Happy Birthday, Adan!

One year ago today, we celebrated Adan's first birthday with the new friends we had met in Antigua. At the same time we were preparing for his birthday festivities, we were packing our things to head back to Guatemala City one last time before departing for the US with our son. In some ways, it is hard to believe that was only a year ago and in other ways, it seems like a lifetime ago. I've posted some pictures both from that day and the next when we celebrated with Adan's foster family in Guatemala City and said our last good-byes. While I wish our families could have been present to help us celebrate, I will always treasure the experience of celebrating in his native country with the family who nurtured and cared for him during his first 10 1/2 months of life. I look forward to sharing that experience with Adan someday. We still remain in email contact with his foster family, and the other night they even started a chat with me while I was logged into my email. I hope that I am able to successfully instill in Adan what a special part they played in his life.

Jumping forward to this year, my how Adan has changed. He walks (well, runs) and talks and keeps us on our toes! Perhaps we've begun to see some of the 'terrible twos' we've all heard about, and I won't deny those bouts are challenging and sometimes frustrating. But I also think this is a time of such amazing changes in his comprehension and development. I will have to make sure to remember that each time we're having one of the more challenging moments!

To celebrate his birthday this year, we first traveled to my parents house for a birthday party with my side of the family. Adan had a great time opening his many gifts and playing with some of this cousins. We had a pinata, and although it didn't work quite the way we anticipated, I think the kids still enjoyed it. I hope they enjoyed the loot that poured out when we finally broke into it. I was probably a party pooper mom by filling it with cars and balls and other toys rather than candy, but I tried (and hopefully succeeded) to find things they would enjoy.

Today, Daron and I took the day off to spend it with him. We hung out in the morning and had our last post-placement social worker visit, and then we invited my mother in law over for lunch. Following a nap, we went to a local butterfly house. Adan loved looking at the fish in the pond (Grandpa has fish at his house which they always take time to watch), and when he finally started noticing the butterflies he enjoyed them too. Afterward, we met my sister in law and her kids at a local pizza buffet. They stopped over to our house for awhile afterward to help Adan break in the new play area we set up for Adan in our unfinished basement. Needless to say, bedtime was a snap tonight! He was exhausted.

This upcoming weekend we will get together with Daron's side of the family. One of my friends believes whole-heartedly in celebrating not just your birthDAY, but your birthWEEK. I would definitely say we have that covered!

I've posted some pictures both from last year and this year. Thanks for checking in with us!