Simon and Dad make animal sounds

Thought you would enjoy this video of Mark teaching Simon animal sounds.

More Firsts for Simon

As I am planning to go back to work on June 7, we have been trying to prepare Simon for daycare and the changes that will come with our new schedule. Up until now, he has always been with either me or Mark all the time. We haven't left him with anyone else. But we wanted him to know that even when we both leave, we will return. So we called on our friend and uber-experienced babysitter Ashley to stay with Simon for about an hour this evening. He did GREAT! We said good-bye to him and he didn't even fuss. He was already snuggled up with Ashley to read a book. They got along great and had a fun time. We were so pleased! And he was excited to see us when we returned, which is good. It feels like we have built a healthy attachment and that he trusts us. I hope this is true! It really feels that way. He will be going to day care just half days for the first week and we're going to visit there next week. Here's a photo of Simon and Ashley reading his favorite book.


While Ashley was watching Simon, we went and bought him a toddler bed. He has been sleeping with us since our time in Ethiopia. Simon had some night terrors there and for the most part, they have subsided. However, he is a noisy, active sleeper! Mark and I haven't slept well since Simon has been with us. He talks in his sleep, flails his arms and legs, and moves around quite a bit. He's even been known to giggle in his sleep! While it's cute at times, it's not very restful for us. We didn't intend to have Simon sleep with us but it seemed to be what he needed to help with his transition. Instead of putting him in the crib in his room, we are going to start with the toddler bed in our room and then move the bed to his room. He had been accustomed to sleeping in a toddler bed so we're hoping that this will help. The few times we've had him nap in his crib, he hasn't liked it at all. We're hoping that the toddler bed will feel more familiar to him. He sure had fun investigating it after Mark put it together!

Wish us luck! We're hoping for more restful nights that don't include feet in our faces!

Paver Project

Mark spent Sunday and Monday working on this project for the house. He removed the ratty old bush from in front of the dining room window and gave us, essentially, a front porch by installing pavers! We love it. He did an excellent job! We have since added a plant stand and flowers. Unfortunately, Sunday and Monday were the two hottest days we've had so far this spring but he worked hard at it and got the project done. Slowly but surely, we are making our house our own. Next up: painting the brick and the front of the house!

Swimming Pool or Stand next to the Pool and Splash

Mark set-up Simon's pool on Monday -- it's been such a warm week here! Perfect for a wading pool. But Simon wanted nothing to do with being in the pool. Instead, he prefers to work his way around the outside of the pool and just has a ton of fun splashing. He loves it when we splash him and thinks it's hysterical to splash us back. We had a lot of fun playing around the pool.

Simon thought it was great when I wrapped him in his towel after he was done. "Baby" is another word he's been trying to say and he giggled when I called him my burrito baby in his towel. Such a cutie!

Simon's Sunday

Yes, I've been a blogging fool tonight! Keep scrolling down for more updates about the little man who has stolen our hearts. I couldn't resist sharing a few photos from Simon's Sunday afternoon. Mark spent the afternoon outside working on a home improvment project -- more on that later this week. Simon was content to play with his tricycles, bubbles, the broom, etc. but it was a warm day. We didn't have the equipment to blow up his little pool so I got out a container and filled it with water for him. We also set-up a little sprinkler but I think that the water was too cold for him. But he loved the bucket of water! It's amazing that his diaper didn't just sag right off of him! It was a funny sight to see.

The little pool is now inflated and ready for the warm week ahead! I'm sure we'll have more photos to post later this week.

A Visit from the Ponsler Family

Chris and Sarah Ponsler came for a visit on Saturday with their two beautiful children, Tegegn and Mackenzie. Tegegn was the first child we saw come home from Ethiopia and he has a special place in our hearts -- and THE BEST smile! And Mackenzie is Tegegn's new little sister, born just a few days after we returned from Ethiopia with Simon. They came to the airport to welcome us home and we have appreciated their support and friendship so very much!

It was a warm day on Saturday so we just hung out in the living room and played a lot of cars, trucks and 'catch you.' After supper, we went outside to enjoy the gorgeous evening. Simon got out his tricycles and did a good job of sharing.

It was adorable to see Tegegn take Simon for a ride! He is about 9 months older than Simon.

Then we decided to go for a walk to see the ducks. I think my favorite part of the evening was hearing Tegegn tell Mark to go "faster! faster!"

The coolest thing .... we were standing at the far pond looking at the ducks when the Blue Heron flew in close to us. It was as if he wanted some of the bread we had for the ducks! We refer to him as "Blue Harry" and love to see him frequenting the ponds.

And here is the first group of ducklings we've seen so far this spring. I think that I counted 10 little ducklings. The boys loved them!

And finally, the only photo that I have of Mackenzie is this one -- sorry Mackenzie! But I know that she's in her seat enjoying a stroll up and down the driveway. Simon thought that Sarah was very cool and loved riding in their stroller. We look forward to many more visits with the Ponslers!

The Tent

These photos are for my friend and Purdue co-worker, Teresa. She gave this tent to Simon as a gift. We just got it out for him on Friday night and he LOVES it! We've been kind of 'rationing' his toys so that we don't overwhelm him with too many things and so that he'll have new things to play with throughout my time at home with him. He likes to go to the open window and pretend that he's going to kiss us and then giggles, denying us a kiss and then turns to the mesh covered window to kiss us. He thinks it is hilarious and we think that his giggle is hysterical! Who knew we'd have so much fun with the tent. Thank you, Teresa!

And yes, even the big kids in the house think that the tent is super cool!!!

Road Trip to Pennsylvania

Last weekend, Mark and I took Simon on his first driving road trip to Pennsylvania to meet our family and friends there. We had been able to visit with my Mom, Dad and Aunt Barbie on our way home from Ethiopia thanks to a long layover at Dulles airport. But many others were anxious to meet Simon so off we went. He was an awesome traveler! He did great on the long drive. We arrived on Saturday afternoon and had just a few hours before heading off to a shower in honor of Simon.

My Mom and sister Heidi hosted a fun shower for us with many family and friends. We had dinner together and then Simon was showered with more toys and gifts than any little boy could dream of. He especially liked eating this delicious cake ... isn't it adorable!?!?


Our oldest nephew Brandon wanted to stay and help at the shower. He is officially Simon's first babysitter. I gave him $5 for being such a good helper with Simon and all of the presents.

Simon and his cousins Mason, Brandon and Andrew got along super! I was especially excited for all of the boys to be together. Andrew kept saying, "he's so cute" and all three boys were great with Simon. A dream come true for me to have all four boys together!

And here is Simon with his Aunt Heidi and Uncle Thinh. They loved playing with Simon but both agreed that they were glad to be out of the diaper stage of children!

Simon and his Mimi got along well too. Mimi just wanted to cuddle and hold Simon and thankfully, he did slow down a few times so Mimi could do just that. I think that he's even making some expressions and laughing a bit like my Mom since we've been home -- pretty funny!

And here's Simon with his Papa. My Dad gave Simon his first fishing pole and he loves to carry it around, even though it's still in the packaging! They became fast friends and had fun playing together. Simon and Papa both even eat the same kind of oatmeal each morning.

And I was especially glad that Simon got to meet his Great Grandma, or as we call her, Grandma Grandma. That's not a typo -- my sister's boys started calling her this years ago and it's stuck. Simon gave her pucker kisses and had fun playing with Grandma Grandma's electric recliner -- he gave her quite a ride up and down! Grandma has made two beautiful sweaters for Simon and we are so glad that these two became fast friends.

And I couldn't resist this photo. Simon did great in the van. Even on Wednesday when he was in the van for nearly 12 hours -- he got a little bit whiney but never had a meltdown. We stopped at a Panera for lunch ... can you tell that he likes their macaroni and cheese?

It was a fun trip that went by too quickly! But we're so glad that Simon got to meet more of the many people who love him so dearly. We hope that maybe some of them will come to visit us soon!

My Biker Boys

Before you look at the photo, allow me to share a little background information ...

When Mark and I first started dating and I made my first visit to Lafayette, Mark wanted to take me on a motorcycle ride. I was very nervous, held on tightly as we drove around his neighborhood and just said, "I'm ok, I'm ok, I'm ok" over and over again. I don't go for rides with him very often but I've gotten used to it and kind of enjoy it! Also, on that first trip to Lafayette, Mark wanted me to meet his dog and to try sushi. We still have the motorcycle and I've learned to loved sushi but the dog is no longer with us. Dillan and I just couldn't learn to live together so Mark found a new home for him -- this still makes me sad.

Anyway, after this visit, I sent Mark a card with a photo of a man on a Vespa with a little dog (Dillan was a Yorkie) sitting on the back of the Vespa. Then Mark copied this photo to send me a card with him and Dillan on his motorcycle. When we got engaged, Mark gave me a photo of him leaning up against a wall with his motorcycle and made it look like he had spray painted, "Wendi, will you marry me?" onto the wall. Are you seeing the history here? Then for our wedding, I had a friend take a photo of me in my jean jacket on Mark's motorcycle. Actually, it turned into a series of photos because it was pretty comical to see me trying to manuever Mark's bike in and out of the garage.

So for my first Mother's Day, Mark had the idea to add little Simon to the biker photo series. Simon loves, loves, loves, to sit on the bike with one of us holding him. He loves to take Mark's helmet and put it on, take it off, put it on, take it off, etc. So here is the front of my Mother's Day card -- I love it! So cute. And Simon certainly seems to have the serious look of a biker, doesn't he? I love my biker boys!!

Simon Dancing

I put this video up on Facebook, but I thought we should put it here also. Since we first met Simon he has LOVED to dance. Even driving through Ethiopia, everytime we passed a car with music playing, he would put his hands above his head and start dancing. This little video clip just makes me laugh. I hope you enjoy it.

The Haircut

I took Simon for a haircut this afternoon. I know that it wasn't his first haircut but it was my first experience at taking my son for a haircut and I wanted it to be fun. Especially because I didn't know how he would respond. I got kind of emotional about it! But lots of things make me cry lately, especially those related to Simon. He was awesome! No fussing, no squirming, no whining, no crying. He was cool as a cucumber. Yay! He loved the little car and watched the kid's music video on the tv. He hasn't seen much tv at home so I think that might have helped to distract him. I couldn't have been more proud of Simon! And his haircut looks so cute. I doubt that we will go to this particular place for every haircut but it was a fun 'first' for me and Simon today.

I like this next photo especially because it looks like he's telling her to "take a little more off the sides, ok?" Too funny!

All done! Now, if I could just figure out how to get him off the car ... he loved driving the car and didn't want to leave!

Handsome, aren't I?

My First Mother's Day and the Week in Review

What a GREAT first Mother's Day! I always wondered what it would feel like to be a Mom and now I know -- awesome!! Simon wakes up with a smile on his face each morning and I love it. Mark made me breakfast and brought it to me in bed this morning -- what a treat! Simon slept through most of my breakfast so he had his french toast later -- it was delicious. I felt very pampered and was even treated to a pedicure earlier in the week. I love, love, love spending time with Simon and watching him as he learns something new every day -- sometimes every hour! He is so smart and we feel like he's on the verge of saying more words. He is learning about one new sign language 'word' a day and amazes us with how much he understands from us and communicates to us. Such an intelligent little boy and we love him so much!!

We spent most of the day with Mark's family. Mark's sister Jennifer hosted this gathering and we had homemade pizza -- yummy. A favorite for all of us. The photo below shows another first for Simon -- his first cupcake (that we know of.) He LOVED it! Especially the icing, if you can't tell. He devoured it and signed for "more, please."

After hanging out at Jennifer's, we stopped by Mark's parent's house to visit with some of their friends. Simon was his charming self and was freely giving 'pucker kisses' today -- even Papaw got a pucker kiss. Look at those cheeks all puckered up!

Simon found the little chairs at Mamaw's house so they had a seat together. Mamaw was very glad that Simon finally warmed up to her and they had fun playing together.

Earlier in the week, Mark completed one of the many yard projects we hope to do this summer. He put in a small flower bed around the Peace Pole that he made for me. The Peace Pole says, "May Peace Prevail on Earth" in four languages: English, German, Amharic and Sanskrit. Simon helped to plant the flowers and to water them. He also learned to smell the flowers -- our way of keeping him interested in the flowers without touching them (aka, pulling them out of the ground!)

I don't know how many of you know that my bachelor's degree is in elementary education so I was excited to do some artwork with Simon this week. First project: fingerpainting. He loved it! And I have about 14 pieces of art to prove it. This was his first piece -- notice his body is paint free. At the end of our painting, he was covered from head to diaper and I had to give him a bath to get all the paint off of him!

He loves pasta of all kinds, especially ravioli. And, he likes to feed himself, as evidenced here:

One of my friends and fellow adoptive Mom's at Purdue made Simon an awesome nap mat and this doll. He is fascinated by the doll -- especially when I make the doll take a drink from his sippy cup, eat a cheerio, etc. It's so funny to watch Simon's face! He even talks to the doll and I love it. His imagination is starting to show and we love his sense of humor. I love this photo and how serious he is with the doll. Thank you, Amy!! We love and appreciate the gifts!

And finally, we ended the week with having Chris, Brian and Sean over for dinner on Saturday night. Sean is almost 5 and instantly became friends with Simon. Simon gave Sean a hug without anyone's prompting -- it was so cute! And Sean was teaching Simon how to have good manners at the dinner table, much to his parent's surprise! After dinner, we went to the first Mosey Down Main Street of the season. It was very cold outside but we enjoyed watching the boys dance to the music -- they both love music and we loved watching them dance.

So there it is! My first Mother's Day come and gone along with another fun week of being home with Simon. I think I've done pretty well at keeping my emotions in check today. I've waited so long to become a Mom and I hope that I can be the kind of Mom that Simon needs. I hope that I appreciate him enough, teach him the right things, and show my love for him to him daily. He has turned my world upside down and at times, I feel like my heart is going to burst because I love him so very much. Mark is an outstanding father and parenting with him by my side is such a privilege. He's so great at being a Dad! I spent some time this evening writing things down in Simon's adoption journey book -- I'm already afraid that I'm going to forget some things! I also spent some time thinking about Simon's birthmother and hoping that we can honor her in how we raise Simon. He is the greatest gift either of us has ever or will ever receive and we love him very deeply. I am so very, very thankful that I have the opportunity to be a Mom!