One Year Home

It's only appropriate that this post is a little late since all of my children's first year "milestone" pictures were at least a few days, if not weeks, late.  We didn't get to do all of the monthly 1st year photos with Luke - a two, now three year old doesn't change that much on a monthly basis so there really wasn't much point.  (And let's be honest, by month 9 I have historically been dreading the commitment to do them anyway.)  But a full year?  A year in the life of a toddler brings a lot of changes.  And when you look back on a year in the life of toddler that you only met for the first time 365 days ago, it seems like almost everything has changed!

School Picture, August 2018

Hope Haven Orphanage, August 2017

While I didn't do monthly pictures, I did feel compelled to make him a "first blackboard" like the other two kids.  Instead of his first year of life, it reflects on his first year with us.  A year that he grew physically, gaining 6 pounds and 2 inches, emotionally, and cognitively.

Luke is now strong and independent, insisting on doing everything himself.  He is fluent in English and has no difficulty getting his point across, including an extra stomp of his feed when he's frustrated (thank you Daniel Tiger).  He is learning amazingly fast and is right on track with his peers.  It is sooo much fun to watch him interact with his brother and sister.  I look back on pictures from the airport, when he first met them, and it really does feel like he just meshed right in from day one and never looked back.  While it is crazy having three little ones so close in age, it is also amazingly sweet to see them help one another, to listen to them "read" to each other, to watch them scooter around the cul-de-sac together, or to see their imaginations turn a large box into a space ship.

Playing doctor, nurse, and patient

Luke loves caring for babies and seem like a natural.  I imagine he must have been one of the first to help the younger kids in his orphanage.  But, if mommy is holding another little one, he wont stand for it and insist I give the baby back.  Which brings me to the fact that he is DEFINITELY a mommy's boy; no doubt about that anymore (sorry Kanhka).  His petrifying fear of animals has turned into an inquisitive wonder, and he's developed an unbreakable bond with our new pup Ruthie (aka "Roofie").  He loves pre-school, and as of this week can even spell his name.

Taking care of cousin Cora

Learning about Starfish

A daily occurrence: Luke snuggling with Ruthie in her bed (with all her toys)

The changes are countless from that quiet little boy we met in the Civil Affairs office of Xian a year ago.

We first met Luke on October 15th.  He officially became a part of our family October 16th.  And we brought him home on October 27th.  We celebrated his first "Gotcha Day", the day we first met Luke, quietly as a family.  While eating Chinese is a common way families who have adopted from China celebrate, Luke has not wanted Chinese food since we have been home.  Luke, instead, requested grilled cheese and tomato soup.  How much more American can you get?  Oh, and of course, he wanted chocolate cake and balloons! At three years old, he didn't fully understand what we were celebrating, but he was certainly happy to have another day to celebrate him.  He kept saying it was his "Happy Birthday Gotcha Day".  After we ate, we sat down and looked at pictures of his time in the orphanage and our time in China.  It makes me sad that he no longer remembers the names of his friends, and even his special Grandma nanny doesn't seem to conjure up the same emotions.  However, we have not forgotten that special place and those special nannies, and we will continue to support them financially so that other children may be blessed with as good of care as Luke received. And while it saddens me that he is forgetting, I have to remind myself that those are becoming more distant memories because he is making new ones.  New memories in a family who loves him and will never leave him.  I've learned that the term "Gotcha Day" can be offensive to some, that it might negate or belittle the love of biological parents, or that it might allude to forced adoptions around the world.  However, in its purest sense, the way that we use it, it means simply that: I've Gotcha….no matter what you've been through before, no matter what baggage you come with, I've gotcha.  I've caught you from what may have seemed like an endless free-fall of two years in an orphanage without anyone to call mommy and daddy. I've got endless and unconditional love, and I'm never letting go. I've gotcha. And that's something to celebrate!

So Happy First Gotcha Day, Happy First Adoption Day, and Happy First Homecoming Day, Luke.  God undoubtedly placed you in our family with intention, and we couldn't imagine life without you!!  You've grown our family and our hearts.

Have you ever wondered why the name of this blog is LullabyforLuke?  In China, when I would try to sing him Jesus Loves Me while rocking him to sleep, his body was straight and stiff, and it was almost as if he was allowing me to do it only because he was trying to be obedient.  But now?  Now, I sing him that same lullaby every night before bed.  He falls into my arms and buries his face in my neck.  Sometimes he will sing the words along with me and sometimes he just listens intently.  But one thing he now always requests, is for his name to be inserted...."Jesus loves Luke".  The lullaby we so desperately wanted him to hear and know.  He's starting to understand....