Catching up

We're doing well. We've been home with Biniyam for just about a month now and he is a peaceful little guy who takes it all in stride. We could not be more in love. He fits so well into our family- even sleeping until 9am, really, how did I get blessed with two late sleepers?!

The first week we were home from Ethiopia was a daze, I was so jet lagged and Biniyam was waking up at 4am- for the day (but considering the 10 hr time change I was just glad he was sleeping at night) Thankfully Greg was on vacation that week so I got some good naps but still ended up with a miserable cold (flu?) which I passed on to Ella. Week #2 Greg went back to work and the kids and I enjoyed the summer, parks, lakes and friends until I got a stomach bug and passed it on to Ella, again the guys stayed healthy. Week #3 my parents visited from MA, we had a wonderful time watching them spoil their grandchildren with love and attention. This week I finally feel like I'm getting my feet under me, all my laundry done and put away, cloth diapering figured out, and mostly Ella time.

Ella, ah Ella, definitely having the most difficult time with the transition to not being the soul attention getter in the house. It took less than 24 hr for her to sigh and say "Sometimes I wish things would just go back to normal" This was said while driving in the car, she didn't think she could look out the window anymore that she had to entertain Bini. "But what if he cries for me?" So week # 1 was convincing Ella she was a big sister, not the parent and she didn't have to be with Biniyam constantly-CONSTANTLY- like if your rocking him to sleep "just checkin on Bini" she'd say as his eyes popped open. Oh it was hard to be patient that week!

Now it's more about sharing attention. I cuddled and read to her for over an hr the other morning while he slept and once he woke up I changed him and leaned over and he's just looking into my eyes and cooing and chatting away for no more than 5 min and Ella was in tears. "I'm just not getting enough mommy time!" That's her key phrase- she throws it down many times a day. So this week has been all about mommy time and thanks to Bini's 1 1/2 to 3 hr naps she even gets lots of individual mommy time.

Ella totally adores Biniyam, she is great with him, singing and entertaining him, reading him books. She made up this rhyme the other day "When Bini's awake he's lots of fun, and when he's asleep he's boring, but when he's kind of in between he's kind of annoying." (yeah, he fusses a bit when he's tired and fighting the sleep) and she's nick named him "Bini the pooh"

We are grateful that she's able to verbalize her frustration with not getting enough attention from us and doesn't take it out on her new brother.

And BINIYAM, he's growing so much! He's gotten 2 teeth this month and has definitely gotten taller and chubbier. He went from having no strength in his legs to hold his own weight to being a champ in the jump-a-roo, from not being able to pick up toys to having great grabbing skills.