Getting Ready for Christmas

It is so hard to believe that this time last year I was working so hard to get my baby home and wondering how? when?................. and all that crazy stuff and here he is !!!  Every time I look at him my heart just melts we all love him so much ! Believe me there is never a dull moment in our house.
When I started putting up my Christmas trees I thought this is going to be a disaster he will have them all pulled down by the end of the day.  Boy was I wrong he has not touched them except to help decorate, I was very surprised.

Here he is helping daddy and papa get the stand on right, he loves to help.

Putting on the lights, notice his patch he has to wear every night for 30 mins. been doing this for months well just found it has not helped at all we had to pick up his glasses today, and he has had them on for maybe a total of 10 minutes, yeah how do you get a 3 year old to wear glasses! whew not easy I will post on that another time with a picture of him with them on, if he will wear them long enough. LOL

                            I promise he did this on his own !!!!
I wanted to make Christmas cards with Alaina, Aaron and Andrew on them and of course me taking the picture and carrying it to the local drug store to make them..... the easy part.   The hard part was making the picture you can never get Andrew to sit still.

Too many to post this was just a few.....the final result.............whew was I tired!

First Family getaway as Five !

This past weekend we went to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg TN and stayed in a cabin on top of a mountain we love to do this every November.  This time last year is when I started hunting for my precious angel and found him on Reece's Rainbow it is so hard to believe it has been a year and here he is !!! I don't know what we did without him, he keeps us all on our toes !

                                               This is Andrew's school pictures doesn't he look like a little man !

Party !!!!

This weekend we went to a birthday party and Andrew had the time of his life they had rented a little train and a blow up slide and he loved it .

                                                   Riding the train !

                                                       of courses he wanted to drive.

Mama even liked it to!

Birthday Girl, Happy Birthday Emma Caroline !

Only 2 Months

I can't believe we have only been with Andrew for 2 months it seems we have been together for a life time.
I can't explain the joy he has brought our whole family he is such a blessing we all love him so much. Sorry I haven't posted in a long time I am so busy with work, school, football and just keeping up with all the house work.
Andrew has started school he goes every day from 7:40 am until 10:20 am and he loves it and I think everyone at the school knows him by name. After school he goes to the church daycare until I get off work he has a full schedule but has adjusted to it all very well, he never meets a stranger. Today he had his 2nd doctors appt. just to see how things were going, they were so amazed how much he has grown in this short period of time.  He has blossomed like a flower since being with us he gets so much attention he is to the point of being a little spoiled...but who cares! I want to give him everything he has never experienced and more.

Andrew is blowing me kisses and telling me bye before he heads off to school!

                              Brotherly love !

Andrew wasn't so sure about Abbie and Max at first but now they have become close friends.  Andrew loves to feed them from the table and they love to clean up after him.  He enjoys covering them up with his blanket and they don't seem to mind, they even sneak to get a kiss or two 

Andrew's 3rd Birthday Party

I am sure this was Andrew's first birthday party of his life, he really wasn't sure what to do with all the presents most of the time if it was a gift bag he would put it on his arm and head for the door and start blowing kisses as if he were going bye bye. It was just too cute! His favorite gift that I could tell that brought a smile to his face was new tennis shoes, we all know how much he love shoes .
I bought him his own little cake just to see what he would do.............well he tasted it once and then rubbed it all over him as if he were taking a bath.  I just knew my child would be blue for weeks but thank goodness it all came out the first bath. I can't explain to you how much this child is loved by everyone he brings joy to everyone he meets, he never meets a stranger. Here are some pictures from his party.     

                                                              Singing Happy Birthday!

                                                        Yummy!!!!!!!!!!!!!    

                                             OK, Maybe not so yummy decided to rub it all over him and I    
                                              do mean ALL over him!

                                                        Yes it all washed out the first
                                                          washing, Thank Goodness but he had a good time and that is all that mattered.                                                  

Just Having Fun !

This was a gift given to us by the director of our children's after school program and summer camp, not only does it match Andrew's room but it says it all.  Thank you  Ms. Natalie you have been with us every step of the way.
Here are a few pictures of us just having fun and letting Andrew experience all the new things in his life.

                         His first trip to Build A Bear, his big sissy's favorite place to go !

                                                Getting the puppy's  heart.   

                                          Trying to be like his big brother.

                                                  This boy loves shoes!

                                              Baby Powder, LOL !                           

                                                                 Helping with homework.

                                          All this fun can make a boy tired. Thanks to his brother he had a pillow. This child has brought so much joy and happiness to our family we all love him so much. Thank you God for adding this precious child to our family.

Busy, Busy, Busy !

Sorry I haven't posted lately I have been so busy catching up on things that were neglected while we were gone and running after a almost 3 year old...............Whew I am tired.  I took Andrew this week for his evaluation at the school and he will start in a couple of weeks half days, it is hard to believe he is only 3 and will be starting a program at a real Elementary school. They will work with him and provide speech therapy a couple times a week, I hope he does well he has been with me everyday since he has been home and yesterday will make 2 weeks we have been home.  I start work Tuesday and he will start the church daycare, I am so dreading it.  I really hope he doesn't think I am abandoning him at another orphanage that will worry me all day and I really hope he doesn't cry when I leave that will tear me apart.  He is so smart I know that he is going to do well.  I love him more and more each day he is so funny and loves to mimic me which sometimes scares me! LOL
Took him to get his eyes examined on Wednesday the doctor said his eyes were really healthy, but that he would have to wear an eye patch everyday for 30 mins. rotating eyes everyday. This is because his eye crosses in sometimes putting the patch over the eyes is suppose to help them strengthen their eye control.  He has to go back in December to be rechecked.  I thought for sure when I patched his eye he would have a fit but he didn't he just went on about his business playing until the 30 mins was up.  I was so proud of him! After his eye appt. we took him to the mall this was his first trip to the mall and we went to Build A Bear and he made a stuffed dog.  I have pictures but they are still on my phone will download them later just haven't had time. I promise the next post will be pictures !

First Visit to the Doctor.

Today Andrew had his first visit to the doctor and they loved him and thought he was so cute.  The doctor said he heard no heart murmurs, he was up to date on all his shots so he doesn't get any shots until he is 4.  He wants to see him in 2 months to keep check on his growth since he is small for his age.  They are making him an appointment with an eye doctor that specializes in children.
I received a call from our school district, they offer different classes and therapy for children with special needs and they can start at the age of 3.  We have an appointment with them this coming Tuesday. I am so glad we live in such a wonderful school district.
Andrew has adjusted so well in our family it is like he has been here his whole life and I am so proud of my two children they love him so much. They give him anything he wants they spoil him just as much as I do. Here are some pictures of my three monkeys together.

                                        Aaron decided to feed him chocolate pudding when I wasn't looking!
                                        Believe me he does not need chocolate :)

                                       Look at this precious Angel, how could anyone not love this precious child!
                                       I thank the Lord everyday for my beautiful children, he has blessed
                                       me more than I deserve.