A victory at Target!

Shortly after we all got home from Korea, we made the trek to Target for a few necessities. Most of you probably know that I have a slight obsession with that store and wandering the aisles "just in case I see something I need". So, imagine my disappointment when Graham was not impressed by the store and even less enthusiastic about the cart. How could this be happening? My child had to LOVE Target as much as I did, but it appeared we didn't share the same opinion. Well, fast forward two weeks to last night. Again, the three of us were at Target but this time, Graham sat in the cart, there were no tears, and he was actually happy about it! Thank you Graham for not forcing me to give up my Target addiction!

Graham goes to General Mills!

A completely random picture that has nothing to do with our excursion today, but here is Graham with his constant walker companion-BBQ Sauce!

Today Graham and I made the trek to General Mills to meet Jeff for lunch. Graham had a great time banging on the table and throwing banana puffs everywhere! Luckily, the cafeteria was full of commotion, so nobody seemed to notice the baby in the corner booth making a giant mess!

Over the past few days, Jeff taught Graham to do something we're now referring to as the "He-Man yell"....it's nothing more than the two of them taking turns grunting very loudly at each other. I can't say I'm too thrilled with this new game, as it's not a very appropriate noise for all locations. For example, when we were visiting Jeff's boss, Graham thought it was the perfect opportunity to look at Jeff and begin the game. So, what does Jeff do??? He answers back with his own emphatic grunt of course! It was very funny to watch, and Jeff's coworkers got a real kick out of watching Jeff the "business guy" act as Daddy for a while.

For everyone who doesn't believe that Graham actually does fuss and cry....here he is in all his glory....what a mean Mom he has to strap him into his carseat!

Lunch at General Mills

Overall, Graham continues to adjust very well. He's generally very happy and easy going during the day. At night though, is when we really notice him grieving and adjusting. Last night was particularly tough, as he was up screaming out for his foster mother for two solid hours. We haven't had that sort of an episode for over a week so I was surprised to have it happen again. It's a very helpless feeling as there is really nothing that will console him. He really is just grieving but Jeff and I know that with love and consistency, he will be able to work though it. I read in an adoption book that grieving is a lifetime process, that we just have to help him work through. We have to remind ourselves that he's only 8 months old and has only been here for just over two weeks! At times, it's easy to forget that he only just arrived, as it already feels like he's been part of our little family forever. At this time the only real complaint we have is the complete exhaustion. I will say right now that if I ever said I was tired before Graham came home I was not telling the truth. Staying out too late one night and being able to sleep in the next day does not make me tired. Parenting is tiring but there isn't a thing I'd rather be doing! Out of complete exhaustion Jeff said something pretty funny on Sunday that I'll never forget....he said "I wish I had fur like Annie so I didn't have to waste my energy getting dressed each day".....are those the words of a tired Dad, or what?

Another picture and a video too!

Graham's first time on a swing!

Graham and his obsession with the fridge!

Friday Picures

Balancing on his toy all by himself!

Teething is hard work!

Home for two weeks!

Today marks exactly two weeks since Graham came home to Eden Prairie! The transformation we've seen in him is simply remarkable! We get smiles and giggles constantly and each day Graham is learning new things! Yesterday he figured out how to feed himself his "banana puffs"! That may not sound like a big deal, but he's been working on that skill since he's been home! The problem was never getting the food to his mouth, he would just forget to open his fingers and would try over and over to get his entire fist, plus the food into his mouth, then proceed to get frustrated. I can officially say that, Graham is frustrated no longer, he can feed himself banana puffs to his hearts content! Way to go Graham!

He's also taken a real interest in any remote control or cell phone. Apparently, 8 month old children can tell the difference between the real thing and a toy because Baby Einstein just isn't doing it for Graham. As far as the remote, he has no clue what it does, just that he see's Daddy holding it often! :) Graham's activity of choice for the remote is to chew on it as hard as possible (we're in the middle of some serious teething!) then proceed to cram it into my mouth as if I wanted to gnaw on it as well. It's actually pretty funny to see him "share" his chew toy and I'm impressed that he's able to make the connection between his mouth and my mouth.

I really can't say enough good things about our son. (Can you tell that we're very proud parents?!)He's a very confident little boy and it's amazing to watch him explore and learn each day. I know I say this often, but it still amazes me that Jeff and I get to call ourselves Mommy and Daddy to Graham. We are so lucky to have this blessing in our lives. Although he was born on the other side of the world, we know without a doubt, that he was truly meant to be our son!

Happy after dinner!

What's better than demanding breakfast at 5 am and actually getting it!

Graham loves to have conversations (aka babble) with his toys, then laugh at himself when he's done!

Pictures from Tuesday

Graham loves to push anything with wheels, including his walker!

Annie is never far behind!

And then there were two...

Today is Jeff's first day back at work since September 12. That means, in the house right now, we have one curious and very fast baby, one small dog who is convinced she never gets enough attention, Millie, the visiting big dog who I can tell is devising a plan to get the diaper genie open asap, and me! I am already missing the extra set of hands, but I'm sure once Graham and I come up with a daily routine, things will become much easier. Until we get things figured out though, it seems like a shower is going to be a luxury that needs to wait until the business day is over.

Graham has gotten the opportunity over the past few days to meet lots of new people and show off his great personality! I assure you though, he is a normal baby! Don't let the giant smile and happy screeching deceive you...he too has tantrums, carrots occasionally fly across the kitchen, and bedtime (last night!) is an occasional struggle! That being said, Jeff and I are so in love with our little guy. It still feels like a dream that after everything we went through, we finally have our son home. We are so lucky!

Here is the link to a photo montage of Graham's story. If you cut and paste this address (or just click if it will allow you) into the tool bar, it should take you right there. It includes some video clips, so make sure your volume is up!

http://www.onetruemedia.com/shared?p=3c82acb290c048bd927812&skin_id=601&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=text_url