Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Five Weeks Home!


My oh my does time fly. Gabe is doing remarkably well and really seems to be thriving in every way. I wish I had had a crystal ball to see today back when we first came home. The first week home was rough. Though it was expected, it was still very hard. After about 2 1/2 weeks, we all really turned a corner. That's when we officially kicked the jet-lag and got settled into a routine. Today, Gabe is a very happy, smiley, adventurous, funny, chatty, curious, almost-walking, healthy, love-able, baby.

He loves:
...other kids, especially girls and will make a crawling bee-line to any cute girl under 2 at the playground.
...brushing his teeth. At first he wouldn't let me put it in his mouth, now he starts to squeal with delight when I pull it out. I think it feels good on his chompers.
...machines and loud noises, including making loud noises himself.
...taking walks and going to the playground. You all know the boy loves to swing, but he also likes to climb, go down the slide, and watch the big kids play.
...to do something cute or funny and then turn around and give a big smile to make sure 'omma' saw it too.
...morning cuddles in mom and dad's bed after his morning bottle.
...getting his hair combed.
...our cat, Posie. She is an instant cry-stopper when she enters the room.
...to eat anything and lots of it.
...blowing spit bubbles. I know it's gross, but he it's funny to see him concentrate on opening his mouth just so.
...to meet new people. He likes to spread his charm beyond just his mom and dad and is curious to check them out.

Really, I could list a ton of all his cute, little, ways of 'being.' He's such a joy and each day brings a new discovery for us all. We love our boy and our new family :)

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Kisses


We have been trying to teach Gabe how to give kisses. Like most babies his age, he can't quite pucker up, so he just moves in with his mouth open. I bought some puppets recently and Gabe loves to hear me do the different voices and have the puppets talk to him. He's taken a liking to the cheerleader one, as you can clearly see in the video.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Who Knew?

That bringing home a baby could be so time-consuming? HA!
I used to be such a good blogger, but some things just need to take a back burner right now. Here are some photos from the week and I hope to have a video up soon...whenever I figure out how to get it from the video camera to the computer.


Looking sharp with his "popped collar"

Checking out Toys R Us for the first time...

Swinging, swinging, and more swinging. We hit the swings at LEAST once a day.

Climbing the stairs with his aunt Bari...


Eating Grammie's cookies...

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Friday, September 11, 2009

Can't Buy Me Love...

But you can buy a nice new 'Beatles' haircut. Gabe did have a haircut in Korea, but he was clearly due for another one. He was a good boy almost the whole time, as usual. He loves to check out what's going on, so that seems to distract him. He also adores having people run their fingers through his hair...doesn't it just figure? :)

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Two Weeks Home!

We've been home two weeks already and I can't believe how far we've all come...especially Gabe, who is doing remarkably well.
He likes any kind of food and always likes to try new things. Gerber puffs and yogurt are his ultimate faves. He's very curious about people and things. He likes to see people 'do things' and try to figure out what's going on. He's very social and while he likes to play with people, mom must be nearby. He won't just give a smile willy-nilly, but we are learning how to provoke them more often. He babbles a lot usually saying 'da.' He also likes to growl when he's trying to burp and blow raspberries just cuz. He's very strong in both his arms and legs and uses his strength to pull up or grab what he's after. He's currently sleeping 12 straight hours a night (yay!) but naps still need some work. He likes to be in motion...in the car seat, stroller, or just cruising the house. He isn't afraid to try new things, even if he falls in the process. He likes to have his top off and get belly kisses.
We just love him to pieces!
Let's cap this post off with some recent pics:




Friday, September 4, 2009

Gabe's Day in Court

The three of us had a big day. We went downtown and met Dave's cousin, an attorney, to begin the process of finalizing Gabe's adoption.

Here are some pics from our day:

Waiting for the sheriff...
Getting the summons...


Back at home, crawling around...
Horsing around with dad (and yes, real men wear undershirts)...