Ah-bi-ya! Ah-bi-yah!

So, for about 2 months Abe has been randomly saying this - "Ah-bi-yah! Ah-bi-yah!" We had no idea where it came from. We knew it wasn't something from Africa because he didn't start saying it until 2 months after being home. We wondered if he was trying to say something about me since my name is Abby? So weird!

Then last week Ben was driving around with Abe in the backseat and they were listening to some Ingrid Michaelson...one of Abe's faves (I'm serious). They were listening to a song off her new album called "At the End of the World." When the chorus started, Abe immediately started saying "Ah-bi-yah! Ah-bi-yah!" in rhythm with "At the end of, at the end of...." AHA! Ben figured it out. He's been trying to sing that song! Hilarious. We have a musical child...love it. Now he can sort of finish the chorus. We got a little video of him "singing" along with Ingrid.

Moo!

We live right next door to a working "ranch." They have lots of cows, donkeys, goats, horses, etc. Often we can see the cows grazing near the field across from our house. In fact, one day not long after we moved into our house the fence that kept the cows on their side broke and the cows wandered all the way to our front yard. Ben was home and called to tell me about it. Hilarious! Poop everywhere! The Garland Police came out to help herd the cows back to their property. I'm sure that was a sight to see.

Anyway, when we first got home with Abe we took him over the see the cows and he was not impressed in the least. He's since learned more about animals and now loves talking about the cows. I took him to see them the other day and took a couple of photos and a video. Now he thinks every animal is either a cow or a dog. We're working on it. ;)

GO VAYN-JEHS!

Abe is really vocal these days. He looooovvvveees to talk. (payback, my parents tell me) A lot of what he says is just gibberish with a few of his favorite or newest words thrown in, but it's hilarious to watch him carry on a "conversation." He's so animated and expressive. We love that about him. This kid is just full of JOY! I hope he never loses that.

Some of his favorite words (aside from Mommy & Daddy) are:

Beep Beep! (car)

Yummy!

Good

Izzies (that's what he calls Izzie)

Mowf (mouth)

Uhr-cuh (Circle - we're working on shapes right now)

Ba-lu (blue)

Oggy (doggy)

Shoes

Juice

Mok (milk or walk depending on the circumstance)

Ank Oon (thank you)

I love hearing him try new words and whipping out words he's heard us say. This morning during breakfast he told me he was "messy." :) I just love his little high-pitched voice. Especially when he says "ank oon, Mommy!" Melts my heart. And he's learned what that means now...he'll say it on his own when I help him with something or when I give him something. Love it. Sweet boy.

It's baseball season again, and we of course have to teach Abe about the Rangers. Ben was leading the music for our church's Good Friday service during the opening game, so I sat with Abe and taught him a little about baseball. ;) He learned to say, "GO VAYN-JEHS!" (Go Rangers!) He loved pretending to pitch when the pitchers would throw the ball, and he would get really excited when the batter hit the ball. It was fun to watch his eyes light up. He has a Rangers Captain pillow pet that we've trotted out in honor of baseball season, and he loves it! The other day Daddy strapped it on Abe, and we had a lot of laughs! Here are a few pictures. :)

Springtime!

We had a busy March, and April is looking to be just as busy...but FUN! It's been really fun experiencing Spring with Abe. Here are just a few highlights.

GOLFING WITH DADDY!

We had so much fun riding in the cart with Daddy while he played! Abe got a little lesson from Daddy too. :) The weather was perfect. Can't wait for the next time!

FIRST TIME AT THE HARBOR!

We met my parents for dinner one night and walked around the Harbor before and afterward. Abe still calls every body of water "bathtime." Pretty funny. He's enamored with water and "wimming." It was fun to show him the fountains and the boats.

DAY AT THE PARK WITH OUR STUDENTS!

We seriously have the best students on the planet. They love Abe, and he loves them! Thanks for setting such a great example for our little boy!

Valentine's Day!

We had a super fun Valentine's Day this year! The day started with Granna (my mom) bringing by some special treats from our favorite bakery, Casa Linda Bakery. Abe loved his yummy clow cookie! I knew it would be messy, so I just stripped him down to just his diaper and pants so he could dig in and have fun! Here are a few pics of him enjoying his cookie.

"We" also made some red velvet Valentine's cupcakes for Daddy and some of our friends, and some Valentine's Day cards. We spent the morning delivering those, and they were a hit!

Then we had lunch with our new friends, the Van Swearingens, who I mentioned in my previous post. Fun morning!!!

After naptime, we met up with B'Mama (Ben's mom), Aunt Ny and Cousin Ella at The Dallas Arboretum! Vanny and Ella flew in for the week to see B'Mama before she had to have her foot surgery. We had a really fun time at The Arboretum. Abe just loves his cousin Ella...they had fun chasing each other and looking at all of the trees, flowers, and animals. Becca took some photos, but I don't have my copies yet, so I'll post some when I get them.

It was a really fun day! And it was nice to have a sweet little boy to share it with!

Making new friends!

We've had a fun time introducing Abe to new friends! He hasn't even met everyone yet, and I haven't gotten pictures of each introduction, but here are some fun ones...


MEETING "BER!" (Amber Lee is one of my oldest friends from high school at GCA. We met our sophomore year and have been the best of friends ever since! It was so fun introducing her to my little man! She's got lots of nieces & nephews, and I knew these two would hit it off!)

1ST TIME IN THE NURSERY! (Abe did great his first Sunday in the nursery! What a relief! And apparently, he's still doing well. We've got some amazing workers, and I'm so thankful!)

LAUREN & REBECCA! (My sweet college girls, Lauren & Rebecca came over one night to meet Abe, and we had a blast! We read books & played. Abe had a great time!)

MEREDITH! (Meredith came in town over the break, and I couldn't wait to introduce her to Abe! Meredith came with us to College Week a couple of years and sat under the same teaching that led us to answer God's call to adopt. She's walked with me through this entire process and has such a heart for children and orphans.)

THE GRIFFINS & JOHNNY! (So somehow in the excitement of our first introduction of Abe to our DEAR, DEAR friends we didn't get any pictures! Or maybe I've misplaced them. But here, is a picture of Abe playing with "Acob"...Jacob. Jonathan, Matt, Cheryl, Jacob, and Jennifer are amazing. They've been such a support to us in our youth ministry, adoption, and life in general. Abe loves you guys, and so do we!!!)

COUSIN CARTER! (Ben's cousin, Kristi, and her hubby Taylor and son Carter were in town. It was so fun getting these two sweet boys together! I hope we can do it again this year!)
















HALLE GIRL! (This was a fun day at the park with one of my best friends from high school & college and her sweet baby girl. We had a fun day with Andrea and Halle! Isn't she adorable?)

HEY JUDE! (The international adoption community is amazing...and Facebook is pretty great too. Throughout our adoption, another adoptive family named the Van Swearingens kept popping up in conversations with different mutual friends. The Lord kept bringing their names up...even in the airport in Ethiopia with a family taking their new son home to Portland! Finally I found Brittney Van Swearingen on Facebook and we began to communicate. She and her hubby brought their little boy home a few weeks after us. We finally had a chance to get together in February, and it was so much fun! We've already got another outing planned. Here is Brittney with her two boys, Grey & Jude at Chick-fil-A with us. I just love the photos of Abe & Jude. I think they will be friends.)

A day in the life...

When we returned home with Abe, we immediately established a routine and have made it a point to stick with it. We know that all kids thrive with consistency and routine, and it's even more crucial for a child who has been ripped from all he has known and thrust into a completely different life halfway across the world.

This routine has been really good for all of us. A lot of people ask how having this little boy has affected my ability to work my Premier business. I can joyfully say that my business has even grown during this time! Abe plays so well in my office while I work, and he's easy to take with me when I need to run errands, make deliveries & pick-ups, and he and Daddy enjoy their time together when I'm at a Home Show.

The routine has been especially good for Abe. Over and over in our preparation and training we were told of the importance of at least one parent staying home with the child for the first few months. Our agency actually told us that we are required to have one parent home for the first 6 months. That worked out great since I work from home (thank you Lord for providing Premier!). Just 2 months in, I can see why this is so crucial. It would be too much to explain here, but I can say that it has made all the difference in Abe's adjustment. He knows we are here for him, when we do things, how we do things, that we will be here when he wakes, we will feed him, change him, love on him, kiss his "owies," play with him...Each week we've seen more and more good things in regard to his adjustment. At this point with Abe...because of his situation and because of his age, I am just so thankful that I do not have to leave him to go to work. I know this is the way God intended it, and I pray that more and more mommies see the value in staying home with their little ones and have the opportunity to do so. That's one of the many reasons I am so passionate about Premier...especially now that I am one of the ones benefiting from staying home. I've waited over 9 years for this precious child...and I am so grateful for each little minute I get to spend with him. (I may not enjoy each little minute...dirty diapers, fussy attitudes, etc...but I'm still thankful for them!)

I'm being constantly reminded that he's always watching...he is like a sponge right now, soaking up everything. I'm so glad (yet also scared to death!) that we are the ones he is watching. We know what he is seeing and hearing and learning. It's also great accountability. I've been hit with the immense weight of what it is to raise up a child to understand God's great love & sacrifice...His purpose for our lives. Each choice that I make will affect Abe one way or another. My main task right now is to teach Abe the Truth about God, His Son, and this world. He may not understand those concepts right now, but he is learning from what I do and say. My words & actions are under a microscope...it's challenging, but I know the Lord is sanctifying (or attempting to!) me through it.

Well, enough of my ramblings...here are some photos of Abe in his daily routine.

BATH TIME! (Ben wrote a little bath time song, and Abe loves it. He starts singing it whenever he sees water...a pond, lake, fountain, pool...)

PLAYING IN MOMMY'S OFFICE

TAKING A "MOK" (Since the weather has been nice, we've been taking daily walks in the neighborhood after nap time. We finish it off by playing in the front yard. Sometimes Izzie joins in too!)

"UMMY UMMY?" (This is how he asks if it is time to eat. This boy loves to eat, and he's a good eater. He's just recently begun to use utensils. I don't let him use them all of the time, but we're starting to use them more and more. He picks up on things quickly!)

We have fun! He's really such a sweet, content little boy. His personality is coming out more and more all of the time, and he keeps us laughing! It's hard to imagine our lives without him now. And Izzie is just in heaven having this little guy around all of the time.