Looking Back and Proudly Moving Forward!

This is for sure my last post from Poland! I can hardly believe I am saying that! We spent our last two days relaxing and taking some trips to Old Town and a nearby mall for some last minute souvenirs. I've been trying hard to find some appropriate pieces of Poland for BJ's room. Keeping his history/heritage alive for him as he grows is very important to us! To us, this is who he is and we want to embrace that as much as possible. I think we've done a good job and will display the items on a shelf in his room. We'll post a picture as soon as we get up!

We are (almost) packed and are praying for a smooth flight tomorrow! Thank you to all of you for the great ideas! We are using many of them! I especially love the idea of bringing ear plugs for the nearby passengers! It made me laugh! Unfortunately we don't have any, but I'm hoping we won't need them!

As I've been packing I keep thinking about how my life has changed so drastically in just a month and a half! It's all so amazing and wonderful, but at the same time scary and unpredictable! Wow! It sounds like I've just given birth! I suppose I have, but without the physical pain and hospital stay! I love the saying "You grew in my heart!" That is completely how we feel! This journey that took so long to get here is finally almost over. I am so excited to get home and get settled in with our new son! We already have some fun things planned. Because BJ is so outgoing, we feel fairly confident in introducing him to our friends, family, and church family at a quicker rate than we were originally anticipating. We are sure he can handle them just fine because he loves attention! I just don't know if I'll be able to hold it all together when he holds his hands out to all the pretty ladies that talk to him! LOL! Oh well, I just have to accept that he's a ladies man!

I've also been discussing with James how much BJ has grown! Not necessarily size (although I'm sure he's gained weight), but rather in his abilities and maturity. I thought it would be fun to list them as we are so proud of him! Please keep in mind that when we first gained custody of him, he had the skills of a child less than a year old! He couldn't feed himself (no hand to mouth coordination at all) and had not chewed much. He had also just started crawling correctly a week before we came. Yes! I cannot say enough how proud we are.

BJ's Top Ten!

He can:
1. drink from a sippy cup all by himself.
2. feed himself and can even use a spoon!
3. can bite down and pull off chunks of food!
4. can crawl at the "speed of light" and is walking around all the furniture just as fast!
5. knows how to brush his teeth and loves it! (I'm super proud of this one!)
6. can take a bath without screaming and actually loves it to the extent of never wanting to get out! Plus loves to have water poured over his head!
7. can say: Mama, Dada clearly, but only when he wants to. Can say other words, but only I can understand them. LOL! Okay so he just makes grunts and tones, but I know what it means! I'm the Mama!
8. knows how to crawl onto a bed or chair and has learned how to safely crawl off backwards. (impressed with this one too!)
9. has learned how all his toys work and is always trying to figure out new ways he can use them!
AND BEST OF ALL!
10. He loves to cuddle! When we first met him, he didn't want to be held hardly at all. Now he falls asleep laying on my chest with his little arms wrapped around my neck while I sing "Jesus Loves Me" and rub his back! What a great feeling to know he trusts me!

Thanks again for your prayers and support! Look where they have gotten us! God is sooooooooo Good!