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!