A Boy and His Daddy

After 2 years at home, we often find ourselves getting questions about Abe and how he is doing. The answer is, he is doing really well. In the last few months, we have seen some great improvements in his behavior and his level of trust. He loves many things including big sticks (they instantly become guns), outside play time, being read to, and anything that could be called candy (don't worry, we monitor that.) He has finally decided that the potty is not his enemy and uses it almost exclusively now, which makes me very happy. He loves to help me, especially with unloading the dishwasher and rotating the laundry.

He still has his own ideas about how things should be done (what 3 year old doesn't?) He can take or leave his siblings, depending on the circumstances and his disposition at any given moment. And his language, oh my. Let's just say he's mastered it, maybe too well. So, for all of those that were worried about his language acquisition at any point, worry no more. I think he could probably match any child born in an English speaking country in any test of vocabulary, sentence structure, or story telling. He makes us laugh, often.

He clearly considers us his family, though he did surprise us recently by announcing to one of our friends that he has two mommies, one here and one in Africa. I had mentioned that to him a few times when we looked at photos or when he had questions, but it didn't seem to matter to him. Though, clearly, he got the big idea. I'm not sure what is the best way to discuss this, but we are trying to just answer questions as they come and to always be open and transparent about the whole thing, while always reminding him how very glad we are that he is in our family. I've told him about how we prayed and prayed for him and we were so excited when God gave him to our family and how happy we are that we get to be his mommy and daddy. Hopefully a generous assurance of our love will eliminate the need for large quantities of therapy later, who knows?

One thing he is totally sold on is his daddy. The boy loves, LOVES, loves his daddy. The man can do no wrong. Abe truly thinks he hung the moon and Ryan is the best. Abe willingly takes a nap most everyday because he knows that when he wakes up, his daddy will be coming home. He even told one of our friends recently that all I do is exercise and bake cookies. Ryan, apparently does all of the cooking, cleaning, ironing, and other household responsibilities. Needless to say, Ryan and I got a big kick out of that (although, I do confess, I don't iron.)

Recently, he was at a friend's house and her teenage son, who is quite the gymnast, walked a good distance across the house on his hands. She looked at Abe and asked him if he could do that. He paused thoughtfully for a moment and then replied enthusiastically, "No, but my daddy can!"

If Abe was my first child, I might be a little paranoid about our relationship. After all, I'm the one who reads to him every day. I launder his clothes and prepare his meals. I bake his birthday cakes. But, I've been around the block enough to know that kids go through these phases and it's natural. I'm thankful that he thinks so highly of Ryan, especially since Ryan can be the one who is the stricter disciplinarian. Apparently, Abe thrives on that and needs those boundaries. I know that a boy needs a beloved daddy in his world.

Overall, we're just very grateful that we get to parent this little guy. He brings all of us so much joy. He certainly has humbled Ryan and I, who subconsciously thought we had so much of this parenting thing figured out. Abe has definitely reminded us of our dependance on the Lord in that area.