coos.  I worked hard for this baby, so I think I deserve all the love he gives me!

A few other things:  he hasn't been sick yet, which is saying something considering he was born in the middle of flu season.  And considering he is man-handled constantly.  But me and Sambo are vigilantes about hand-washing, so I think that's helped.  I am so grateful because by this age Sambo had been to the hospital and doctor for stomach flu and RSV.

He loves to suck.  He loves his binky, but still can't keep it in his mouth.  He is no respecter of binkies either.  He gladly will suck on any type and we have three different kinds, trying to figure out which stays in his mouth the best.  He loves sucking on his hands now too.  I'm imagining a real challenge keeping all the kids' Legos, rocks, and other small toys out of his mouth in a few short months.

And he is such a squeaky little baby.  This is definitely his trademark, besides his big smiles.  We can hear him squeaking in his crib even with his door closed.  He definitely has perfected the response to "what does an elephant say?"  Unfortunately, I have noticed this week that he is squeaking less and less.  I'm going to miss his newborn sounds so much.  Fortunately, we've tried to get his squeaks on video as much as possible so we never forget. 

He was born with a point elf ear, which was perfect for Christmas.  It's starting to fold over now, which is too bad because it is really cute.  

Oh, how we love him.  We each kiss him approximately 7000 times per day.  He is perfect, precious, and so squishy. 

Preparing For Easter

I find the following story extremely funny.  This one story tells you every thing you need to know about Sambo's personality and why I say he is so easy and crazy all at the same time. 

One of our favorite things to do as a family is to do some sort of challenge.  We have our "summer challenge" and our "reading challenge" and we did a Valentine's activity (it wasn't really a challenge, but sort of).  And this year we decided to start an annual "Easter Challenge" to get us focused, ready and excited for Easter.  At the end of our challenges we always celebrate with a family activity. 

Our Easter Challenge put simply:  we have a list of different activities we can do.  We put a marble in a jar for every activity we complete.  If we fill up the jar before Easter we will go bowling as a family.  We've been at the challenge for about 10 days and so far it's been really fun and good to focus on the purpose of Easter.  We are all really into it and we share what we accomplished during the day each night at dinner. 

So on Sunday during the sacrament I leaned over and reminded Sambo that by focusing on Jesus during the sacrament he could earn a marble.  He was glad for the reminder because he is VERY eager about the challenge.  I told him to go remind Buddy, who was sitting at the end of our row.  After reverently whispering to Buddy, Sambo came back and sat down by me.  He ceased his drawing he had been doing and bowed his head and prayed.  I sort of laughed to myself at how pious he was being, but he loves earning marbles, so I wasn't too surprised.

A little while later I got G's attention because Sambo was still being exceedingly reverent.  G informed me that Sambo had whispered to Buddy to remember to think about the Easter Bunny during the sacrament.

It caught me so off-guard, I literally laughed out loud.  He is such a contrast of sweet and clever and sneaky.  I hope I never forget this story.

Copying

G and I are both the oldest, so we know the annoyance of having younger siblings do what we did when we were growing up.  Apparently I wasn't all that cool because my siblings didn't copy me anything close to the way that Sambo copies and idolizes his big brother.  I have no way to articulate they way that Sambo looks at Buddy.  The way he follows him all over the house.  The way he is always tagging along when they are playing at the park or riding bikes.  The way he stares at Buddy instead of the camera when they are posing for pictures, so he can make sure he's doing exactly what Buddy is doing.  (see above) They way Buddy makes a homemade card for my birthday and Sambo replicates it exactly.

 Sitting in church today. 

Today we looked over at the two of them during church.  They were dressed the same for starters:  blue shirts, khakis, and glasses.  They both had their pads of paper and pencils.  Buddy was drawing Shaun White symbols and Sambo was precisely copying him.  It was so cute.  It was just a perfect snapshot of how they are.  My heart grew in my love for them, watching Sambo look up to his brother, and watching Buddy {mostly} allow it.

Here is some of their artwork.  Buddy's on the left.  Sambo's on the right.

Here is more artwork.  Buddy's are on the ends.  Sambo copied both of these onto one drawing in the middle.

In somewhat related news.  Yesterday Buddy invented a game, complete with written rules.  The boys played this game for at least three hours yesterday.  It was so darling. 

And in completely unrelated news, G made meatloaf all by himself for dinner tonight.  He does not enjoy cooking, so I was completely shocked when he printed off a recipe for Pioneer Woman meatloaf the other day and informed me he was going to make it for dinner on Sunday.  And he didn't want any help.  Sambo did help him.  Although I had a twitch the first 10 minutes of the cooking experience, I eventually let go of the need to control/help and let him do it.  It turned out perfect.  It was delicious!  I was sincerely impressed. 

P.S.  How proud of me are you that I figured out how to do these photo collages in Picasa?  I'm extremely clueless about stuff like this, so yay for me!  First G stretches himself by following a recipe.  Then I follow a tutorial online.  All in one evening.  What is going on here?!!!!!

Cinco Sambo

We have a lot to share, but I can't type with a baby in my arms.  And I don't put my baby down unless I absolutely have to.  So I'm impossibly behind on updating this blog. 

But first before I tell all about our baby Rudy, I have to tell you about how Sambo turned 5 (2.5 months ago...).

Sambo is fantastic.  I am really, really glad he's my boy.  I've said it before and I'll keep saying it all his life:  Sambo's personality compliments mine perfectly.  I rarely get annoyed with him.  He is quite a handful for some people, but he's not for me.  He is extremely obedient and helpful.  He is just as responsible as I am, which pleases me beyond explanation.  He knows how the family runs, he knows our habits and schedules, he knows where things go, he notices when people are sad or overwhelmed, and he springs to action.  I love having him home with me and am very distressed about him going to Kindergarten in the fall.  I think he'll do great (unless his teacher gets annoyed by energetic type-A children)... but I will be terribly lonely for him.

He is very spunky.  He is active and sneaky and very loud.  He is both crazy and calm.  I can't explain it, really.  He just is.  He can keep up with his older brother and all his brother's friends no problem, so that explains a lot.

 The birthday boy enjoying a McDonalds lunch.

His birthday haul. 

 We didn't do a friend party for him, but he wanted a "spider birthday" anyway, so these are the cupcakes I whipped up.  You already know I'm horrible at making cakes/cupcakes, so don't judge.  And let's also not talk about the fact that G and I went out on a very exciting date to the Killers concert the evening of his birthday, so the boys went to my awesome friend's house.  Sambo was NOT sad about this.  It was the greatest thing I could do for him actually, since he wants her to be his mom anyway.  Just so you don't' think I'm a total failure as a mother, I celebrated with him all day, including telling him he might be getting a new brother, taking him mini golfing, and taking him to McDonalds.  And the next night we partied as a family at his favorite pizza/game place.

 This was his birthday party with his birthfamily and here he is with his beautiful birthmom.  This was taken just after Rudy was born!!!!!!  I was texting all evening with Rudy's birthmom about her delivery and his entry into the world while this party was happening.  CRAZY.

He has had a speech delay and he still isn't very vocal or competitive, so most people don't know how bright he is.  You really have to pay attention, but of course I do, and he has a very sharp mind and is very clever.  He is a quick learner. He learned to read easily.  His spelling is exceptional.  He started writing notes to people a few weeks ago and I was shocked at how well he can sound words out. 
He is athletic and can do anything his older brother can do.  G takes the boys skiing a couple times a month and according to G, Sambo is really good.  This summer Sambo got annoyed because Buddy and his friends would swim in the deep end and leave him alone in the "baby section" at the pool.  He begged me to let him go in the deep end.  I wouldn't let him do it alone until he could swim across the pool on his own.  So, he showed me right then and there that he could do it.  And he could! I never taught him to swim and he never had any lessons, he just did it. 

 After skiing.

 Building his new Legos on Christmas.

He is very creative.  He loves doing crafts and building things.  He sifts through our recycling almost every day and comes up with projects.  He can build Legos by himself, following the instructions or making up his own ideas.  His birth family is made up of several professional artists (several different mediums) and he most certainly has the creative gene.  In fact it's funny because he comes home in a huff most preschool days annoyed that the mom/teacher wouldn't let him cut or glue things himself, or because they wrote his name for him on his projects.  He is very capable and most people wouldn't expect such fine motor skills from a little boy.  He has replaced the batteries in all our baby gear and all the toys this house.  I had to buy two new Costco packs of batteries because he replaced so many.  He can work a screwdriver better than I can.  Too bad we have no engineers in our family because he needs a mentor.

He loves to sing, he loves to cook, and he loves Legos.  He is a hard worker and will always help me do anything.  He is our designated dishwasher emptier and he runs and grabs new burp clothes, my phone, or a diaper all day long.  He is independent.  He doesn't need me to do things for him.  In fact, that's the worst kind of threat/punishment/bribery.  (Do you want me to buckle your seatbelt for you?  Then you better hurry into the car!  Do you want me to feed you?  Then you better sit down and eat!)

And he is darling.  Oh, this might just be his very best talent.  Everything he does and says is cute.  And my goodness, he manages to get cuter every day. 

Skiing again.

 Sambo helping build Rudy's new dresser.

He is an excellent little brother because he admires and appreciates everything Buddy does for him. But what has really surprised us is what a great BIG brother he is. He is very nurturing and kind toward his baby brother.  He is soft and gentle and loves to help.  He sings him songs every day. He picks him up when he cries and I'm busy.  He has asked me numerous times to teach him how to take care or Rudy: things like how to do tummy time, how to change diapers, how to give baths, how to buckle his carseat, and how to wear the front carrier.  He hasn't been jealous one single bit.  Quite the opposite actually.  He is very proud of his baby and brags about him to everyone.  
He is sensitive and cries during most movies.  He can't handle seeing someone hurt or sad, either in a movie, a story, or in real life.  He cries when he feels the spirit.  He also defends Buddy when he gets in trouble and will do things to cheer him up or make him feel loved.  Yesterday while Buddy was in the middle of a lying incident, Sambo whispered encouraging things in his ear to coach him through the experience.  "You are being embarrassing.  Just tell mom," he kept saying.  And Buddy does NOT resent this.  He appreciates all the help.  In fact, he was lying to cover up one of Sambo's mistakes!  He loves surprising Buddy after school with a special craft he has made for him.  One day last week he wrapped three "presents" for Buddy to open after he got his list of jobs done (he had racked up lots from poor behavior).  Sambo put them on the mantle to motivate him.  When Buddy was done he was overjoyed to open a box of Thomas the Trains (LOL!!!!) and random snacks Sambo had pulled from our pantry. Today he asked his preschool teacher for a leftover bird craft project so he could make one for Buddy, since Buddy loves birds. 

He brings balance to our high-strung family.  We all just love him so much. 

Introducing Rudy

Our little baby boy is already two months old!  I go back and forth between deep sadness that time is going so fast and also excitement about his bright future.  Fortunately, I don't have any regrets about the time I've spent holding him and staring at him these past nine weeks.  I've tried really hard to make him a priority and to savor every single day with him, since he'll likely be our last baby. 

I absolutely LOVE babies, especially newborns.  I love they way the cuddle.  I love the way they curl into a ball or arch their back when I lay them on my shoulder.  I love their smell.  I love their soft wrinkly skin.  I love their soft silky hair.  I love their squeaks.  I love the long feedings.  I love coaxing those first smiles.  I love engaging them to get their first laughs.  I love giving them baths.  I love changing diapers.  I love watching their reflexes.  I love their coos.  I love the way they stare at my face and the lights in the room.  I love the way they look for my voice when I'm not holding them.  I love the way my life slows down when caring for a newborn.  I love sitting on the couch for days and weeks and just looking at them.  I know many people feel bored and that the monotony of caring for a newborn is unproductive or depressing.  But I feel more alive and more like myself when I have one in my arms.  There is nothing in the whole world that is more exciting and more enjoyable and makes me feel more productive than caring for my little Rudy Rooster.  I just love this.  I wish time would slow down. 

I will add more details about what he's learning and what he's like soon.  And I'll tell about his adoption and birth soon too. ...As well as finally highlight Sambo's 5th birthday.  Stay tuned!