Happy 2nd Birthday Konnor!!!!!

We now officially have a 2 year old in the house!!!!  It just doesn't seem possible that he is already 2 years old!  Unfortunately, Konnor has been battling Bronchitis all week so we were not able to do our planned birthday celebrations, but I think we still managed to make it a fun day.  Thankfully he seems to be on an upswing and has been pretty active today.  His appetite also seems to be returning which is a good sign as well.  So we played and snuggled and played some more.   Then we had dinner here at the house with Grandma and Nana (Papa is out of town for training and Grandpa had to work).

Here are some of Konnor's favorites as a new 2 yr old:
Foods:  pizza, sausage, cheese, oranges, carrots, vanilla yogurt, applesauce, cheese crackers, oatmeal

Activities: climbing, dancing, any water play, climbing, playing chase around the house, anything outside, did I mention climbing?, Mr. Potato Head, his Little People Safari Animal Zoo, reading and doing stickers

Music:  He loves pretty much any music

TV (although unless he is sick he doesn't get much TV) --He likes Bubble Guppies, LOVES Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and just in the last week or so has become interested in Jake and the Neverland Pirates

Our Big 2 year old!!!

A Heavy Heart...

As I write this post it is already April 18th in China.  The sun is coming up and millions of people are beginning their days.  But on this, the eve of my Son's 2nd birthday, their is one family halfway across the world who will mourn this day.  A family who spent 9 months sheltering an unborn child.  They anticipated what it would be like to be a Mother, Father and Grandparent.  A family who felt happiness with each step of the pregnancy and tried to imagine what this unborn child would look like, sound like and grow up to be like.  I imagine that they gathered clothes and other baby essentials in preparation for this little ones arrival.  Then it happened.....April 18, 2011 they gave birth to a beautiful little boy.  A little boy with big brown eyes and chubby cheeks.  Instead of the joy they had anticipated his birth brought heartache as they realized they would not be able to provide the medical care this little one would need.

The details of how/when Konnor came to live at the orphanage are his to share, but I can tell you this one thing with absolute certainty....Konnor's birth family loved him.  I do not have a single doubt in my mind of this.  They risked a great deal to leave him in a place that would assure he was found immediately.  That is an act of Love!  Many children are not so lucky (all over the world) as to be left in a place that would give them them the greatest opportunity for survival.  I cannot even begin to imagine how they felt that day as they looked into this child's eyes knowing they would never see him again.  Hoping that a family would come for him and that he would have the life that they could not provide.  My heart aches for this family on a daily basis.  I think of them when he looks at me with those beautiful brown eyes or when he laughs so hard for so long that it turns into hiccups.  I do not know their names or faces, but we will forever be tied to each other through the love we share for this one amazing little boy.  So today I will say extra prayers for this family.  Prayers that they are at peace with the decision they made, and that somehow, someway they will know that their precious little boy is healthy and very, very loved.

An almost 2 yr old : )

Sheeesh!  I can't believe it, but next week we will officially have a 2 year old in the house.  It is crazy to think that Konnor has already been with us for 11 months.  We waited so long for this amazing little boy and now time is just flying by.  I keep telling him to stop growing so fast so Mama has a chance to get used to the idea of him as a big boy.  He is working on another (hopefully his last one for awhile) molar : ( and I think maybe a canine as well.   On an AWESOME note....we had our 1 month postop f/u from getting his 2nd set of tubes yesterday and ....drumroll please.....his ears are completely clear, WhooHoo!!!!  Praying they stay that way for awhile b/c he really needs a break from all the antibiotics.

The last few weeks Konnor has really gotten into animals.  There is an animal sounds song on youtube that we watch every day.  We decorated the downstairs bathroom in jungle theme (thanks to his Grandma's Easter present) and he constantly goes up and points to the different animals to be identified.   He can identify elephant, zebra, giraffe, cat, dog, cow, sheep, duck, monkey, frog, lion, bear and I am sure a few more that I just can't think of right now.  We still don't have any words, but his comprehension is thru the roof the last few weeks.  He is following simple commands very well and is turning out to be a very good helper when unloading the dishwasher or unpacking grocery bags.

Here is a preview of his 2 yr pictures we had done,......be prepared for cuteness overload : )

This picture is my favorite b/c it is just totally his personality!