3 Months Home

Arriving home, at the airport on June 6

Our family, 3 months later

Yesterday, September 6, was our 3 month anniversary of Belachew arriving home with us. We had plans to go to an Ethiopian restaurant with friends before realizing the date. It ended up being the perfect way to celebrate! Belachew enjoyed the injera (traditional Ethiopian pancake-like bread), but was more interested in playing with the restaurant owner's children.

It's amazing to reflect on the past 3 months. Kenyon Belachew has changed in so many ways. He arrived in the US as a sick, clingy little boy. He rarely made eye contact with others and was very unsure of new people. All of these things are understandable; I am sure he was confused and scared. He is now a healthy, active toddler. He is outgoing, talkative, and loves being around people. He is full of life and has a smile that melts peoples' hearts. He still likes to cuddle and be held at times, but he has definitely shown his independence and likes to do things himself. When I think of all the losses and changes he has experienced in his short life, it makes me realize how brave and strong he is. He is truly resilient and I am so proud of him.

When I look at myself, I have to acknowledge that I have changed in the past 3 months as well. Of course when you become a parent, your life changes dramatically. I had anticipated many of these changes and looked forward to them, but until you actually experience it, it is hard to know what it will feel like. I have to admit that parenting has been much harder than I thought. I have had moments of wondering "what were we thinking?" I've shed many tears since becoming a mother, out of joy or frustration and exhaustion. Parenting is the most challenging thing I have ever experienced, but at the same time it is the most amazing thing. The challenges I have experienced in parenting in these 3 short months have taught me a lot about myself- to love in a deeper way, to give of myself when I feel like I have nothing left to give, and to see life through the eyes of my son. As I have shared, Belachew loves playgrounds. He often asks me to slide with him or climb on the playset with him. At first I wanted to sit back and watch (partly to get some rest, and partly to not look ridiculous), but he didn't have to ask too many times for me to start sliding with him. I know he will grow up fast and I want to treasure these moments together. So as long as my bottom can fit, I will ride as many slides with him as he wants me to.

He has picked up English quickly, but still uses many Amharic words. He knows the English words for most of the Amharic words he uses. While we know it is important for him to continue to develop his English skills, we love the fact that he still uses Amharic words. We have no doubt that he will soon be as fluent in English as other children his age, but we would like for him to retain some Amharic words, even if it is just vocabulary. We think if he can keep some of the vocabulary words, it will enable him to (re)learn Amharic as he grows up, if he chooses to. We know that Belachew is now an American, but we want him to be proud of where he came from and we want to keep as many connections to his Ethiopian culture as possible. We look forward to a many more months and years- a lifetime together as a family.