Another Day of Adjusting

I have to say, after Yesterday, that this has been a much better day.  Eden seems to be swollen around her mouth, though, and appears to be having teeth trouble again!!!  UGGH!  I am hoping very much that it will resolve without having to go to her dentist.  I believe this helps to explain why she has been a bit sensitive and difficult!   

I am finding once again it is sometimes hard to slow down our lives.  There is so much that has to be done, so much I'd like to get done, and yet many things I have to put on the back burner for now so we can focus on promoting a healthy attachment with Bereket.  There are times I am really glad for this excuse!  We have been taking it very easy and I feel most days I only get the bare minimum done.  For those of you that know me, you probably understand this is a struggle for me to slow down but I am reminded again that this bonding time with Bereket is a once in a lifetime moment, one that can NOT be replaced.  I am finding that Bereket is so easy going most of the time, though, that he can be completely fine playing and walking around by himself.  This is not what I expected.  I expected he would want to be held more, which there are definitely times he does want to be held, but many times I have to promote the attachment by holding him and trying to have isolated time with him (which is hard).  I am very, very glad for the time Cade and I had in Ethiopia with him to just hold him and be with him, just the three of us!


So, this is what we are doing a lot of these days:
Holding him (this is the only time my Mom held him and he was sleeping).


Picture taken on Sunday eve. before my mom and dad flew back to IA on the airplane.

Introducing him to new things (around our house) while holding him.

 Daddy holding him and reading books (then Bella and Eden join, of course!)

Playing outside with him since he LOVES being outside!

 Bereket gets a lot of interaction with the kids in the evening!  LOVE, love this picture!!

 Going outside (again!)

He is hard to keep up with outside....

 and even harder to get a picture of when he is looking (GOTCHA!!)!

 We want to surround him while he is taking in so many new things to promote his security!!