Hitting Our Stride

I think Tariku and hotflawedmama have officially hit our stride. It's strange how comfortable it's getting. How I thought it was great a month ago and then it gets better. The last few weeks it's as if he's come to terms with the fact that I'm not as pretty, funny, nice or good smelling as the mommy he had dreamed about. He's all, "You're not who I thought you'd be but I think you'll do just fine."

My sister commented on how he doesn't give hugs and kisses just because you ask him to anymore. You really have to work for them (just like most 4-year-olds). He's really letting his personality come through more and has dropped the pretense of having to be the cutest kid in the room (though, as it turns out, most of the time he just naturally is).

With that said, part of his personality is still to just make people happy. People might say that is a natural middle child thing (we do so enjoy making you happy!) or a result of his upbringing in Ethiopia. Either way, today was cleaning day. I came up the stairs to see him organizing the Wii area. I hadn't asked, he just did it for me. I told him, thanks but he could go outside and play since it was so nice. 10 minutes later I come back upstairs to find him organizing the shoe closet. "I know how much you don't like to do that, mommy." Seriously, he said that.

And no, I don't like to do that.

But I do so love that boy. He melts in my arms and it's just the most perfect fit.

The last few days I've reflected on the awesomeness of God with regards to my little habesha. Most of you know I miscarried between Trysten and Dailah. I don't think I'll ever get to a point where I'm thankful for that miscarriage but I've gotten ever so close recently when I realize we would've never been open to a boy up to 3 had I not miscarried. And what a blessing he is!

Then there's the fact that we were open to Hep B. There were couples waiting for a child up to 3 when we turned our dossier in. None of them were open to Hep B but us. Thus, after a few days of our dossier being in (without even our homestudy complete!) we received our referral for Tariku. When we got home we were shocked to learn he wasn't, in fact, Hep B+ and even more so to find out 2 other couples in our travel group found the same of their newly adopted children. But it took both us being open to it and a false positive for Tariku for us to find each other.

There are more, certainly, but some of it is his personal story that he might choose to reveal on this here blog at a later date.

All this to say there is so much thankfulness in this body of mine for that boy. So, so much.

Lately, hitting our stride has never felt better.