Back home

We had a great time in St. Louis. Kenyon is a great traveller and did fine in the car for 4 hours. He adjusted well to a new bed, new schedule, and meeting new people. He had a lot of fun playing with his cousins. We went to the zoo, met family and friends, and attended a welcome home party/shower that my sister and sister-in-law threw for us. We also went to my parents' lake house. Growing up, I spent many summer weekends at this lakehouse and I want my children to have memories of the lake as well. Kenyon loved it and the first thing he said when he woke up from his nap was "Grandpa's boat again."

We can tell that Kenyon has not become too "Americanized" yet. Paul and I were talking in the car deciding where we should stop for a restroom break and one of us mentioned McDonald's. Kenyon's response was "E-I-E-I-O?" The only McDonald's this kid knows is the one who owns a farm. Which by the way, is his new favorite song. He also likes the Hokey Pokey, but Old McDonald is sung all day long. He is continuing to pick up English and amazes us with his language skills and understanding. A car pulled up behind us at a stoplight and Kenyon looked back and said "careful." One day, he woke up from his nap and was a little grumpy. I said, "You sure are grumpy today," and he looked at me and said "wah, wah, wah."

Kenyon will get to see both sets of grandparents this weekend, as they are both coming to town to celebrate his birthday, which is on August 13.

Here are a few pictures our time in St. Louis. One of these days, I hope to include a family picture, as soon as I can get out from behind the camera.

At the St. Louis zoo

Checking out the lake

Driving Grandpa's boat

St. Louis

We're heading to St. Louis tomorrow morning to visit family. Kenyon Belachew will meet the rest of his cousins, aunts, and uncles, and my aunts and uncle, as well as some family friends. This will be Kenyon Belachew's first road trip, so we hope it goes well! He likes riding in the car, so we are optimistic that he can handle a 4 hour car ride.

I'll post more about our trip when we return!

Riding his tricycle

Kenyon loves his tricycle and is getting pretty good at peddling. He likes riding his tricycle with Daddy's help.

Summer days

Every morning when I wake up, I have a goal... how can I get Kenyon to burn enough energy for him to take a good nap this afternoon? After he wakes up from his nap, my goal remains the same, how can I wear him out enough so that he will get a good night's sleep? Because when Kenyon sleeps well, we are all much happier (and mama gets a chance to do laundry, make phone calls, work, etc.)

He loves slides and playgrounds, and thankfully there are a few public playgrounds within a mile of our house. He also loves swimming and we go to the local pool at least once a week. We were given a membership to The Children's Museum as an early birthday present for Kenyon, which we have used twice already. Kenyon likes the library, so we go every couple weeks and check out new books. We also try to plan playdates with friends.

Kenyon's new favorite word is "Amen." He shouts this at church several times each Sunday and thankfully, people think this is cute. He thinks he should say "Amen," when anything is finished- such as the librarian finishing the book she read outloud or a song he hears on tv or the radio.

Here are some pictures of Kenyon enjoying his summer days.

A visit from Grandma and Grandpa

Grandma and Grandpa Heintz came to visit last weekend and brought our nephew Luke. We had a lot of fun with them. Kenyon had a great time, especially playing with his cousin Luke. When Kenyon woke up from his nap on Saturday and Sunday, the first thing he said was, "Luke."

It was fun for my parents to see the change in Kenyon. They met him a week after he arrived home with us, when he was quiet, clingy, and unsure of new people (understandably). It takes him some time to warm up to new people, and he wants Paul or I close to him, but once he feels comfortable, his personality comes out. By the end of the weekend, he let my parents hold him and read to him and he gave them kisses.

Kenyon loves to talk non-stop and likes to sing and dance. His current favorite songs are "No one," by Alicia Keys, "Flip, Flap, and Fly" which is on a preview for his Curious George movie, and "Everybody wants to be a Cat," from the Disney movie The Aristocats. He asks for these songs multiple times a day. He is into cars and animals. His favorite animals to talk about lately are panda bears, polar bears, kangaroos, and elephants. He has warmed up to our dog and will now pet her and kiss her. He tells her "tow (no in Amharic) barking." He likes to be outside and recently discovered slides. We have taken him to local parks to slide and he also also discovered the sloped part of our bathtub can work as a slide. He has become a much more confident, happy boy. He is also very encouraging and tells us that daddy is handsome and mommy is awesome. We love him and know that he is the perfect fit for our family.

It's been a long time...

It's been a while since I've written. We've had some sleep issues with Kenyon and they seemed to hit their worst in early July. He would not take naps, it would take 3-4 hours at night to get him to go to sleep, and he would wake up throughout the night. Needless to say, Paul and I were not getting the sleep we needed, and neither was Kenyon. After doing a lot of reading, talking to friends, and praying, we decided to come up with some new strategies. We decided it was important to have a routine that we followed each night, so Kenyon knows what to expect and what is coming next. We also decided to start our bedtime routine earlier. Our new routine is working well and Kenyon is napping everyday and falling asleep in less than an hour at night (and a few nights have been under 20 minutes!). After dinner, Kenyon takes a bath, brushes his teeth, reads a Bible Story ("Jesus" as he calls it), pray, read 3 books, then turn the lights out. We tell Kenyon what is coming next and he repeats the routine to us. He is sleeping through the night for the most part and we are all happier and more rested.

Parenting is hard. I knew that it would be challenging, but I didn't realize how hard it would be. There are days when I miss my childless years, when I could take a long shower, go out with friends, and relax at night. There are moments when I am not as patient with Kenyon as I should be and moments when I feel like I am not a good mom. I have always wanted to be a mom and we are blessed that I do not need to work fulltime, so then I feel guily about missing my childless years and freedom. I have some great friends who have been supportive in the moments that I struggle. I wish more parents felt comfortable sharing honestly with each other about how hard parenting can be.

At the same time, parenting Kenyon is the most rewarding and amazing thing I have ever done. I love watching him learn new things daily, seeing his personality develop, kissing his "owies," and caring for him. He loves to help me and has a sweet and sensitive spirit. At night when he is lying down for sleep, he grabs my cheeks, kisses my lips, and says "thank you, mama." It is helpful to know that the challenges and fatigue I experience are normal, and I remind myself daily of what an amazing new job I have as a mother.

The Faces of Ethiopia

The people we met in Ethiopia were amazing. My thoughts drift to them and to these faces regularly. I look at these faces and think of how similar, yet how different our lives are. These people have the same hopes and dreams for their futures that many of us have, yet they have also seen tragedy that few of us can imagine. Many of these faces wake up daily and wonder what they will eat, while I have a full refrigerator and pantry and struggle with making sure I don't eat too much. Many of these faces have seen more death and suffering in their little lives than we can imagine. Yet I look at these faces and I see hope, contentment, and joy.

I started this blog to update our family and friends on our adoption process, but I also want to share about Ethiopia, both the beauty of this country and culture, and also the reality of the needs there and ways to get involved. While we were in Ethiopia, we had the amazing opportunity to meet someone from Kenyon Belachew's birthfamily. We have decided not to share details about his person or about Kenyon's life prior to coming to the care center, as we believe that this is Kenyon's story to share, not ours. We asked this person what their hopes and dreams were for Kenyon and they responded that they hoped that Belachew would grow up and be proud of where he was from and that he would make a difference in his home country.

Parenting can be a challenge and frustration at times, but when I look in Kenyon's face, I am reminded of Ethiopia. I am reminded that Kenyon's life is a miracle and how blessed we are to have been entrusted with this precious life. I am reminded of this special person we met and their dream for Kenyon's life. When I look at pictures of our trip, I am reminded of the joy and suffering of those faces we left behind in Ethiopia. We are forever connected to Ethiopia, through Kenyon Belachew, and we see this connection as a blessing and responsibility.