Another late update

Well, it is October and I am just now posting pictures from July! What can I say? Life is busy! We took Jake to Big Cedar Lodge for his first 4th of July and as an "official" American citizen. It was really special for all of us. We had such a great time. It has been a wonderful 10 months with him watching him experience so many "firsts". He is growing up so fast. His language is unbelievable and he doesn't remember any Vietnamese. He is very smart and well adjusted. He is great buddies with all of the other children . He is a very active boy....he doesn't walk anywhere! He still loves to play outside and he and Luke have a great time with their new dog Ollie. They have taught him to climb up the ladder to their fort and slide down the slide.....first Luke, then Jake and then Ollie. Over and over again. It is hilarious! Girls are super busy with school, soccer and basketball. They are a great help with the boys. It seems like we are always on the go with all of their activities. Nadia is playing soccer in Greenwood and Mia plays soccer in Fort Smith. Nadia has started basketball for the UCA team and Mia is now picking up tumbling again. They love to have their friends over for sleepovers....we always have a house full of kids. Nadia was recently selected to be in the football homecoming court as the princess. She looked so pretty that night.....just like a princess! I will try to post pictures sooner this time. Mia loves school and all her friends....our social butterfly. She is always so happy and has a smile on her face. Would love to hear from you. Hope everyone is having a great fall!
Take care, Natalie

Summertime

I can't believe summer is here. We have been so busy since school ended. We are still busy with soccer, swim lessons and Vacation Bible School. We took Jake to Florida for his 2nd birthday! We all had so much fun. Ma and Pa came down and uncle Jeff flew in from Nevada. Jake loved playing in the sand and running to the edge of the water. We set up a tent and each afternoon he would say "night night time" and would run to the tent to lay down and take a nap! He is amazing! He would sleep for two hours in the tent!

Jake has adjusted beautifully. He no longer bites, lays on the floor in fits or hits. He is very affectionate and has learned his new boundaries and is a very happy boy. He is VERY strong willed but we think this can be a good trait and we are just working on focusing it in the right direction. His language is unbelievable. People that meet him for the first time think we have had him since birth b/c his language is much more advanced than the average two year old. They can't believe we have only had him for 6 months. He can repeat anything we say, understands everything we say and is putting 2-4 words together at a time. Every morning he asks , "momma, where dada", "momma, where Nadia", "momma, where Mia", "momma, where Lu?"...we go through this every morning. I tell him daddy is at work and Nadia, Mia and Luke are at school. Now I tell him the kids are sleeping (now that school is out!) and he says, "ssshhhhhh". It is so funny because he has learned to tattle quickly. If Luke takes a toy from him or he wants something one of the kids has he runs to me and loudly says, "MOMMA...LLUUUU!"....as to tell me "mommy, Luke! (has my toy, took my toy or I want that toy!). I told the kids he would quickly learn to tattle on them if they misbehave! They are all shocked at how quickly he learned to tell on them.

Jake loves to ride bikes, drive the battery ran jeeps (although he hasn't mastered steering it yet!), bubbles, swimming, going to the pond to feed the fish, swinging, coloring, reading, watching Diego and Dora...you name it! He loves everything and is doing everything. He cried every day we dropped of Luke at preschool and would say, "momma, stay stay, school school". I told him he would get to do all that soon enough. He just wants to keep up with his sisters and brother.

Nadia and Mia have been busy with soccer all spring and now doing 3v3 tournaments this summer. Rick coached Mia's team and they placed 1st this season. Nadia's team placed 2nd in the U-10 division. The boys already kick the ball around with each other. I think we are going to have four soccer players! After so many practices and games they would much rather be with our beloved babysitter Heather. They love to play with her and are so sad that she is moving away this summer. Jake asks about her all the time. He says, "where Hethy?". She was with us from the time we brought Jake home and he thinks she is just suppose to be part of our family. We don't know what we will do without her! The boys will be devastated when she leaves.

Luke finished up gymnastics and took a break this summer. He is really trying to grow up. Although he and Jake argue and battle it out over their toys, they have formed a deep love for each other. Luke tries to help out and is so proud when we brag on him for sharing. The kids all love just spending time together. Rick set up a two room tent in our basement and the kids have been sleeping down there all summer. They have it all set up with their stuffed animals and blankets and plan on sleeping down there until August!!! Guess I won't have to be making any beds. The girls have had some sleepovers and the kids go crazy when they see the tent down there. We dim the lights very low and it looks like stars on the ceiling. They think they are camping....in comfort with air conditioning! (smart kids!)

Well, I will post some current pictures. Everyone is doing great. We continue to pray for the Vietnam program to reopen. Our hearts were broken when we received the letter saying they would be closing. We pray for all the children who patiently wait for their forever families to come get them. Please pray that our two governments can come together in agreement for the benefit of these children of God. Happy Summer. Natalie

Some New Photos

Again, sorry it has been so long I have updated the blog. Life is so busy! Jake is doing great. He is so smart and happy and blends in with the family as if he has always been with us. He has a great personality and loves to be silly. Rick jokes he has two volumes...."loud and louder"! He is going to make sure we hear what he has to say! It is soooo funny when he says, (loudly) "MAMA MAMA"...and then he says very seriously a long jumbled sentence as if he truly knows what he is telling me. I say, "really?" and then he says, "yea".

He is learning so much English. He is even trying to sing the alphabet along with Luke. He loves music and is singing the Barney song and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star". He loves to watch Diego and Barney with Luke. He loves to play outside, go to his sister's soccer games, play on the swing set, help mow and cries when he can't stay at preschool with Luke. We were showing off his counting talents to our friends who own a Chinese restaurant (they are Vietnamese and speak it fluently) and they told us that some of the numbers he was saying was actually in Vietnamese! He mixes them back and forth...such as "one, two, ba (three)" etc.

We recently adopted Jake in the U.S. He did great with our attorney and in the court room...we were so proud! I think he knew something special was going on. He and Luke have become fast buddies. The play together all day and chase each other up and down the halls. We were laying in Luke's bed the other morning and he said, "I like having a brother".....melted my heart.

We plan on taking him to the beach in Florida for his 2nd birthday in June. Uncle Jeff will be flying there to meet us. We are so excited for him to experience the beach for the first time in his life....especially since it is all of our favorite place. We have a big trip planned to Big Cedar Lodge for the 4th of July too. It is another one of our favorite things to do with the wonderful fireworks show and beautiful scenery. It will be extremely special to us this year to have Jake home and experiencing the American celebration for the first time with us.

We are so blessed to have Jake in our family. He brings so much to our lives. God is so good.


Jake in our attorney's office.
Mommy and Jake outside the courtroom.
Daddy, mommy and Jake in the courtroom.
Mia, Nadia, Luke and Jake on Easter morning.
Kids getting ready to surprise daddy with his birthday cake.
Daddy and Jake
This stuff is good mama. He said, "MORE MORE MORE".
Luke and Jake helping mommy mow.

Okay, so it has been a while!

Wow, it has been a long time since I last posted. Sorry to the loyal followers of our blog. Life is busy and it never seems I have time to sit and post anymore. Rick is on call tonight and I got all the kids in bed early, lunches made and laundry caught up so I thought I would make myself sit and download some photos!

Jake is doing great! He is so comfortable with his new life and routine that it is just natural for him to go with the flow. I don't think he would know anything different at this point. He is learning so many new words and understands everything we say. He and Luke have become very close buddies and love to pester their sisters. Wow...it is double trouble for the girls these days. Luke can do almost anything and put Jake into absolute giggles (he has the BEST laugh!). He thinks Luke is hilarious. Luke can just turn his head a funny way and make a silly noise and Jake goes to his knees cracking up and then tries to mock him. The first month I would constantly tell him how much I loved him and he would tell me if I asked him. Now he comes up to me on his own and kisses me, hugs my leg or tells me he loves momma. It melts my heart!!! It means so much coming from him on his own. Can you believe how well he is doing in barely over two months? Amazing!

He loved going to Nadia's basketball games, going to church and now soccer. So long as there are snacks around...he is happy wherever he is! We rarely have any fits or anger issues anymore....anything he does is just typical 20 month old stuff. He knows we love him, what is acceptable behavior and the yes's and no's at home! We worked hard every day to make the boundaries clear to him so that he would know his limitations and it has been well worth the effort. It may seem too "strict" for him being new but he is so smart and he wanted and needed to know. Now that it is all clear to him he is so much happier.

I know I sound like a "bragging mother" but he is sooooo smart. Everything comes to him so naturally. His determination to learn and understand things amazes Rick and I. I have never seen a child his age want to learn things so bad. He communicates beautifully....if he can't say it he is able to take us to a location and sign or show us exactly what he wants. He loves books and wants to go over them every night and works hard to say the words in the picture books. It seems like he understands most everything we tell him and if he doesn't the first time you can rest assured knowing he will figure it out quickly. His strong will comes in handy during this time...but can be interesting at other times! I am telling you .... this kid is smart! AND...he is soooo happy and affectionate. Okay...enough of my typing. I have lots of pictures to share. Hope you enjoy them. Have a wonderful week! Natalie

Rick and Natalie V-day 2008
Nadia performing at half-time UCA Homecoming Basketball 2008
Nadia and Friends
Mia with her friends before half-time performance
Mia and Jake riding the gator
Luke, Jake and Mia playing outside in Feb
Rick, Luke and Jake working at the pond in Feb
Boys working at the pond
Jake at the Dr
Jake at Dr appt
Jake with daddy at the dr

Can't imagine life without Jake!

Well, there isn't a lot to update! Jake is doing great and just goes with the flow! He seems very comfortable with our family and very happy. I wonder sometimes if he even remembers his former life even in this short amount of time. I am sure there are things he thinks about and that probably go on in his little mind but from all appearances he seems to be so content and happy with his new life.

He is getting closer and closer with each of the kids and loves to play and interact with them. He can't wait for them to all get home from school. He has so much fun at all the basketball practices and games and is doing great at church. He even stayed in the church nursery today! You should see him put his hands together and close his eyes to pray!....it melts my heart. He doesn't really say anything ...just makes sounds...but he says them in this barely audible whisper....it is so precious. We have kept him on a very good routine so that he knows what to expect each day and I think this has really helped him adjust. He LOVES his bath and will even lay on his back now (remember when he would only squat?) and tries to swim! He loves to brush his teeth...even tries on his own now. Then he goes to each of the kids rooms and gets in bed with them and says "nightnight" and kisses them and when he leaves he says, "ssshhhhh" in a whisper.

We rarely have any behavior problems ...nothing other than typical 19 month old stuff...and that isn't very often any more. He is sooooo smart! He knows when he is doing something he shouldn't be doing and after he does it he looks at it and says, "no no no" and runs to give me a hug (with that big cheesy grin) as to say..."oh mommy, you don't have to correct me!"

I took him up to the girl's school Friday b/c Nadia had forgotten one of her novels. Everyone was so excited to see him up there. He is so comfortable and confident in new environments...it is truly amazing. He was telling her class "HI" and blowing them kisses. We ran into Mia in the hall and she asked if I could bring him in her class for "Show and Tell". Her teacher and I got the biggest kick out of it. She stood in front of the class and told them all about him and Vietnam. He was quite the little flirt in front of everyone which made it even funnier. He may have been the first brother to have been THE show and tell at school.

We took our first family picture last week and it was quite an adventure. It is amazingly difficult to get 6 people all looking at the camera and smiling at the same time. I think it took us 2 hours to try to get the "perfect" picture and just as we almost got it....RICK raised his hand in the picture to keep Jake from raising his hand. Our photographer just about died! He told Rick he would ground him if he could! Needless to say, it was less than perfect and by the time we got a decent picture, we were all sweating and our hair was a mess! It will work for Jake's announcement...it has to!!! I am not doing that again for a while! It was way too stressful!

As you can see, life is busy and great. We can't remember life without Jake. In just a few weeks, it is like he has been with us forever. He brings so much joy to our lives. If you would have told me we would be at this point in just a few weeks I would never have believed it. God is so good! Have a great week. Natalie

Welcome Home Jake Tea Party Pictures

Jake meeting my best friend Patty for the first time! So many neat toys and clothes!

Good friends!
Jake received a doll that was called "Dress Me Jake"! Too Cute!
Mom, Jake and I, and the hostesses
The beautiful table setting

Jake has been home 1 month today!

Wow! I can't believe that Jake flew home one month ago today. Time has flown! It is amazing to see how far he has come in such a short amount of time. He is doing great! I really can't imagine our family without him. He is so happy and blends in as if he was with us from day 1. He is eating great, still on great sleep schedules, and rarely bites or hits anymore. He will occasionally think about it but has gained the self control to choose another outlet that is much more acceptable.

He has also learned more words and some signing which has been his greatest help to control any of his frustrations...he can now tell someone "no!" if he doesn't want you to take his toy or if he isn't done with his plate, etc. I know most people don't like to hear "NO" from their children...but it has been a great help in communicating for us. He has also learned mama, dada, nana (Nadia), mimi (Mia), Lu (Luke), up, down, done, more, eat, baba, dipe (diaper), kittykitty, nightnight, bye bye, hi, Lu Ooh (love you)etc. He can now point to his eyes, nose, ears, mouth and hair when we ask him to. He understands many other things we tell him. He has an amazing vocabulary for a 19 month old who has heard English for a total of 4 weeks. He is absolutely so cuddly, silly, happy and full of life. He has the most beautiful smile too! (and he loves to brush his pretty teeth now!) He loves to run off with the other three children and play with them. They are all doing so good and thrilled to have him as their brother.

Last Friday, some dear friends threw a "Welcome Home Jake" tea party. It was so fun. We had many friends there and Jake received so many new toys and beautiful clothes. It was wonderful to have so many share in our joy. He is loved by so many already. I will try to post some pictures of the tea soon.

Thank you so much for all of you who encouraged us and prayed for us on this long journey. We have so much to be thankful for and learned so much along the way. Very importantly, we know that God has His perfect timing in everything. There were many times we became impatient and frustrated waiting on our sweet Jake. We know he was perfectly chosen for our family and God's timing placed him perfectly in our home. We thank Him everyday for allowing us the honor to raise Jake. Every day I look at him and I am in awe that God would allow us to have this awesome gift. It is our hope that everything we do in raising our children will glorify God. Have a wonderful week. Natalie

" 'I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of Him.' " 1 Samuel 1:27

Just keeps getting better and better!

Well, I thought I would post another update on another ordinary day in the life of the Nelsons. We are getting into a great routine...I am all about schedule/routine if you couldn't tell by now. Jake is doing great and is more and more comfortable each day. Actually, if you didn't know us, you might think he has been with us forever. He is soooo happy every morning I wake him up and gives the most warm hugs you can imagine. He raises his head and looks at me to give me a kiss and buries his head back into my shoulder. Often he will just look at me and say "MaMA"...and I say, "YES, I AM your MaMa!". Can you even imagine a better way to start your day? Luke loves to be the first one in his room and says in a real high pitch voice, "Hi buddy!" Jake has learned to say approximately 10 words in English but understands a lot more of what we are saying. He is using some sign to communicate and it has helped his frustrations tremendously. His tantrums and hitting/biting episodes still occur but much much less (thank goodness).

Jake is still quite the ham. Every time we take him somewhere he waves and says loudly "HI HI" and then immediately starts blowing kisses to everyone. He loves the reaction he gets from everyone....all the ooohs and aaaahs. He loves to act silly and even when he does something bad he will look at us knowing we are displeased and smile big with his teeth showing and squint his eyes and give us this big look of "CHEEEEESE"....and like "how could anyone be upset with a cute silly fella like me?"!!!

We had the honor of speaking at a local CHI meeting Sunday afternoon and share our adoption story with some families. It was fun for everyone to see Jake too. He is quite the celebrity lately b/c everywhere we go someone will say, "Weren't you all on tv over the holidays?" Many people have recognized him around town and he doesn't shy away from the attention!

Now for the part that many of you will be a little uncomfortable with....

I got a call today from an individual I have never spoken with or met before. They live across the country but have been in contact with Tam Bihn 1 orphanage from their own personal adoption experience. They have become friends with the directors there b/c he is Vietnamese too and have kept in contact with them. The lady who loved Jake as her own got in contact with him and asked him to call me and check on Jake today. She is wanting updates and to keep in contact. Although somewhat reluctant to keep too close of contact, I do understand what she is going through. I gave him an update and he said he would contact her to tell her he is happy and bonding strongly with his new forever family. I pray it will give her some peace and comfort knowing that he has a family who loves him deeply and feels like God placed him in our lives with a great purpose. We have all committed to love him and provide a wonderful life for him.....we truly feel like he has been with us forever! Of course the first week was hard on everyone...but was to be expected. It is amazing how quickly he has adjusted and knows we are here for him forever.

Each night I rock him he just melts on me and before he goes to bed I sit him up and have him look at me and I take his hands and place them on me and say "Mama" . I then take his hands and place them on my heart and then hug him and say ,"LOVES"....and then I take his hands and place them on him and say "JAKE". He loves when I do this but is so calm as if he truly understands what I am saying and is soaking it completely up. Every time I rock him I can't help but think about the first 18 months of his life and how I wish I could have been there for him. I think about his past and I also think about his future. Tonight I kept whispering "Mama loves Jake" in his ear and he gave me a big hug and kissed me before I layed him down. I cannot even put into words how it makes me feel. I almost feel guilty saying that before I adopted I didn't know how the love would compare between a child I gave birth to and a child that we adopted. However, I can say with complete honesty, the love is no different. It may have taken me an extra week to feel "bonded" with him but I can tell you that even though I personally did not give him the "gift of life" I know and believe that God gave us the gift of Jake.
Have a wonderful week. Natalie

"For He planned in love for us to be adopted as His own children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the purpose of His will." Ephesians 1:5

Life is Great!

Things are finally coming together at the Nelson house! I am getting a routine together and things are going smoothly. Jake is doing AWESOME and he is so happy to fit right in....he was never too shy about it! :) Luke and Jake finally decided today that they were going to be buddies. They played together all day and had no problems. Now that the girls have started back to school it has finally hit them that it is just "us two brothers so we might as well have fun!". They are both on a great play, eat and nap schedule and I actually got some time today to pick up the house and do some laundry...it made me feel great. On top of that, I got my makeup on, hair curled and dressed at a decent time (I won't mention the time...but hey....it happened!)

The kids and I went to see my parents over New Year's (Rick was on call) and Jake got to meet all of his cousins and aunts and uncles (minus Jeff...but soon). He had no problem warming up to everyone and ended up playing in the play room with all the big guys each day. I really believe he sensed it was "all family" and was so at ease. I think everyone fell in love with him (and Jake knows it!....he likes to put on a show and make everyone laugh!).

He is such a great eater and takes a wonderful nap and goes to bed perfectly. He loves his bath but we are still battling brushing his teeth. He adjusted to the carseat and highchair beautifully too. I work hard every day to teach him that hitting, biting and tantrums aren't acceptable and we have worked on finding new outlets to let him show us when he is frustrated....I am telling you there has been some major improvements. He is bonding with me wonderfully....I think having Rick back at work forced him to come to me and trust me and meet all his daily needs. Last night he wanted me instead of dada!!!! YEA! We are working on his language and he has learned mama, dada, more (for food) , down(when he is done eating) , ball (thank you aunt Julie), hi and bye! He freely gives us lots of kisses and blows kisses and he LOVES to dance. He says many other things but I think they are in Vietnamese.... he will sign to us what he wants. Today when we went to pick up the girls from school he got so excited when he saw them he started yelling "YEA YEA YEA"! Once we got home, they all four took off upstairs playing together. It is amazing how well he has adjusted in such a short time. To be perfectly honest, the first few days were a little stressful, and I was unsure how well things would go. We have prayed everyday for guidance and patience and God has been very good to all of us. He always knows our needs and always has His perfect timing. We feel so blessed to have Jake in our lives. He has brought so much to each of us and he reminds us every day that love has no boundaries or borders. I love being a mother of four...life is certainly a lot more messy, chaotic and unorganized and I am learning to accept it joyfully! It is also more full of laughter, smiles, patience, hugs and kisses and I accept that joyfully too. Rick is threatening to hang a sign over our family room that says, "Nelson Daycare"....b/c that is what it looks like! I love it! Life is great!